Ducetia serratus, Nagar, Rajendra, Swaminathan, R. & Mal, Jhabar, 2015

Nagar, Rajendra, Swaminathan, R. & Mal, Jhabar, 2015, Some common and less known Phaneropterinae (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae; Phaneropterinae) with the description of a new species from India, Zootaxa 4027 (3), pp. 301-340 : 316

Ducetia serratus sp. nov.

( Fig. 8 ; Plate XIV)

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:471343

Material examined. (8 Specimens 5♂ & 3♀)

Holotype: India (Meghalaya): Ri-bhoi, Upper Shillong; 8.vi.2013, Coll. Rajendra Nagar. Holotype deposited in the reference collection chamber (containing all the identified collections, earlier from British Museum), Dr. K.S. Kushwaha Insect Museum, Department of Entomology, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture & Technology, Udaipur - 313 0 0 1 (Rajasthan), INDIA.

Paratype: Meghalaya: Ri-bhoi, Upper Shillong; 8.vi.2013 Rajendra Nagar (1); 8.vi.2013, Coll. Jhabar Mal (Upper, Shillong) (1); 8.vi. 201, Coll. R. Swaminathan (Upper, Shillong) (2).

Male: Stridulatory file with about 80 teeth, which are large and spaced in basal half, gradually becoming narrower and denser towards the apex. Tenth abdominal tergite broadly prolonged behind in middle and slightly curved ventrad, with Y-shaped middle furrow at apex. Epiproct long, tongue-shaped, apex broadly rounded, cerci with strongly curved apex, acute, serrate (without ridge); sub-genital plate divided from apex for almost half of its length, dorsad and covered on internal surface with small spinules. Tegmina surpassing hind knee; radius sector branching slightly before (11.50) or in middle of tegmina; forked stem of radius with 2 branches; wings caudate. Hind wings 3.50 mm longer then tegmina. Anterior coxae with a small spine; anterior femur slightly compressed. Lateral pronotal lobes with more or less distinct angle in intro-ventral region of margin. Pro-femur with 6–7 external, 2–4 internal spines; meso-femur with 10–12 external, 0–1 interal spines; postfemur with 12–14 external, 2–3 internal spines. Pro and mesotibia each with 4 apical spurs; hind tibia with 6 apical spurs and with the following number of spines: pro-tibia with 5–6 dorso-external, 2–4 dorso-internal; 9–10 ventro-external, 9–10 ventro-internal; meso-tibiae with 7–8 dorso-external, 9–10 dorso-internal; 13–15 ventro-external, 9–12 ventrointernal; posterior tibia with 39–47 dorso-external, 36–44 dorso-internal; 19–20 ventro-external, 14–15ventrointernal spines; dorsal margins with numerous large spines mixed with small spinules, usually space between 2 large spines filled with 2–3 spinules, spines on ventral margins scarce near base, close towards apex.

Female: Similar to male; epiproct triangular, apex obtuse. Cerci conical moderately curved, narrowing apically, apex obtuse. Subgenital plate triangular, apex obtuse. Ovipositor falcate, dorsal margin serrate in apical half, ventral margin before apex, rounded with teeth.

Colouration. General colour green when alive (in discolored specimen brownish pale). Mixed with brown areas; dorsum of head and pronotum with black spots. Head brownish, whitish including the fastigium, frons, clypeus, gena and scapus, apex of maxillary and labial palpi brown, very apex white; Antennae pale brown, annulated. Anterior legs generally green but specimen at hand is discolored brown; anterior tibia tympanum yellowish brown. Tegmen appears green when live, but is hyaline with veins and veinlets brown; femora of all legs green with dark dots on dorsal areas. Stridulatory vein medium brown with file brown with blackish tinge, forewing sometimes with dark spots. Cerci darkened towards tip. Spines on all legs with apex reddish brown, tarsus lateral side with black strip.

Depositories; The specimens are deposited in the Reference Chamber of Kushwaha Keet Sangrahalay, Department of Entomology, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Department of Entomology.

Discussion. The new species morphologically appears similar to Ducetia ceylanica Brunner 1878 and Ducetia furcata Ragge, 1961 , but differs in the following characters: the cerci being narrow having the apical part black, serrate; subgenital plate with lobes less deviate in middle and the basal area being wider; internal surface spines and radius 2 branched unlike D. furcata 5–6, D. borealis 4–5 and D. septula 3–4 branched); the stridulatory file on left tegmina differs in the number of teeth, size being smaller than D. ceylanica , D. chinensis and D. furcata .

Etymology. The name of the new species refers to the serrate male creci.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Ducetia serratus sp. nov. Male 1 – 10: 1. Dorsal view of head; 2. Dorsal view of pronotum; 3. Lateral view of pronotum; 4. Fore tibia with tympana and knee spines (a). Meso- (b). meta-leg knee bispinose; 5. Tegmina; 6. Stridulatory file on left tegmina; 7. Ventral view of sub-genital plate; 8. Lateral view of left cerci; Female 9 – 10: 9. Lateral view of ovipositor; 10. Ventral view of sub-genital plate.