Phalangopsina gravelyi, Desutter-Grandcolas, 2012

Desutter-Grandcolas, Laure & Jaiswara, Ranjana, 2012, Phalangopsidae crickets from the Indian Region (Orthoptera, Grylloidea), with the descriptions of new taxa, diagnoses for genera, and a key to Indian genera, Zootaxa 3444, pp. 1-39 : 22-23

Phalangopsina (?) gravelyi Desutter-Grandcolas n. sp.

( Figs 7 G, H, 9A–H, Table 5)

Type material: Holotype, female, Ootacammund, Nilgiris, identified Speluncacris gravelyi Chopard , cotype, by Lucien Chopard but never described (MNHN-ENSIF2965).

Examined material: Female holotype, MNHN-ENSIF2965.

Diagnosis. Very small species, fitting best Phalangopsina than other phalangopsid genera by ( Fig. 7 G) its wide fastigium, ocelli position, transverse pronotum and general characters of its legs, although the dorsal inner apical spur of TIII is only slightly longer than the median inner spur ( Fig. 9 C). This species can be recognized by the following characters: copulatory papilla long, high and sclerotized dorsally ( Fig. 9 F–H); maxillary palpi short ( Fig. 9 B), joint 5 longer than joint 3 but widened regularly from its base; ovipositor dorsal valve slightly widened and lanceolate; ventral valve with a distinct tooth on ventral margin ( Fig. 9 E).

Remark. The generic position of this species is clearly uncertain, especially because of the structure of its copulatory papilla.

Description. Size very small. Head dorsum rounded, without a transverse furrow between fastigium and vertex. Eyes « flat », made of wide ommatidia ( Fig. 7 G). Fastigium much wider and longer than the scape; ocelli arranged as a wide triangle, but the distance between the lateral ocelli slightly larger than the distance between one lateral and the median ocelli. Scape slightly longer than wide ( Fig. 9 A). Maxillary palpi as on Fig. 9 B. Legs. TI without tympanum. TI and TII with two apical spurs, the inner the longest. TIII setose; four pairs of alternate subapical spurs, the outers longer than the inners and set less distally on TIII than inner spurs; three pairs of apical spurs: dorsal spur the longest on outer side, dorsal inner spur only slightly greater in length than the median ( Fig. 9 C); TIII serrulation sparse, but made of large spines; inner serrulation: no spine between spurs 1 and 2, one spine between spurs 2 and 3, two to three spines sometimes present between spurs 3 and 4, and two to three spines above spur 4; outer serrulation: one spine between spurs 1 and 2, three spines between spurs 2 and 3, and between spurs 3 and 4, three spines above spurs. Basitarsomeres III with only two rows of dorsal spines, one spine on inner margin and 3 spines on outer margin, in addition to distal spines.

Colouration. Light yellow marked with brown ( Fig. 7 G); numerous thick brown setae, and small yellow ones. Face dark brown shining with a yellow band under each antennal pit; the two yellow bands slightly prolonged on the clypeus, but not fused distally; fastigium sides, area under median ocellus, cheeks (except for the yellow posterior margin) and area along the posterior margin of the eyes also dark brown. Scape and palpi light yellow, joints 3 and distal half of joint 5 of maxillary palpi marked with brown. Antennae light brown with yellow rings. Pronotum light yellow, with a brown elongated fleck along the yellow anterior margin of dorsal disc; lateral lobes brown in posterior half. Legs light yellow annulated with brown; FI and II with two brown rings in basal half; TI and II with a basal brown flack, a small brown ring at mid length, and a wide brown ring in distal half; FIII light yellow with brown dots on knees and inner sides, and brown stripes more or less fused as a line on outer side ( Fig. 7 H). Tibiae and basitarsomes III yellow. Tergites yellow with brown dots. Sternites and cerci yellow.

Male. Unknown.

Female. Apterous. Subgenital plate not transverse; distal margin emarginate ( Fig. 9 D). Ovipositor shorter than FIII, only slightly widened distally; apex without ornamentation; ventral valves with a ventral tooth and slight apical denticles ( Fig. 9 E).

Female genitalia. Copulatory papilla long, straight and well sclerotized; distal margin sinuate ( Fig. 9 F–H).

Measurements. See Table 5.

Pron-L W-Pron Wmax-pron FIII-L TIII-L Ovip-L Holotype 1.5 2.2 2.4 6.7 6.7 6.2 Habitat. Unknown.

Remark. The specimen observed here cannot be the female of Aspidogryllus singularis Chopard, 1933b also described from Ootacamund in the Nilgiris: although it resembles this species by its very small size and TIII apical and subapical spurs, it is different by TIII serrulation (absent in A. singularis ), the size of its eyes (equal to scape length in A. singularis ), and the colouration of its face, pronotum and legs (see Chopard 1933b, p. 119).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Phalangopsina dubia (Bolivar, 1900). A, Female lectotype, colouration of head and pronotum, lateral; B – D, female paralectotype, colouration, lateral (B), dorsal (C), FIII, outer side (D). Phalangopsina bolivari Desutter-Grandcolas n. sp., E, FIII colouration, outer side. Phalangopsina chopardi Desutter-Grandcolas n. sp., F, FIII colouration, outer side. Phalangopsina gravelyi Desutter-Grandcolas n. sp., G, body colouration, dorsal; H, FIII colouration, outer side. Scales 1 mm.

FIGURE 9. Phalangopsina gravelyi Desutter-Grandcolas n. sp. (A – H) and Speluncasina annandalei (Chopard, 1928) n. comb. (I – O). A, I, scape, anterior side; B, J, maxillary palpus; C, K, L, apical spurs of hind tibia, inner (C, L), outer (K); D, M, female subgenital plate; E, N, female ovipositor apex, lateral; F, G, H, O, female copulatory papilla, dorsal (F), ventral (G, O), lateral (H). Abbreviations, see text p. ***. Scales 1 mm.