A taxonomic study of the genus Longchuanacris Zheng et Fu (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Catantopinae), with descriptions of two new species from Yunnan, China
Author
Mao, Ben-Yong
Author
Niu, Yao
Author
Ou, Xiao-Hong
Author
Zheng, Zhe-Min
Author
Scott, Matthew B.
text
Zootaxa
2011
3118
51
61
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.206517
f462ecd6-c69b-44b5-9c13-bba4e039a336
1175-5326
206517
Longchuanacris curvifurcula
Mao, Ren
et
Ou,
2007
Longchuanacris curvifurcula
Mao, Ren
et
Ou,
2007
: 52
, 58–
61
, Figs.
37
–48, 55–
56
.
Materials examined.
Thirty six males and
36
females
(including
holotype
and all
paratypes
),
CHINA
: Mt. Gaoligongshan, Tengchong County, Yunnan Province,
24
º
48
’ N
,
98
º
45
’ E
,
2200 m
,
9
Aug.
2005
, collected by Benyong Mao, Jishan Xu and Haibo Pu;
52
males
and
75
female
,
CHINA
: Zhen’an, Longling County, Yunnan Province,
24
º
41
’ N
,
98
º
52
’ E
,
2030 m
,
5
Aug.
2010
, collected by Yazhi Zhang;
7
males
and
6
female
,
CHINA
: Mt. Xiaoheishan, Longling County, Yunnan Province,
24
º
31
’ N
,
98
º
51
’ E
,
1883 m
,
4
Aug.
2010
, collected by Yazhi Zhang. Specimens are deposited in
CADU
.
Distribution.
China
: Yunnan (Tengchong, Longling).
FIGURES 13–17.
Habitus, lateral view. 13–14.
Longchuanacris
lobata
Niu
et
Ou
,
sp. nov.
, male, female; 15–16.
Longchuanacris microfurcula
sp. nov.
, male, female; 17.
Longchuanacris guangxiensis
Zheng
et
Ren
, 2007
(=
Caryanda
neoelegans
Otte, D. 1995
), male. Scale bars = 1mm.
FIGURE 18.
Localities of the
Longchuanacris
species (1.
L.
macrofurcula
; 2.
L. lobata
,
sp. nov.
; 3.
L. microfurcula
,
sp. nov.
; 4.
L. virida
; 5.
L. curvifurcula
; 6.
L.
bidentata
). Scale bars = 100 km.
Notes.
The species
L. guangxiensis
Zheng
et
Ren,
2007
from Guangxi Province was previously included in the genus
Longchuanacris
, mainly based on the features of “absence of external apical spine on hind tibiae”, “lateral lobes of pronotum with posterior margin distinctly excised”, “male furculae on
10
th abdominal tergite small, triangular, horizontal” and “male cerci conical, apex acute”. However, after the
holotype
(deposited in the Museum of Hebei University, Hebei Province,
China
) of
L. guangxiensis
being carefully examined, it was confirmed that the specimen had a small external apical spine on left hind tibia (right hind leg lost), and the feature of “lateral lobes of pronotum with posterior margin distinctly excised” seems to be intermediate between indistinctly and distinctly excised (
Fig.
17
). The latter two features of “male furculae on
10
th abdominal tergite small, triangular, horizontal” and “male cerci conical, apex acute” precisely prove that the specimens do not belong to
Longchuanacris
. Moreover, considering the two
type
specimens were deposited in an alcohol solution before being pinned, colour fading is likely to lead to an erroneous description, e.g., the hind tibia of the
holotype
is pink in comparison to the yellowish green described by
Zheng & Ren (
2007
)
(
Fig.
17
).
When
L. guangxiensis
was compared with
Caryanda neoelegans
Otte, D.
1995
, we found that they showed substantial similarity in external morphology and male genitalia structures, and were surely the same taxon. In this paper,
L. guangxiensis
Zheng
et
Ren,
2007
is proposed as a
new junior synonym
of
Caryanda neoelegans
Otte, D.
1995
.
Distribution
(
Fig.
18
). So far the genus
Longchuanacris
has been known as a Yunnan endemic with six known species that are squamipterous and unable to fly. All six species have limited distributions in the high mountains of south-western Yunnan, where several large rivers, deeply-incised valleys, and inter-mountain lowlands ecologically isolate mountain habitats. The most widespread species so far seems to be
L. virida
which distributed in Tengchong, Baoshan, Dali, Yunlong, Ruili, Mt. Gaoligongshan; interestingly, in Mt. Gaoligongshan it is commonly sympatric with
L. curvifurcula
. The distribution of the other species is probably restricted to small areas in southwestern Yunnan, such as
L. macrofurcula
from Ruili and Lianghe,
L. bidentata
from Gangfang and Pianma (Lushui County),
L. curvifurcula
from Mt. Gaoligongshan (Tengchong County), Zhen’an and Mt. Xiaoheishan (Longling County), both of
L. lobata
and
L. microfurcula
from Tongbiguan and Xima (Yingjiang County), near to
Burma
. Although the genus may have a highly restricted distribution, it is not unlikely that additional species may occur in
Burma
side of the border with Yunnan. The species of the genus usually live in tussock grass under subtropical bushes and broad-leaf trees which grow in the wet and half-shady zone at medium elevation in southwestern Yunnan. The food plants of these species have been unknown in field, but in laboratory, they appear to feed on some grasses, such as
Arthraxon hispidus
(Thunb.) Makino
,
Oplismenus compositus
(Linn.) Beauv.
and
Echinochloa crusgalli
(Linn.) Beauv
.. It must be emphasized that weed invasions and deforestation might destroy their natural habitats and lead to species extinctions.