Indotrella maculata Swaminathan, Ashok & Nagar, 2020

Meena, Ashok Kumar, Swaminathan, Rajamani & Nagar, Rajendra, 2020, Notes on some lesser known crickets of the tribe Podoscirtini (Podoscirtinae: Gryllidae: Orthoptera) from India, Zootaxa 4821 (1), pp. 49-70 : 54-58

(1) Indotrella maculata Swaminathan, Ashok & Nagar sp. nov.

(Plate II; Fig. 2 .)

Material examined: Holotype. ♂: India (Maharashtra) Amravati, Chikaldhara , 15-X-2013, 21° 12’ 36’’ N, 77° 43’ 12’’ E, 1188 m.; from grasses; coll. Rajendra Nagar . Paratypes: 2♂: India (Maharashtra) Amravati, Chikaldhara, 15-X-2013, 21° 12’ 36’’ N, 77° 43’ 12’’ E, 1188 m., from grasses; India (Maharashtra) Akola, Patur, 16-X-2013, 20° 27’ 36’’ N, 76° 56’ 24’’ E, 341 m., from grasses, coll. Jhabar Mal.

Description: Male (Holotype). Body of medium size with brown colour. Head light brown in colour without ornament on upper surface, but with pair of yellow stripes, more or less in line with the lateral ocellus; frons (rostrum) on head narrower with very fine to large hairs and more or less equal to scape, a yellow stripe present behind each eye, the genae light brown with distinct small to large dark brown spots, coalesced together forming a streak. Eyes large rounded with stripes. Ocelli arranged in a triangular shape. Antennae, palpi and cerci uniformly brown. Pronotum is wider than long, anterior parts of pronotum narrow, but posteriorly widening with brown coloured disc (indistinctly spotted), and yellowish brown lateral lobes with dark brown spots. Metanotal gland well developed, anterior part densely covered with short sticky hairs of a light brown colour on the upper part, while more dark hairs on the lower part with the posterior margin rounded. Tegmina with narrow dorsal field and the mirror significantly longer than wide, with 5 to 6 oblique veins, two of which are parallel, long and the others short. Tegmina presenting brown spots on the chords, behind plectrum and around the mirror (especially along the apical veins), apical area well developed, reticulated and lateral area of tegmina yellow. Lower part of thorax light brown and abdomen yellowish brown with small, dark brown small numerous spots. Legs uniformly light brown, but femur with dark brown spots and the genicular lobe (knee) of hind legs brown, hind femora feebly swollen; hind tibiae with three dark brown stripes (the middle stripe dotted in appearance), tibiae with 5 to 6 spines on each side. Dorsal part of abdomen light brown with dark brown spots, but ventral and lateral parts of abdomen light brown (including supra anal plate and genital plate). Male genitalia: supra anal plate with large, wide, membranous centre and apex with hairs; subgenital plate longer than wide with somewhat rounded apex. Genitalia wide and sclerotised, epiphallus of genitalia provided with two pairs of apical lobes, first pair of apical epiphallic lobes directed upward and forward with fine setae on border (opposite direction of head) fused with epiphallus only by their basal parts; second pair of these lobes directed backward facing each other, but apex of both the epiphallic apical lobes pointed. Long semimembranous guiding rod with apical part widened near the mold of spermatophore attachment plate, thereafter, from middle to apex, narrower (almost tube-like) upto pointed apex and freely movable with respect to epiphallus, additional sclerotized process of epiphallic apical plate appearing like two falcons facing in opposite directions. Mold of spermatophore attachment plate U-shaped (inverted) with long pointed apodeme and small, more or less transparent apodeme of endoparamere. Ramus paired, ribbon-like, sinuate and divided near apex of apodeme, but attached with membranes.

Female: Unknown.

Measurements (mm) Male: Body length l7.0; Body length with tegmina 19.5; tegmina 15.0; pronotum 2.0; hind femur 10.0 and hind tibia 9.0.

Comparison: The new species differs from the already reported two species ( I. angusta and I. maindroni ) of the genus Indotrella in the following features:

(1) Body length relatively more without any ornament on the upper surface of head ( I. angusta with ornament on upper surface of the head) and with dark brown spots on the genae, lateral lobes of pronotum, abdomen and the femora.

(2) Hind tibiae with three dark brown stripes: one after knee, middle one spotted, joined together and the third at tibial apices.

(3) Male genitalia: supra anal plate with large wide membranous centre, apical lobes of epiphallus including the guiding rod differently shaped, epiphallic apex facing lateral with additionally sclerotized process, giving the appearance of two falcons in apposition. Mold of spermatophore attachment plate – inverted U-shaped.

(4) Ramus divided at apex of apodeme; whereas, in I. maindroni the ramus is divided at the base of apodeme.

(5) The endoparameral apodeme is smaller and transluscent in the new species, while it is visible and larger in I. maindroni .

(6) The additional sclerotized epiphallic apical processes appear falcon-shaped facing in opposite directions in the new species, while appear finger-like in I. maindroni .

Paratype: One paratype that was collected from Maharashtra (Akola) Patur differs from the holotype by an inverted U-shaped dark brown mark on the head attached to the lateral ocelli and eyes; however, all other features match with the holotype.

Etymology: The new species name is derived from the Latin word, maculata , referring to distinct small to large dark brown spots, coalesced together forming a streak on genae; likewise, spots on lateral lobes of pronotum, abdomen and the femora.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Indotrella maculata sp. nov. ♂ Holotype (1–4): 1. Maxillary palpus; 2. Tegmina, dorsal view; 3–4. Tympanum: 3. Outer side; 4. Inner side.