Podacanthophorus nelciae Naskrecki

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, : 129-130

Podacanthophorus nelciae Naskrecki , sp. n.

Figs. 35 F, 35I-J, 35N

Type locality: Costa Rica:, Guanacaste Prov., Estac.

Cacao, Lado SO Vol. Cacao, P.N. Guanacaste, elev. 1000 - 1400 m; type depository: Academy of

Natural Sciences, Philadelphia – holotype female

Diagnostic description (female; male unknown).— General characteristics as described above; wings in female barely reaching apices of hind femora . Fastigium of vertex 3 times as long as eye diameter, pointed apically, with distinct dorsal furrow dorsally; ventral keel of fastigium smooth ( Figs. 35 F, 35I). Ventral anterior spines of hind femora as long as half of width of hind femur below knee ( Fig. 35 N).

Tenth tergite of female with two somewhat divergent, pointed lobes; female cercus simple, elongately conical, somewhat curved. Ovipositor short, sickle-shaped, upper valvula distinctly wider than lower one, resulting in ovipositor somewhat dilated midlength; ovipositor longer than half of hind femur (ratio ovipositor/hind femur 0.67-0.82) ( Fig. 35 J).

Coloration.— General coloration light green; face creamy white; fastigium with two black stripes on sides; clypeus without dark markings; venation of tegmina and posterior edge of tegmina contrastingly yellow.

Measurements.— Table 27 .

Distribution.— Known only from a few widely scattered records in Costa Rica ( Map 18 ).

Material examined.— COSTA RICA: Alajuela Prov., R. Jesús, C. La Lana, San Ramón, elev. 1200 m, 15 January 1992 (coll. G. Carballo) - 1 female (paratype) ( INBio); Cartago Prov., Cachí, elev. 1524 m, 17 September 1916 (coll. C.F. Lankester) - 1 female (paratype) ( ANSP); Guanacaste Prov., Estac. Cacao, Lado SO Vol. Cacao, P.N. Guanacaste, elev. 1000 - 1400 m, 29 May 1992 (coll. K. Taylor) - 1 female (holotype) ( ANSP); Puntarenas Prov., Estac. La Casona, Res. Biol. Monteverde, elev. 1520 m, 15 October 1990 (coll. E. Bello) - 1 female (paratype) ( INBio).

Etymology.— This species is named in honor of Nelci Oconotrillo, a parataxonomist working with the project ALAS (Arthropoda of La Selva).

Figures

FIG. 35. Costa Rican species of Podacanthophorus. A. P. alas - male face, B-F. head and pronotum, dorsal views: B. P. alas - female, C. P. alas - male, D. P. vargasi - male, E. P. maylinae - male, F. P. nelciae - female; G-I. head and pronotum, lateral views: G. P. vargasi - male, H. P. maylinae - male, I. P. nelciae - female; J. P. nelciae - ovipositor; K-N. left hind femora, outer views: K. P. alas, L. P. vargasi, M. P. maylinae, N. P. nelciae.

MAPS 13 - 18. Distribution of species of Conocephalinae s. l. in Costa Rica. 13. Sphyrometopa femorata, S. atlantica, Eppia truncatipennis, 14. Erioloides longipennis, E. macrocephalus, E. longinoi, E. brevipennis, 15. Erioloides, consobrinus, E. acutidentis, E. latiscobinus, E. sikesi, 16. Eriolus aculeus, E. acutipennis, E. duplidentis, E. penicillus, 17. Subria sylvestris, S. crassicerca, S. scutellaris, 18. Podacanthophorus alas, P. nelciae, P. vargasi, P. maylinae.