Conocephalus (Xiphidion) ictus (Scudder, 1875)

Piotr Naskrecki, 2000, Katydids of Costa Rica / Vol. 1, Systematics and bioacoustics of the cone-head katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae sensu lato)., Philadelphia, PA: The Orthopterists Society at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, : 19

Conocephalus (Xiphidion) ictus (Scudder, 1875)

Figs. 1 D, 2D, 2I, 39C, 40B, Map 2

1875 Scudder, Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. 17: 461 >> Xiphidium ; type locality: Mexico; type depository: Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia – syntypes, males and females

1906 Kirby, Syn. Cat. Orth. 2: 281. >> Anisoptera

1912 Karny, Genera Insectorum 135: 8 >> Conocephalus (Neoxiphidion) ictus

1915b Rehn and Hebard, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. 41: 250 >> Conocephalus (Xiphidion)

[syn.] mexicanum = 1875 Saussure, Rev. Mag. Zool. 2 ser

11: 208 >> Xiphidium ; type locality: Central America:

Mexico; type depository: Geneva

1915b Rehn and Hebard, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. 41: 250

>> syn. of C. ictus

Diagnostic description.— General characteristics as described above, body quite robust as for the genus; most individuals in Costa Rican population brachy- to mesopterous, less frequently fully macropterous. Stridulatory file of male 1.63 mm long, with 61 teeth, maximum width of file 68.5 μm ( Fig. 40 B); teeth of file thick, peg-like, nearly uniformly spaced along entire file. Left (upper) mirror of stridulatory apparatus as in Fig. 1 D, as long as or slightly longer than eye diameter. Fastigium of vertex as wide as 3/4 of scapus, its sides slightly divergent towards apex. Outer ventral edge of hind femur unarmed or armed with 1-3 minute, black spines. Male cercus as in Fig. 39 C; ovipositor only slightly shorter than hind femur (ratio ovipositor/hind femur 0.79-0.89), straight ( Fig. 2 D).

Coloration.— General coloration pale green, dorsal band on head and pronotum very dark, often nearly black, bordered by two thin, lighter stripes; posterior half of abdomen in male yellow to reddish-brown, cerci yellow to light brown; abdomen in females usually green or faintly yellowish.

Measurements.— Table 2 .

Bioacoustics.— The call of C. ictus is similar to that of C. cinereus , and consists of two parts: a train of continuous buzz followed by a series of short, individual chirps (in C. cinereus the sequence is reversed and the buzz always follows the individual chirps) ( Fig. 51 A-B). At 32°C the continuous buzzes last 1.68- 13.86 s (avrg. 6.15±4.05, n=17) and consist of pulses (chirps) produced at the rate of 18- 19/s, with each pulse lasting 50-54 ms (avrg. 51.2±0.7, n=30). The slow series last 0.57- 2.79 s (avrg. 1.64±0.68, n=13) and consist of 3-6 individual pulses produced at the rate of 2.8-3/s. Within the audible part of the call most energy is allocated between 10 and 17 kHz.

Distribution. — This species has been recorded from most of Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica ( Map 2 ).

Material examined. — COSTA RICA: Alajuela Prov., 11.5 mi. NE Esparta on Pan. Amer. Hwy., 5 October 1961 (coll. Hubbell, Cantrall, Cohn) - 6 males ( UMMZ); Guanacaste Prov., 15.3 mi. SE Las Cañas on Pan. Amer. Hwy., 5 October 1961 (coll. Hubbell, Cantrall, Cohn) - 3 males ( UMMZ); Estac. Cacao, SW side Volcán Cacao, elev. 1000 - 1400 m, 15 March 1988 (coll. GNP Biodiv. Survey) - 1 male ( INBio); same locality, elev. 1000 - 1400 m, 15 April 1988 (coll. GNP Biodiv. Survey) - 1 male ( INBio); Los Almendros, P.N. Guanacaste, 8 - 20 November 1993 (coll. E. Lopez) - 1 male ( INBio); Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, Santa Rosa National Park, 21 - 24 August 1999 (coll. P. Naskrecki, D. Otte, G. Morris) - 1 male ( PN collection); GUATEMALA: San Marcos, Finca La Paz near La Reforma, elev. 1280 m, 3 May 1956 (coll. T.H. Hubbell) - 1 male, 1 female ( UMMZ); same locality, elev. 1054 m, 5 May 1956 (coll. T.H. Hubbell) - 1 male ( UMMZ); Honduras: Progreso, 19 March 1923 (coll. T.H. Hubbell) - 1 male ( UMMZ); MEXICO: - 2 males, 2 females ( ANSP, UMMZ); Sinaloa, Los Mochis, 2 - 10 December 1917 (coll. J.A. Kusche) - 1 male ( ANSP); same locality, 21 December 1917 (coll. J.A. Kusche) - 1 male ( ANSP); Venvidio, 15 August 1918 (coll. J.A. Kusche) - 1 female ( ANSP); Villa Union, 27 September 1918 (coll. J.A. Kusche) - 1 female ( ANSP).

Figures

FIG. 1. Costa Rican Conocephalus spp. A. C. saltator - habitus; B-F: male pronotum, dorsal view. B. C. saltator, C. C. angustifrons, D. C. ictus, E. C. cinereus, F. C. magdalenae.

FIG. 2. Costa Rican Conocephalus spp. A. C. cinereus - habitus; B-F: ovipositors. B. C. magdalenae, C. C. cinereus, D. C. ictus, E. C. angustifrons, F. C. saltator; G-K: titillators. G. C. magdalenae, H. C. cinereus, I. C. ictus, J. C. angustifrons, K. C. saltator

FIG. 39. Cerci and stridulatory files of species of Conocephalus. A-H. male left cerci, dorsal views: A. C. saltator, B. C. angustifrons, C. C. magdalenae, D. C. fasciatus, E. C. ictus, F. C. cinereus, G. C. spinosus, H. C. cf. spinosus; I-J. male stridulatory files: I. C. saltator, J. C. angustifrons.

FIG. 40. Stridulatory files of species of Conocephalus. A. C. magdalenae, B. C. ictus, C. C. cinereus, D. C. fasciatus.

FIG. 51. Stridulatory files of Costa Rican species of Conocephalinae s. l. A. Subria sylvestris, C. Podacanthophorus maylinae, C. Podacanthophorus alas, D. Podacanthophorus vargasi, E. Pluviasilva levis, F. Pluviasilva mexicana.

MAPS 1 - 6. Distribution of species of Conocephalinae s. l. in Costa Rica. 1. Conocephalus angustifrons, C. cinereus, 2. Conocephalus saltator, C. ictus, 3. Conocephalus magdalenae, Orchelimum fraternum, Lipotactomimus rowelli, 4. Lirometopum coronatum, Acantheremus colwelli, 5. Copiphora rhinoceros, C. cochleata, C. brevicauda costaricensis, 6. Copiphora hastata, C. cultricornis, C. ottei.