New species of arboreal predatory katydids from West Africa (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Meconematinae)
Author
Naskrecki, Piotr
text
Zootaxa
2008
1732
1
28
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.181351
1f016037-2ea8-46e7-82e1-be6826ae0389
1175-5326
181351
Anepitacta (Anepitacta) wrightae
n. sp.
(Figs. 2J–
O
; 4D, N; 5A; 6D, E)
Differential diagnosis.
This species is closely related to
A. (A.) guentheri
Gorochov
, from which it differs in the strong reduction of wings, and the shape of the male cercus (the male cercus is equipped with a larger, more distended apical part in
A. guentheri
.)
The 10th male tergite of the new species also resembles that of
A. (A.) inconspicua
Br.
-Watt., but the latter has a small and partially membranous apical part of the male cercus, and is macropterous. The female subgenital plate of
A. (A.) wrightae
resembles that of
A. (A.) guineensis
Beier
, but the latter is also macropterous.
Description.
General.
Body small, slender; brachypterous (
Fig. 6
E).
Head.
Fastigium of vertex triangular, blunt apically, not reaching apex of antennal sockets, flat dorsally; antennae more than twice as long as body; frons flat, vertical; eyes circular, weakly protruding.
Thorax.
Lateral lobe of pronotum wider than high; humeral sinus of pronotum absent (
Fig. 6
D); anterior margin of pronotum flat; metazona flat; posterior edge of metazona narrowly rounded.
Legs.
Legs slender. Front tibia unarmed dorsally, with 5 spines on posterior and 4 on anterior ventral margin; tympanum bilaterally open, oval; genicular lobes of front femur unarmed; front femur unarmed ventrally; mid tibia very weakly thickened in proximal ¾, with 3 spines on posterior and 5 on anterior ventral margin; mid femur unarmed ventrally; genicular lobes of mid femur unarmed.
Hind
femur unarmed ventrally; genicular lobes of hind femur unarmed.
Wings.
Wings reduced, tegmen barely reaching 5th abdominal tergite; anterior margin broadly rounded; hind wing reduced, half as long as tegmen. Costal field slightly widened at base; veins Sc and R close together, parallel along their entire length; Rs detached from R, starts before middle of tegmen, without secondary branches; right stridulatory area with large, fully developed mirror; left stridulatory area with large, fully developed, roughly rectangular mirror (
Fig. 4
N). Stridulatory file elevated on thickened vein, nearly straight, bent in proximal fourth, with 147 teeth,
0.49 mm
long,
0.04 mm
wide (
Fig. 4D
).
Abdomen.
Tenth tergite with posterior edge sclerotized, forming paired, long lobes overhanging epiproct (Figs. 2J, M); epiproct strongly modified, forming large, paired, sinuous structure (Fig. 2L), styli parallel. Cercus with small, basal tooth, S-shaped, held vertically; apex strongly flattened dorso-ventrally and distended laterally (Fig. 2K); paraprocts unmodified; epiphallus weakly sclerotized, with central, bulbous structure covered with tiny denticles (
Fig. 5A
). Subgenital plate unmodified. broadly trapezoidal; straight apically; styli cylindrical, about 4 times as long as wide. Female subgenital plate roughly rectangular, about 1.5 times longer than wide (Fig. 2
O
).
Ovipositor.
Ovipositor normally developed; slightly curved, slightly shorter than hind femur (ratio femur/ ovipositor 1.06–1.13); apex of ovipositor pointed, with apex of lower valvula slightly bent downwards; edges of both valvulae smooth, dorsal edge of upper valvula parallel to lower valvula (Fig. 2N).
Egg.
Egg elongate; without external appendages.
Coloration.
Coloration olive green; antennae concolorous; eyes uniformly colored; face without darker markings; occiput with brown band; pronotum with light brown band and dark markings on posterior edge; tegmen green, with posterior edge brown; hind wing hyaline; hind legs uniformly colored; abdominal sterna and subgenital plate without markings.
Measurements (
5 males
,
7 females
).
body w/o wings: male 10–12 (11±1), female 8–11 (9.5±1.2); pronotum: male 3.5–4 (3.9±.2), female 3.3–4 (3.6±.2); tegmen: male 3.4–3.7 (3.5±.1), female 3.2–3.5 (3.4±.1); hind femur: male 8.5–9.3 (8.9±.3), female 9–10 (9.4±.4); ovipositor: 8–9 (8.4±.4) mm.
Material examined.
GHANA
: Eastern Region, Atewa Range, Asiakwa (North), elev.
769 m
(
6°16'16.4''N
,
0°33'52.8''W
),
16–24.vi. 2006
, coll. P. Naskrecki (Camp 3) – male
holotype
(
ANSP
), male
paratype
) (
MCZ
); Asiakwa (South), elev.
690 m
(
6°15'44.3''N
,
0°33'18.8''W
),
11–16.vi. 2006
, coll. P. Naskrecki (Camp 2) -
8 females
,
2 males
(incl. 10
paratypes
) (
MCZ
); Asiakwa, main road, elev.
817 m
(6°15'.7''N,
0°33'53.7''W
),
7–11.xii. 2007
, coll. P. Naskrecki, V. Awotwe-Pratt and N. Jengre -
1 female
,
1 male
(
paratypes
) (
ANSP
).
Etymology.
Named in honor of Heather Wright for her help in organizing the Rapid Assessment survey, during which this new species was initially collected.