Paradecolya inexpectata (Chopard, 1957)

Hugel, Sylvain, 2010, New and little known predatory katydids from Mascarene islands (Ensifera: Meconematinae and Hexacentrinae), Zootaxa 2543, pp. 1-30 : 8-10

Paradecolya inexpectata (Chopard, 1957)

( Figs. 17–21 , 32–33 , 38 , 41–42 , 47–48 ; Tab. 2)

Decolya inexpectata Chopard, 1957: 39 (original description); Weidner, 1965: 6 (male description); Paradecolya inexpectata Jin & Kevan, 1992: 34 .

Type locality. Indian Ocean, Mascarene archipelago, île de la Réunion, forêt de Bélouve. Holotype. Female. (examined) Forêt de Bélouve, 23.I.1955, MNHN (MNHN-ENSIF650). Neallotype. Male. (not examined) Plaine des Palmistes, 19.II.1902, ZMUH.

Non type material examined (selection).

23, la Réunion, Hell Bourg, Piton d'Enchaing, 24.VI.2002, Alt. 1350 m, S. Hugel leg. & coll.. 23, 1Ƥ, la Réunion, Les Makes, Bois du Bon Accueil, 6.II.2005, N. Cliquennois leg. & coll.. 23, la Réunion, Saint Philippe, Mare Longue, départ sentier botanique, 190 m alt., 21°21’20’’S 55°44’23’’E, 23.IV.2004 & 11.XI.2009, REUNION 2009047, S. Hugel leg. & coll.. 13, la Réunion, Saint Philippe, hauts de Mare Longue, 421 m alt., 21°20’47’’S 55°44’22’’E, 14.XII.2005, S. Hugel leg. & coll.. 13, la Réunion, Saint Philippe, hauts de Mare Longue, 421 m alt., 21°20’47’’S 55°44’22’’E, 13.XII.2005, S. Hugel leg. & coll.. 13, la Réunion, Saint-Philippe, Basse Vallée, Vallée Heureuse, rempart Est, sentier du Puys Ramond, Alt. 800– 900 m, 16.II.2004, N. Cliquennois leg., S. Hugel coll.. 13, la Réunion, Saint-Philippe, Basse Vallée, Alt. 600 m, 27.VI.2002, R. & S. Hugel leg. & S. Hugel coll.. 13, la Réunion, Ste Suzanne, forêt Dugain, Alt. 900 m, 20°59’14’’S, 59°34’34’’E, 10.XII.2005, S. Hugel leg. & coll.. 13, la Réunion, Ste Suzanne, forêt Dugain, Alt. 900 m, 20°59’14’’S, 59°34’34’’E, 18.VI.2009, REUNION 2009115, S. Hugel leg. & coll.. 13, la Réunion, Saint Benoît, Grand Etang, Alt. 530 m, 22.VI.2002, S. Hugel leg. & coll.. 13, 1Ƥ, la Réunion, Bras-Panon, Plaine des Lianes, forêt de la cascade du Chien, 765 m Alt., 21°02’05’’S 55°36’23’’E, 20.XII.2005 and 10.XII.2005, S. Hugel leg. & coll.. 1Ƥ, la Réunion, Saint Benoît, Grand Etang, chemin de l’Etang, Alt. 545 m, 21°05’46’’S, 55°38’51’’E, 17.XI.2009, REUNION 2009114, S. Hugel leg. & coll.. 23, la Réunion, Saint Benoît, Takamaka, Alt. 800 m, 21°05’26’’S, 55°37’09’’E, 22.XI.2009, REUNION 2009174, REUNION 2009175, S. Hugel leg. & coll.. 13, la Réunion, Est de la plaine des Palmistes, Alt. 800 m, 6.VII.2002, S. Hugel leg. & coll.. 23, la Réunion, Ravine de la Grande Chaloupe, petit Bon Dieu (descente sur la crête), Alt. 620 m, 20°55’48’’S, 55°23’’24’E, 4.XI.2009, REUNION 2009003 & REUNION 2009004, S. Hugel leg. & coll..

Description. See Jin, 1992: 34.

Description complement.

Male. Wings. Left FW with 46–51 (average: 48) lamellar teeth. Terminalia. Paraproct. With a long external tooth on the basis, distinctly spatulate distally ( Fig. 20 ). Cerci. With a minute ventral basal tooth; triangular in shape (in side view), the top angle of the triangle distinctly before the middle of the cerci ( Fig. 19 ). Genitalia. Epiphallus cephalic lobe in side view moderately inflated, in the continuation of the neck curvature ( Fig. 21 ; NB. the epiphallus illustration in Jin & Kevan is a ¾ view).

Body Head Pronotum Tibia Femora FW O

I II III I II III III

L L W L W H L L L L L L W L L

3 Holotype 15 3.8 12 5.2 ƤAllotype 18.5 4 13.5 3.7 3 (n=12) min 13.3 1.6 2.4 3.2 2.8 1.3 7.4 6.3 12.2 6.2 5.1 10.4 1.5 5.2 max 16.2 1.8 2.6 3.8 3.1 1.7 8.8 7.6 14.6 7.5 6.2 12.5 1.7 5.8 average

14.8 1.7 2.6 3.5 2.9 1.4 8.0 7.1 13.3 6.9 5.8 11.7 1.6 5.4

Ƥ (n=7) min 17.0 1.8 2.5 3.2 2.8 1.0 7.8 7.1 14.0 7.5 5.9 12.2 1.6 3.3 10.5 max 21.4 2.1 2.9 4.1 3.2 1.6 10.3 9.0 17.5 9.4 7.4 14.4 1.8 4.5 12.9 average

18.9 1.9 2.7 3.7 3.0 1.3 9.0 7.9 15.4 8.2 6.5 13.4 1.7 3.8 11.6 Bioacoustics. Figs. 47–48 . Paradecolya inexpectata is singing by night hours in the undergrowth from near the ground to several meters. Males do not move while calling. The call pattern differs as a function of temperature. At temperatures above 18°C, the call consists of long echemes (> 1 min) made of many syllables; at 19°C, syllables are repeated at the rate of 9–10 syllables/s (syllable duration: 53–72 ms; intersyllable interval: 32–55 ms); echemes are seldom interrupted by short breaks (~250 ms) and are made of 16– 20 trains of waves ( Fig. 47 ). At low temperatures (16°C), the echeme consists in syllable triplets (syllable duration: 134–226 ms; inter-syllable interval: 53–67 ms) separated by 0.67– 2.10 s ( Fig. 48 ). The first harmonic peaks above 22 kHz.

Distribution. This species is widely distributed in la Réunion, having a wide tolerance in rainfall (from 1 m /year in the dry forest (e.g. Grande Chaloupe) to up to 9 m /year in the most humid part of the island (e.g.

hauts de Mare Longue), and in temperature (mean monthly temperature ranging from 19°C to 26°C in Grande Chaloupe and from 10°C to 18°C in Piton d’Enchaing). Although mostly present on exotic-free areas, this species spills over these preserved spots and can be observed in neighbouring anthropized areas, particularly on the highest range of its distribution.

Biology. Adults of this species occur during most of the year but are more frequent at the end of the Austral summer. This species feeds on small insects; trigonidiine crickets seem to represent an important part of its food (pers. obs.). Females lay eggs late at night, in the undergrowth, in dead branches.

Figures

FIGURES 17 – 31. Paradecolya male terminalia and genitalia. 17 – 21, Paradecolya inexpectata (Chopard, 1957). 22 – 26, Paradecolya expectata n. sp. 27 – 31, Paradecolya briseferi n. sp. 17, 22, 27, terminalia, dorsal view. 18, 23, 28, subgenital plate, ventral view. 19, 24, 29, scan electron microscope pictures of right cerci, inner view (ventral margin on the right). 20, 25, 30, scan electron microscope pictures of right paraprocts, inner view (ventral margin on the right). 21, 26, 31, scan electron microscope pictures of epiphallus (right side view). Bars: 1 mm.

FIGURES 32 – 37. Paradecolya fore wings (dorsal view). 32 – 33, Paradecolya inexpectata (Chopard, 1957). 34 – 35, Paradecolya expectata n. sp. 36 – 37, Paradecolya briseferi n. sp. the dotted area is yellow on living specimen. 32, 34, 36, left fore wing. 33, 35, 37, right fore wing. Bars: 1 mm.

FIGURES 38 – 40. Paradecolya stridulatory files (scan electron microscope pictures). 38, Paradecolya inexpectata (Chopard, 1957). 39, Paradecolya expectata n. sp. 40, Paradecolya briseferi n. sp. Bars: 1 mm.

FIGURES 41 – 46. Paradecolya female terminalia 41 – 42, Paradecolya inexpectata (Chopard, 1957). 43 – 44, Paradecolya expectata n. sp. 45 – 46, Paradecolya briseferi n. sp. 41, 43, 45, subgenital plate (ventral view). 42, 44, 46, ovipositor, right side view.

FIGURES 47 – 50. Paradecolya stridulation in natura. 47 – 48, Paradecolya inexpectata (Chopard, 1957). 47, la Réunion, hauts de Mare Longue, 14. XII. 05, 0 H 30, 19 ° C 48, la Réunion, Piton d’Enchaing, Enchaing, 24. VI. 02, 20 H 45, 16 ° C. 49 – 50, Paradecolya expectata n. sp. 49, Mauritius, Montagne Cocotte, 22. IV. 2005, 1 h 00 am, 20 ° C. 50, Mauritius, Macabé, terminus belvédère, 25. II. 2008, 25 ° C, 3 h 00 am.