Pseudorhynchus lessonii Serville, 1838

Hugel, Sylvain, 2009, Gryllacrididae and Tettigoniidae (Insecta, Orthoptera, Ensifera) from Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu, Zoosystema 31 (3), pp. 525-576 : 564-565

Pseudorhynchus lessonii Serville, 1838 ( Figs 11E ; 15E )

Pseudorhynchus lessonii Serville, 1838: 509 . — Kirby 1906: 238. — Bailey 1979: 1027.

Conocephalus roberti Le Guillou, 1841: 294 .

Conocephalus alienus Walker, 1869: 324 .

Conocephalus extensor Walker, 1869: 329 .

Euconocephalus extensor – Karny 1926: 250.

Conocephalus longiceps Redtenbacher, 1891: 412 .

TYPE MATERIAL. — Pseudorhynchus lessonii : type lost ( Bailey 1979); neotype: Christmas Island, Dr C. A. Gibson-Hill., No 48, 1939-40 ; NEOTYPE [printed on red and white circular label]; Ex F. M. S., Museum., B. M. 1955-354. [printed]; NEOTYPE, Pseudorhynchus lessonii Serville , det. W. J. Bailey, 1976. [printed], ♂ ( BMNH). Not examined .

Conocephalus roberti : [Pacific, Southwestern Pacific, Samoa] Hamoa et Hapai [sic Le Guillou 1841]. Lost ( Bailey 1979).

Conocephalus alienus : Tropical Asia, Malesia, Jawa. ♂ (BMNH). Not examined.

Conocephalus extensor : [locality unknown], ♀ holotype (BMNH). Not examined. In online databases ( Eades & Otte 2009), the holotype is erroneously considered as being a male, and a type locality is given, whereas Walker (1869) states the type locality as unknown and gives ovipositor measurements.

Conocephalus longiceps : New Caledonia. ♂ syntype (NHW). Not examined.

TYPE LOCALITY. — Tropical Asia, Malesia, Christmas Island.

DISTRIBUTION. — Widely distributed in the Pacific. Already known from Espiritu Santo (as Euconocephalus extensor in Willemse 1925).

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Vanuatu. (5 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀), Sanma Province, Espiritu Santo Isl., Luganville, site du CTRAV, 15°27’00”S, 167°12’26”E, 2 m alt., pelouse, zone herbacée, sur plante, nuit, Exped. Santo 2006, 12.X.2006, coll. S. Hugel, 1 ♂ (SH-119), 2 ♀♀ (SH-127, SH-128) (MNHN-ENSIF2271, 2279, 2280).— Same locality and date, Exped. Santo 2006, coll.T. Robillard, 1 ♂ (TR-011 SH-122) (MNHN-ENSIF2274). — Luganville, site du CTRAV, forêt côtière sur sable, 15°27’00”S, 167°12’26”E, 2 m alt., Exped. Santo 2006, 28.X.2006, coll. S. Hugel, 1 ♂ (SH-123), 1 ♀ (SH-125) (MNHN-ENSIF2275, 2277). — Same locality, 29.X.2006, coll. S. Hugel, 1 ♀ (SH-124) (MNHN-ENSIF2276).

Big Bay, Matantas, Vatthé Conservation area, 15°20’S, 166°95’E,nuit,Exped.Santo2006, 27.X.2006, coll.S.Hugel, 1 ♀ (SH-120)(MNHN-ENSIF2272).— Samelocalityand date, herbes hautes en bord de piste, nuit, coll.T. Robillard, 1 ♂ (TR-397 SH-121) (MNHN-ENSIF2273).— Big Bay, Matantas, Vatthé Conservation area, 15°20’S, 166°95’E, herbes hautes en bord de piste, nuit, 27.X.2006, coll. S. Hugel, 1 ♀ (SH-126) (MNHN-ENSIF2278).

Penaoru, camp de base, ortho5, Exped. Santo 2006, X-XI.2006, coll. E. Boitier, 1 ♀ (SH-129) ( MNHN- ENSIF2281).

Peavot,cocoteraie,enregistré,Exped.Santo 2006, 23.X.2006, coll. S. Hugel, 1♂ (SH-130) (MNHN-ENSIF2282).

HABITAT AND LIFE HISTORY TRAITS. — We recorded this species in anthropized localities (pasturelands, villages, roadsides) near the shore. Willemse (1925) recorded it from Chuuri 300-600 m and Hog Harbour, open forest.

DESCRIPTION COMPLEMENT

Stridulatory file ( Fig. 11E ) with c. 57 lamellar teeth and numerous spinules on both sides of the file (already illustrated by Bailey [1979]).

CALLING SONG ( FIG. 15E )

Males call at dusk and during early night hours. The song has been illustrated by Bailey (1979) and a record was published by Rentz (1996). It consists of a long (several minutes) continuous buzz.

Figures

FIG. 11. — A-E, SEM pictures of stridulatory files; F-H, right femur III in side views;A, Phaneroptera gracilis Burmeister, 1838; B, H, Conocephalus upoluensis (Karny,1907);C, G, C. semivittatus vittatus (Redtenbacher, 1891); D, F, C. oceanicus (Le Guillou, 1841);E, Pseudorhynchus lessonii Serville,1838.Scale bars:A-E, 100 μm; F-H, 10 mm.

FIG. 15.— Calling songs:A, Ityocephala francoisi Bolívar,1903 specimen MNHN-ENSIF2188,20H30,21°C,2 m high,Cardiodactylus sp. (Eneopterinae cricket) and Salomona redtenbacheri Brongniart,1897 are singing around (grey); B, C, Phaneroptera gracilis (Burmeister, 1838),the specimen MNHN-ENSIF2200 has been IR filmed in order to distinguish its call (black) from the other calls (Conocephalus sp.and crickets,in grey) 0H30,20°C; D, Furnia insularis (Stål, 1876),the specimen MNHN-ENSIF2311 has been IR filmed in order to distinguish its calls (arrows) from the background calls (Cardiodactylus sp. and Salomona redtenbacheri, see Fig. 20) 20H00, 21°C, 3 m from the specimen; E, Pseudorhynchus lessonii Serville, 1838, specimen MNHN-ENSIF2282, 19H40, 22°C. All songs recorded in situ.