Zvenella yunnana Gorochov

Mal, Jhabar, Nagar, Rajendra & Swaminathan, R., 2014, New record of the bush cricket, Zvenella yunnana Gorochov (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Podoscirtinae) from India, Zootaxa 3872 (1), pp. 83-88 : 84-87

Zvenella yunnana Gorochov

( Fig. 1 ; Plates: I & II)

Type species: Madasumma yunnana Gorochov

This bush cricket is brown to light brown in colour with a distinct pattern of head and pronotum as in shown in Plate-I. The male tegmina are light brown with some veins darker and three whitish spots on dorsal part; however, some variations do occur in the colour pattern, size of ocelli and structure of lower median notch of the epiphallus. This species clearly differs from the congeners in the characteristic male metanotal gland, long male anal plate, and the details of the male genitalia: lower apical (denticulate) epiphallic lobes short but not rounded, upper processes and hind lateral lobes of epiphallus narrow, ectoparameres with short and very wide proximal part ( Gorochov, 2002).

The specimens examined were males and have their tegmen brown with three conspicuous white spots; angle between dorsal and lateral areas of the tegmen without a conspicuous white band, but with a short stroke. Metanotal gland is clearly visible, large enough, with raised lateral area and with lateral angles having dense short hairs. In the centre of bottom with a deep groove 2 sub-parallel high lamellae are visible as earlier described by Ingrisch (1997) and Gorochov (2002). The supra-anal plate is dark brown, narrow, with a pear-shaped central whitish area. The sub-genital plate is boat-shaped, somewhat constricted in the middle, with arched, transverse furrow; the apical area triangular with apex obtuse. The spermatophore has a globular ampulla, with a brown cap at the top. This species of genus Zvenella has a remarkable stridulatory file and the stridulatory vein on the underside of right tegmen is step-like descending about in or behind the middle of its length. The stridulatory teeth are restricted to the area base of this step. The teeth gradually increase in size from base of the file to a swollen area of the stridulatory vein; afterwards they are smaller and the stridulatory vein narrower towards the step ( Ingrisch, 1997).

Discussion. Based on the characters noted, the specimens examined by us conform to the descriptions for the species Z. yunnana . The absence of the conspicuous white band at the angle between dorsal and lateral areas of tegmen further confirms the species; besides, the stridulatory vein on the underside of the right tegmen of the male has a step in about the middle with the teeth narrow and dense, restricted to the area before the step, a typical character for the genus Zvenella .

Measurement (♂ in mm): Length of body, 17; Length with wings, 23; Length of tegmen, 15; Length of post femur, 11.0; Length of hind tibiae, 11.1; Width of tegmen, 5.1; Length of pronotum, 2.6; Width of pronotum, 5.0.

PLATE I. Zvenella Gorochov, 1988 [Type species: Madasumma yunnana Gorochov, 1985 ]. 1–10, Zvenella yunnana Gorochov, 1985 . 1. Head showing the ocelli; 2. Head and pronotum dorsal view; 3. Pronotum lateral enlarged view; 4. Metanotal gland; 5. Lateral side tegmen; 6. & 7. Fore tibia tympanum external & internal view8. Sub-genital plate; 9. Supraanal plate; 10. Spermatophore.

PLATE II. Top—Underside of male right tegmen—Stridulatory file, arrow marking step-like decline. Bottom—Male genitalia, arrow showing denticles (encircled).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Zvenella Gorochov, 1988 [Type species: Madasumma yunnana Gorochov, 1985]. 1 – 11, Zvenella yunnana Gorochov, 1985. 1. Head and pronotum; 2. Tegmen dorsal view; 3. Tegmen lateral view; 4. Maxillary palpi; 5. Metanotal gland; 6. Tympanum (outer); 7. Tympanum (inner); 8. Sub-genital plate; 9. Supra-anal plate; 10. Male genitalia; 11. Spermatophore.