Oryctopterus yeshwanthi, Hiremath & Prathapan, 2021

Hiremath, S. R. & Prathapan, K. D., 2021, Two new species of the genus Oryctopterus (Orthoptera: Stenopelmatidae: Oryctopinae) from India, with some notes on biology, European Journal of Taxonomy 748 (1), pp. 108-137 : 128-134

Oryctopterus yeshwanthi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:82E702C9-26A7-485A-BC72-097B4B93D8B8

Figs 53–70

Diagnosis

Oryctopterus yeshwanthi sp. nov. superficially resembles Ot. varuna sp. nov. However, Oryctopterus yeshwanthi sp. nov. can be easily recognized by the longer mandibles with five visible denticles (in female of Ot. varuna sp. nov., mandibles extend beyond labrum, but are shorter than in Ot. yeshwanthi sp. nov. and no denticles are externally visible); lateral margins of pronotum strongly curved in anterior third and nearly straight posteriorly (in Ot. varuna sp. nov., the lateral margin of pronotum is rather evenly curved), pronotum in Ot. yeshwanthi sp. nov. is posteriorly narrower than in Ot. varuna sp. nov. and the oblique sulcus originating from postero-lateral corners is well developed (pronotum is less strongly narrowed posteriorly in Ot. varuna sp. nov. and the oblique sulcus originating from posterolateral corners of pronotum is hardly discernible); and bean-shaped spermatheca with reticulated integument (spermatheca spherical with smooth integument in Ot. varuna sp. nov.). Moreover, the two species can also be separated based on the structure of the spermathecal duct, gland and sternite VIII. Spermathecal duct with cylindrical bulb post-medially (spermathecal duct with spindle shaped bulb near its middle in Ot. varuna sp. nov.); spermathecal gland shorter than spermathecal duct, with two bulged portions (spermathecal gland distinctly longer than spermathecal duct in Ot. varuna sp. nov.); apical margin of sternite VIII indistinctly emarginated medially with dorsal infolding (apical margin of sternite VIII broadly rounded and weakly projected at its middle in Ot. varuna sp. nov.). Supragenital plate and subgenital plate in the dry, preserved specimen were shrunk and deformed, hence maceration of specimens was required to ascertain the actual structure and shape.

Oryctopterus yeshwanthi sp. nov. resembles Ot. lagenipes in having dark stripes on head, which are similar to those in the latter. The sulci on pronotum are also more or less similar in both the species. However, Ot. yeshwanthi sp. nov. can be separated from Ot. lagenipes based on clypeus which is transverse (trapezoidal in Ot. lagenipes ), longer mandibles (shorter in Ot. lagenipes ), strongly curved lateral margins of pronotum in anterior third (evenly curved in Ot. lagenipes ).

Etymology

This species is named after H.M. Yeshwanth, University of Agricultural Sciences, who collected the single known specimen.

Type material

Holotype INDIA • ♀; Kerala, Kallar ; 12 Nov. 2014; H.M.Yeshwanth leg.; “HOLOTYPE; Oryctopterus yeshwanthi sp. nov.; des. Hiremath & Prathapan, 2019”; UASB.

Description

Female ( Figs 53–69 )

COLORATION. General color chestnut brown; abdominal tergites darker than head and thorax, abdominal sternites lighter than tergites; legs not distinctly lighter than thorax. Vertex and frons demarcated by M-shaped dark marking; a U-shaped dark stripe, originating from M-shaped mark, extends vertically over vertex; beneath M-shaped mark, a pair of inverted, drop-shaped lighter areas present; a broader stripe originates from dorsomesal margin of eye, extending vertically over vertex. A third pair of dark stripes extend between subgenal suture and occiput on either side of head. Clypeus concolorus with vertex, except anterior margin lighter. Labrum slightly darker than vertex. Thoracic sternites apparently lighter than tergites.

HEAD ( Fig. 55 ). Vertex strongly convex. Distance between eyes 1.38 times distance between antennal sockets. Frons moderately convex between antennal sockets, gradually turning flat, then depressed ventrally; minutely transversely wrinkled ventrally. Eyes with mesal margin concave near antennal socket, lateral margin strongly rounded. Clypeus a little shorter than labrum, rectangular, strongly transverse, nearly three times wider than long, with an indistinct vertical carina in middle, surface hardly depressed on either side of carina. Visible part of mandibles about two times longer than labrum, with five denticles visible.

THORAX. Pronotum ( Fig. 56 ) 1.64 times wider than long, anteriorly 1.26 times wider than posteriorly. Lateral margin strongly curved near anterior third, then becomes nearly straight posterior to that; anterolateral margin convex, forming somewhat obtuse angle with anterior margin. Posterior margin concave medially. Pronotal anteapical transverse impression merged with anterolateral depressions on either side. Oblique sulcus originating from postero-lateral corner of pronotum well developed. Prosternite wider than long, converge posteriorly, posterior margin emarginate medially, with two pairs of ventral cervical sclerites; lateral cervical sclerites acutely narrowed distally, oblique; prosternite distally with setose, raised portion medially. Metathoracic basisternum with posterior margin emarginate medially.

HIND LEGS. Coxa depressed ventrally. Metatibia with dorsolateral margin with three small denticles, dorsomesal margin with a row of four small denticles.

ABDOMEN ( Figs 57–60 ). Supragenital plate wider than long, semicircular ( Figs 61–62 ). Subgenital plate transverse, with posterior margin straight in middle ( Figs 60 , 63 ).

FEMALE GENITALIA ( Figs 64–69 ). Ovipositor with dorsal valve broader and slightly longer than ventral. Base of ventral valve with two pairs of obliquely placed thick sclerites; inner one short, oblong; outer one longer. Vagina longer than dorsal valve in length, semicircular with lateral sides each bearing an elongate, unsclerotized vaginal plate at middle. Spermathecal duct elongate, narrower in proximal half, then distinctly widened beyond middle up to distal third quarter, entering vagina dorsally, at middle. Median oviduct merged with ventral wall of vagina. Spermatheca nearly bean-shaped, surface with depressions, integument reticulated ( Fig. 67 ). Spermathecal gland elongate, shorter than spermathecal duct, bulged near proximal third and distal end. Sternite VIII ( Figs 68–69 ) transverse, in ventral view with apical margin indistinctly emarginate medially, with a dorsal infolding bearing several elongate setae; in dorsal view distal margin emarginate medially.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) (n = 1). Body length: 25.15, head width: 9.87, pronotal length: 6.20, pronotal width: 10.18, forefemur: 8.64, foretibia: 11.00, foretarsi: I. 5.04, II. 1.44, III. 1.25, IV. 0.82, midfemur: 7.21, midtibia: 9.08, midtarsi: I. 3.74, II. 1.39, III. 1.20, IV. 1.92, hindfemur: 12.58, hindtibia: 11.83, hindtarsi: I. 4.13, II. 1.44, III. 1.25, IV. 2.50. Proportionate length of fore-femur: foretibia: foretarsi: midfemur: midtibia: midtarsi: hindfemur: hindtibia: hindtarsi as follows: 1.00: 1.27: 0.99: 0.83: 1.05: 0.95: 1.46: 1.37: 1.08. Proportionate length of tarsomeres I–IV: foreleg – 1.00: 0.29: 0.25: 0.16; midleg – 1.00: 0.37: 0.32: 0.51; hindleg– 1.00: 0.35: 0.30: 0.61.

Male

Unknown.

Notes on biology

Habitat

Kallar, the type locality of the new species, is on the lower reaches of the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve at the southern end of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot. Most of Kallar still retains the forest cover and is slated to form part of the newly proposed Ponmudi Wildlife Sanctuary.

Behavior

The single specimen was picked up on a bright sunny day (H.M. Yeshwanth pers. com., 18 September 2019).

Figures

Figs 53–56. Oryctopterus yeshwanthi sp. nov. Holotype, ♀ (UASB). 53. Dorsal habitus. 54. Lateral habitus. 55. Head, frontal view. 56. Head and pronotum in dorsal view. Scale bars = 5 mm.

Figs 57–60. Oryctopterus yeshwanthi sp. nov. Holotype, ♀ (UASB). 57. Abdomen, dorsal view. 58. Abdomen, lateral view. 59. Supragenital plate. 60. Subgenital plate. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figs 61–63. Oryctopterus yeshwanthi sp. nov. Female genitalia. Holotype (UASB). 61. Supragenital plate, dorsal view (macerated specimen). 62. Supragenital plate, ventral view (macerated specimen). 63. Subgenital plate, dorsal view (macerated specimen). Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figs 64–69. Oryctopterus yeshwanthi sp. nov., female genitalia. Holotype (UASB). 64. Dorsal view. 65. Ventral view with VIII sternite intact. 66. Ventral view without VIII sternite. 67. Spermatheca. 68. VIII Sternite, dorsal view. 69. VIII Sternite, ventral view. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 70. Distribution of Oryctopinae Kevan, 1986 species.