Obolopteryx huastecana, Barrientos-Lozano, Ludivina, Rocha-Sánchez, Aurora Y., Zaldívar-Riverón, Alejandro & Correa-Sandoval, Alfonso, 2016

Barrientos-Lozano, Ludivina, Rocha-Sánchez, Aurora Y., Zaldívar-Riverón, Alejandro & Correa-Sandoval, Alfonso, 2016, Additional new species of the genus Obolopteryx Cohn et al. 2014 (Ensifera: Tettigoniidae) from Northeastern Mexico, Zootaxa 4168 (3), pp. 401-452 : 425-435

Obolopteryx huastecana n. sp., Barrientos-Lozano & Rocha-Sánchez

Figs. 69–86

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:491298

Type material. Holotype ♂ and allotype ♀. México, San Luis Potosí, Valles , Poblado El Salvador, Hwy. 85, Cd. Mante-Valles, 266 m, 08.VIII.2015, Lat. 22°39’41.28”N, Long . 99°01’20.18”W, Barrientos-Lozano L. & Rocha- Sánchez A.Y.

Paratypes, Tamaulipas: 1 Ƌ, 3 ♀, Rd. Tam. 66, Tula-Ocampo , 444 m, 25.VII.2002, Lat. 22°53.639’N, Long . 99°26.499’W, Barrientos-Lozano L.; 4 Ƌ, 1 ♀, Rd. Ocampo-Mante , 383 m, 25.VII.2002, 12.VII.2007, Lat . 22°49.307’N, Long. 99°15.413’W, Barrientos-Lozano L.; 1 Ƌ, Reserva de la Biosfera (RB) El Cielo, Gómez Farías-La Florida, 58 m, 20.VIII.2003, Lat . 23°59.542’N, Long. 99°09.573’W, Barrientos-Lozano L.; 1 Ƌ, Rd. Gómez Farías-Alta Cima , 440 m, 12.IX.2003, Lat . 23°03.310’N, Long. 99°10.133’W, Barrientos-Lozano L. Veracruz: 5 ♀, Rd. 39, Estación Manuel-Ébano, Km 11, Rancho El Gualul , 21 m, 10.XI.2001, Lat . 22°18’13.35”N, Long. 98°22’42.25”W, Barrientos-Lozano L. San Luis Potosí: 1 Ƌ, 2 ♀, Xilitla, Castillo Edward James , 621 m, 17.XI.2011, Lat . 21°23’45.6”N, Long. 98°59’47.8”, Barrientos-Lozano L. & Rocha-Sánchez A. Y.; 2 Ƌ, Valles, Ej. El Pujal, 106 m, 17.XI.2011, Lat. 22°00’37.6”N, Long. 99°00’04.40’’W, Barrientos-Lozano L. & Rocha-Sánchez A. Y.; 1 Ƌ, 10 ♀, Taninul , 76 m, 27.VII.2002, Lat . 21°56.764’N, Long. 99°24.037’W, Lumbreras S. L.; 1 ♀, Gómez Farías, Rancho Pico de Oro , 102 m, 05.VIII.2009, Lat . 23°03’41.1”N, Long. 99°07’07.5”W, Barrientos-Lozano L. & Rocha-Sánchez A. Y.; 1 Ƌ, 1 ♀, Mante-Antiguo Morelos, Km 193, 316 m, 20.VIII.2010, Lat . 22°33.196”N, Long. 99°08.108”W, Barrientos-Lozano L. & Rocha-Sánchez A. Y.; 1 ♀, Victoria, Altas cumbres, 916 m, 22.VII.2004, Lat . 23°35’20.3”N, Long. 99°13’10.9”W, Torres-Acosta R. I.; 1 ♀, Hwy. 85, San Roberto-El Abra , 111 m, 24.IX.2007, Lat . 22°39’41.28”N, Long.99°01’20.18”W, Barrientos-Lozano L.

Diagnosis. Similar to O. poecila in general appearance, but O. huastecana n. sp., is of larger size and more robust (body length 23.4± 1.3 mm vs. 17.3± 2.9). It may be also distinguished from O. poecila as follows: fastigium of vertex more compressed and slightly shorter in dorsal view, fastigium frontalis broader and less produced distally, in frontal view (Figs. 71a, 71b vs. 88a, 88b). Eyes more prominent, pronotum more constricted mesially, tegmina delicately more produced (3.7±0.2 vs. 3.2±0.5) ( Fig. 70 vs. 87). Different stridulatory file as shown in Fig. 72 vs. 89, in O. huastecana n. sp., its estimated length is 8 mm, with ca. 106 teeth, average 13 (8–24) teeth/mm, while in O. poecila the length of the stridulatory file is 7 mm approximately, with ca. 131 teeth and an average of 18 (7–36) teeth/mm. In O. huastecana n. sp., the epiproct is widely excised distally, forming an angle of approximately 180°, therefore the epiproct distal lobes are more produced (Fig. 75 vs. 91); not so in O. poecila . Distinctive cerci (Figs. 73–76, vs. 90–93), subgenital plate (Fig. 76 vs. 93), and internal genitalia (Figs. 77–78 vs. 94–95). Females are different in size, in average larger in O. huastecana n. sp., than in O. poecila (body length 20.3±1.8 vs. 18.4± 3.8 mm), fastigium of vertex, eyes, pronotum and tegmina ( Fig. 80 vs. 96). The ovipositor, subgenital plate and basal sclerites also differ from homologous structures in O. poecila ( Figs. 81 –83 vs. 97–98).

Description of males (alive). Large size, compared to congeneric species ( Figs. 69 , 84 ). Body slender and robust, general color dark green, dorsum mostly dark red with tinges of brown. Fastigium of vertex compressed, yellowish-creme, almost in contact with the fastigium frontalis, in dorsal view; fastigium frontalis broad, distally rounded, in frontal view (Figs. 71a, 71b). Antennal sockets yellowish-creme, antennae reddish-brown-proximally, remaining portion darker, and flagellum with some black segments ( Figs. 70, 84 ). Face yellowish-green, eyes rounded and prominent, white post ocular band attenuating posteriorly, extending onto sides of pronotum and abdomen, on pronotum it becomes turquoise green in color and fades towards middle portion, white on abdomen sides. Pronotum ( Figs. 70, 84 ) dark-red or brown, constricted mesially, median carinae conspicuous not very prominent, typical sulcus on pronotal disc deep U-shape over the metazone; anterior and posterior margins moderately emarginated; lateral lobes of pronotum wider than deep, lower margin white. Tegmina slightly surpassing the posterior margin of the first abdominal tergite, mostly brown, proximal area including the stridulatory file, and a conspicuous band on ventral margin, white ( Figs. 70, 84 ). Stridulatory file as shown in Fig. 72 . Fore femora half proximal portion green color, remaining portion orange or reddish; mid femora with proximal two thirds green color, remaining third orange; half proximal portion of hind femora green, then orange, distally black. Tibiae mostly orange, except for a proximal, external portion, which is black. Abdomen with a dark red or brown, broad, dorso lateral band on each side, attenuating distally; green along mid line, abdominal tergites posterior margin with broad white marks, delicate brown spots on abdomen dorsum ( Fig. 84 ). Tenth tergite disto– dorsal projection, cerci, epiproct, subgenital plate, and titillators as shown in Figs. 73–78.

Description of females (alive). Similar to the males, slightly more robust ( Figs. 79, 85 ). General body color dark green. Head’s dorsum (antennal sockets, scape, fastigium, vertex and occiput) greenish, the occiput bears broad brown bands on each side. In some specimens, the head dorsum is almost entirely dark brown. Pronotum greenish, less constricted mesially than in males, median carinae whitish and slightly more conspicuous than in males, a broad reddish band along midline, two large dark brown marks about mid-length, one each side, and posterior margin with white and brown conspicuous marks. Some females with pronotum entirely dark red or brown, except for the dark brown marks around mid-length and posterior lateral angles, which are dark brownblack. This dark brown color extends onto metanotum and first abdominal tergite. Tegmina very short, rounded, not reaching the caudal margin of metanotum, separated from each other for about 1,5 mm ± 0.1, about two and a half times broader than long, mostly white with tinges of brown and/or reddish. Abdomen bearing reddish-brown lateral bands, one each side ( Fig. 85 ), proximally and distally darker and more conspicuous, dark brown-black spots on abdomen dorsum. Ovipositor ( Figs. 81, 85 ) mostly reddish-brown, moderately curved, distally rounded. Subgenital plate, ovipositor’s lobe, and basal sclerites as shown in Figures 81 –83.

Measurements (mm). Males. Body length from vertex to end of abdomen: 23.4±1.3 (21.3–24.6). Pronotum length: 4.5±0.2 (4.2–4.8). Tegmina length: 3.7±0.2 (3.4–3.8). Fore femur length: 9.5±0.4 (9.0–10.2). Mid femur length 11.1±0.8 (10.1–11.9). Hind femur length: 23.7±1.1 (21.8–24.7). Females: Body length: 20.3±1.8 (18.5– 22.6). Pronotum length: 5.1±0.5 (4.5–5.8). Tegmina length: 0.8±0.1 (0.8–0.9). Fore femur length: 9.3±0.7 (8.5– 10.0). Mid femur length: 11.1±0.4 (10.5–11.6). Hind femur length: 25.2±1.0 (24.1–26.4). Ovipositor length: 9.9±0.3 (9.6–10.4). Inter–tegmina space: 1.4±0.2 (1.2–1.6).

Distribution ( Fig. 130 ). Collected in south Tamaulipas and eastern San Luis Potosí, México, from about sea level to 650 m.

Habitat ( Fig. 86 ). O. huastecana n. sp., inhabits also the Huasteca Region, it encompasses a portion of land rich in natural resources from the Eastern Sierra Madre (ESM) mountain range to the Gulf of Mexico. The Huasteca is characterized by a topographic and climatic complexity. O. huastecana n. sp. inhabits the lowlands feeding on thorny shrub vegetation such as Prosopis sp., Acacia farnesiana (Fabaceae) , Karwinskia humboldtiana (Rhamnaceae) and/or on secondary vegetation. Climate at the Huasteca is humid temperate, average annual temperature varies between 23–25°C. Due to moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, rainfall is generally abundant; it ranges between 800–1600 mm per year, depending on altitude and location from the coast.

Etymology. The specific name “ huastecana ” refers to the Huasteca region where this species has been collected.

Figures

FIGURE 69. Obolopteryx huastecana n. sp. Male habitus.

FIGURE 72. Obolopteryx huastecana n. sp. Male stridulatory file on underside of left tegmen.

FIGURE 80. Obolopteryx huastecana n. sp. Female head and pronotum, in dorsal view.

FIGURE 84. Obolopteryx huastecana n. sp. Male alive.

FIGURE 85. Obolopteryx huastecana n. sp. Female alive.

FIGURE 86. Obolopteryx huastecana n. sp. Habitat, low forest secondary vegetation. Valles, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.

FIGURE 130. Distribution map. Obolopteryx eurycerca n. sp., O. nigra n. sp., O. tamaholipana n. sp., O. castanea, O. huastecana n. sp., O. poecila, O. tanchipae n. sp., and O. truncoangulata.