Neoleva magna, Hemp, 2023

Hemp, Claudia, 2023, A new species of Neoleva (Caelifera, Acridoidea, Acrididae, Gomphocerinae) from Central Tanzania, Journal of Orthoptera Research 32 (2), pp. 127-131 : 127

Neoleva magna sp. nov.

Material examined. -

Holotype: TANZANIA • ♂; Mwpapwa District , Changalawe Hill; 6°53'47"S, 36°02'46"E; miombo woodlands, ca 750 m; March 2015, C. Hemp leg.; BMNH . Paratypes: TANZANIA • 1♀; same data as holotype; BMNH • 2♂, 2♀, same data as holotype; CCH • 3♂, 1♀; Msaze village near Gulwe; 6°31'23"S, 36°22'12"E; 1000 m a.s.l.; March 2017 and March 2020; C. Hemp leg; CCH .

Description. -

Male. General coloration: A speckled pattern of gray, dark, and white patches with abdomen, inner sides of the hind femora, and apical parts of the tibiae orange. Tegmina light brown in costal area, darker brown above with some dark spots around the media area (Fig. 2 ). Pronotum with well-developed pair of white spots at anterior margin and angulate white lines on meso- and metazona (Fig. 3D ). Ventral parts of lateral pronotal lobes white or creamy (Fig. 3A ). Lunules of hind femora dark with a postgenicular white band both on femur and tibia (Fig. 2A ). Remaining part of outer side of hind femora greyish or creamy with three dark fasciae on dorsal ridge. These fasciae extend into inner parts of the hind femora. Fore and mid legs speckled white or greyish and black.

Head and antennae. Antenna about 1.5 times longer than head and pronotum, about 13 mm. Frontal ridge flat coarsely punctate on upper part and with a medial ocellus at about the middle of the ridge (Fig. 3C ).

Pronotum and legs. Pronotum crossed by three deep sulci, the posterior one separating the mesozona from the metazona continuing deep into the lateral pronotal lobes with an abrupt angle about in the middle of the pronotal lobes and then running anteriorly almost to the anterior margin (Fig. 3A ). A medial carina is faint on pro- and mesozona but well-developed on the metazona. The tegmina reach to about the middle of the abdomen and are tectate with elevated veins along the whole length.

Abdomen. Supra-anal plate triangular, at tip appendiculate ( Jago 1996; compare his figs 109-112, p. 80 and Fig. 3 B ). Cerci are short and slightly laterally compressed (Fig. 3 B ).

Internal genitalic morphology. Ancorae of epiphallus very weakly sclerotized and comparatively small. Bridge narrow. Inner and outer lophi typical for Neoleva (Fig. 4 ).

Female. Larger and stouter than the male (Fig. 2B ), color pattern duller but generally similar to male having a pair of white dots at the anterior pronotal margin and angular white lines at the posterior part of the pronotum (Fig. 5A ). Some females are uniformly brown while others also have orange hind femora. Ovipositor valves short; dorsal surfaces of upper valves concave, forming an almost cup-like structure with dark sclerotized margins. Ventral valves with slightly undulating margin, this margin also dark sclerotized with more acute tips (Fig. 5B ).

Measurements.

(mm)

Differential diagnosis. -

Neoleva magna sp. nov. is the largest known species in the genus, males having a total length of about 18.5 to 22 mm, following Jago (1996) who measured the total length (frons to tips of folded posterior femora). All other known species of Neoleva are smaller. The females are also larger than those of the known other species, although means overlap (see Table 1 ). Male N. magna sp. nov. resemble N. bufoides Jago, 1996 and N. robertsoni Jago, 1996 in having a white or creamy ventral margin of the pronotal lobes. In those species, however, the outer sides of the hind femora are more or less uniformly orange to red but are light grey or whitish in N. magna sp. nov. in which only the ventral and inner sides of the hind femora are vivid orange. N. mega Jago, 1996 and N. kevani Jago, 1996 appear to have much duller coloration. However, living specimens of these taxa have not been seen, and for N. mega , only the male holotype is known. N. magna sp. nov. also has an appendiculate supra-anal plate as described by Jago (1996) for N. kevani and N. mega . In contrast to the other known species of Neoleva , N. magna sp. nov. has tectate folded tegmina, while in the other species, the wings are more evenly shaped and more closely appressed to the abdomen. Internally, the male epiphallus of N. magna differs from the other three species in its relative size, the distance of the ancorae to each other and the orientation and size of the lophi.

Song. -

Unknown.

Etymology. -

From latin: - magnus = big, because it is the largest species of the genus so far.

Habitat. -

Ground dweller on open patches within miombo woodlands and along forest margins with sparse vegetation.

Distribution. -

Tanzania, Mpwapwa District.

Figures

Fig. 2. Neoleva magna sp. nov. A. Male; B. Female.

Fig. 3. Neoleva magna sp. nov., morphological details of male. A. Lateral view on head and pronotum; B. Dorsal view on abdominal apex with supra-anal plate; C. Face; D. Head and pronotum, dorsal view.

Fig. 4. Epiphallus of Neoleva magna sp. nov.

Fig. 5. Female Neoleva magna sp. nov. A. Dorsal view of head, pronotum, and spread wings B. Lateral view on abdominal apex.