Platycleis buzzettii Massa et Fontana

Massa, Bruno & Fontana, Paolo, 2011, Supraspecific taxonomy of Palaearctic Platycleidini with unarmed prosternum: a morphological approach (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae, Tettigoniinae), Zootaxa 2837, pp. 1-47 : 7

Platycleis buzzettii Massa et Fontana n. sp. ( Figs. 11–16 )

Examined material and type depository: Ƥ holotype, N Iran, Mazandaran, Rudbarak (= Kūh-e Rūdbārak), 950– 1200 m, 12.VI.2001, leg. G. Sama ( PFCV).

A female of a very distinctive species collected in Iran is an undescribed species; because its characteristics are very unique, we decided to describe it.

Diagnosis. Large brachypterous species, characterized by long pronotum, stout hind femora and very peculiar subgenital plate; the ratio hind femora/pronotum length (2.35) lies below the smallest known (3.0) for the genus.

Female description. Ground colour, light brown with black markings over eyes and in the middle of the fastigium; two clear bands are present above the eyes and two small dark elongated vertical spots are placed laterally in the middle of face; lateral lobes of pronotum mostly light brown with wide lateral margins marked inside by two vertical curved dark bands. Upper surface of hind femora with small dark markings. Abdomen clear brown, with two dorso-lateral vanishing blackish longitudinal bands. Tegmina with typical black spots and reduced veins; radial and median veins thick, nearly parallel, without dark markings between them; wings just shorter than tegmina. Head stout, rising in lateral view above the pronotal disk; eyes scarcely prominent. Fastigium wider than the maximum eye diameter. Pronotum with dorsal surface plane, evidently keeled on metazona and with widely rounded posterior margin; humeral excision on hind margin of lateral lobes not much evident, placed almost at 3/4 of total pronotum length. Tegmina reduced, apically round, shorter than the abdomen, ending a little before the end of 1/3 of hind femur; wings about 2/3 of tegmina length. X th tergite widely concave in the middle, forming a scarcely deep concavity defined by two small subtriangular lateral processes. Cerci long, tapering, clearly acuminate in apical third. VII th sternite modified, swollen on basal two thirds with two small sublateral tubercles placed before the middle and a small transversal keel just before hind margin; fore margin rounded and hind margin straight. Subgenital plate subrectangular, its hind margin widely incised, longitudinally divided for all its length and forming on the hind margin two wide rounded lobes. Ovipositor robust, short and upcurved, light coloured on basal third and black in the distal 2/3; lower margin of ventral valvae weakly toothed.

Male: unknown.

Measurements (in mm). Total length from the head to the apex of abdomen: 25.3; from the head to the apex of hind femur: 42.24; pronotum length: 10.88; pronotum height: 6.4; length of tegmina: 13.6; length of hind femora: 25.6; height of hind femora: 6.56; length of ovipositor: 11.52; hind femora/pronotum length: 2.35.

Derivatio nominis: we are glad to name the new species after our dear italian friend and orthopterologist Filippo Maria Buzzetti, who kindly provided us with the unique specimen of this interesting new species.

Remarks. In absence of the male, we have tentatively placed this species within the genus Platycleis , but the pronotum shape with scarcely evident humeral excision, and the subgenital plate shape are very unusual, and possibly, when the male will be known a new supraspecific taxon should be established for it. Additionally, Garai (2008) recorded one unidentified female of Platycleis from Minac ( Iran), ca. 80 kms from Rudbarak; she sent us some photographs of that specimen, whose aspect looks very like our specimen; nevertheless, it shows a similar pattern of pronotum, hardly excised, but not as elongated as our specimen, a similar VII th sternite, but a different subgenital plate ( Figs. 12, 14, 16 ). Measurements are as follows (mm): total length from the head to the apex of abdomen: 22; pronotum length: 6.5; length of tegmina: 11; length of hind femora: 21; length of ovipositor: 11; hind femora/pronotum length: 3.2 (G.A. Garai, pers. comm.). Further material and the male examination are needed, but even if we may consider this specimen much related to P. buzzettii , it seems not belonging to the same species.

Figures

FIGURES 11 – 16. 11) Lateral view of the holotypus of Platycleis buzzettii n. sp. (in the inset frontal view of the head); 12) Lateral view of one unidentified Iranian species of Platycleis related to the previous one (photo by G. A. Garai); 13) Subgenital plate of the holotypus of Platycleis buzzettii n. sp.; 14) Subgenital plate of the specimen 12; 15) Last tergite of the holotypus of Platycleis buzzettii n. sp.; 16) Last tergite of the specimen 12.