Podacanthophorus vargasi 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, : 128-129

Podacanthophorus vargasi Naskrecki , sp. n.

Figs. 34 D-E, 35D, 35G, 35L, 36F, 51D, Map 18

Type locality: Costa Rica:, Limón Prov., La Lola (0.5 mi. W Madre de Dios); type depository: Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia – holotype male

Diagnostic description.— General characteristics as described above; wings in both sexes barely reaching apices of hind femora ( Fig. 36 F). Fastigium of vertex 2.5 times as long as eye diameter, narrowly rounded apically, with distinct dorsal furrow dorsally; ventral keel of fastigium distinctly undulant ( Figs. 35 D, 35G). Male stridulatory file nearly straight, 0.95 mm long, 111 μm wide, with 209 closely spaced and relatively very wide teeth ( Fig. 51 D); stridulatory area on male without secondary venation; mirror square; secondary veinlet next to AA 1 present, thick, divergent from AA 1. Ventral anterior spines of hind femora nearly twice as long as width of hind femur below knee, distinctly flattened ( Fig. 35 L).

Tenth tergite of male with two somewhat divergent, wide lobes; female 10th tergite with lobes somewhat narrower, pointed; male cercus straight, basal internal spine curved towards base, slightly inflated subapically and distinctly constricted apically ( Fig. 34 D); female cercus simple, elongately conical, somewhat curved. Male titillators needle-like, strongly bent ( Fig. 34 E). Ovipositor short, sickle-shaped, about as long as half of hind femur (ratio ovipositor/hind femur 0.53-0.61).

Coloration.— General coloration light green ( Fig. 36 F); face creamy white; fastigium reddish-brown; clypeus and mandibles dark purple; metazona of pronotum in male with large, white, round spot; surrounded with dark brown margin; venation of tegmina and posterior edge of tegmina contrastingly yellow.

Measurements.— Table 27 .

Distribution.— This species is known from only a few records in northeastern Atlantic portion of the country ( Map 18 ).

Material examined.— COSTA RICA: Cartago Prov., Monumento Nacional Guayabo, A.C.A.C. Amistad, 1 - 31 October 1994 (coll. G. Fonseca) - 1 male (paratype) ( INBio); Heredia Prov., Estac. Magsasay, P.N. Braulio Carillo, elev. 200 m, 15 June 1990 (coll. E. Alcazar) - 1 male (paratype) ( INBio); Estac. Magsasay, P. N. Braulio Carillo, elev. 200 m, 15 March 1991 (coll. A. Fernández) - 1 female (paratype) ( INBio); Puerto Viejo, La Selva Biological Station, elev. 50 - 150 m, 10° 26' N, 84° 1' W, 7 - 10 December 1995 (coll. P. Naskrecki) - 2 females (paratypes) ( PN collection); same locality, 13 April - 10 May 1998 (coll. P. Naskrecki) - 1 female (allotype) ( ANSP); Limón Prov., La Lola (0.5 mi. W Madre de Dios), 2 October 1961 (coll. Hubbell, Cantrall, Cohn) - 1 male (holotype) ( ANSP).

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

Figures

FIG. 34 Costa Rican species of Podacanthophorus. A-C. P. alas: A. female, habitus, B. male cerci, ventral view, C. titillators, D-E. P. vargasi:, D. male cerci, ventral view, E. titillators, F-G. P. maylinae: F. male cerci, ventral view, G. titillators.

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.

FIG. 36. Costa Rican species of Conocephalinae s. l. A. Conocephalus angustifrons - male, B. Caulopsis cuspidata - female, C. Acantheremus colwelli - male, D. Vestria punctata - male and female, in copula, E. Copiphora hastata - male, F. Podacanthophorus vargasi - female, G. Copiphora rhinoceros - male eating a snail, H. Subria sylvestris - male, brown form.

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 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.