New and little known Phisidini from Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles (Orthoptera, Ensifera, Meconematinae)
Author
Hugel, Sylvain
INCI, UPR 3212 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 21 rue René Descartes, F- 67084 Strasbourg Cedex (France) hugels @ inci-cnrs. unistra. fr
text
Zoosystema
2012
2012-09-30
34
3
525
552
http://dx.doi.org/10.5252/z2012n3a3
journal article
10.5252/z2012n3a3
1638-9387
5165635
Seselphisis praslinensis
n. sp.
(
Figs 1
E-H; 2D-F; 3C, D; 4C;
Table 2
)
HOLOTYPE
. —
Seychelles
[archipelago],
Praslin
[Island],
Parc
national,
Glacis Noir
,
284 m
alt.,
4°20’26”S
,
55°44’34”E
, sur palmier,
24.VII.2010
,
S. Hugel
,
♂
(
MNHN-ENSIF2972
; 2010 SEY SH 092).
ALLOTYPE
. —
Seychelles
[archipelago],
Praslin
[Island],
Parc
national,
Midland
,
180 m
alt.,
4°19’54”S
,
55°44’28”E
, sur palmier, ab larva,
24.VII.2010
,
S. Hugel
,
♀
allotype
(
MNHN-ENSIF2971
; 2010 SEY SH 096)
.
PARATYPES
. — Same locality data as allotype, but
22.VII.2010
,
1 ♀
(coll. SH; 2010 SEY SH 061)
;
same locality data, but
01.VIII.2010
,
1 ♀
(coll. SH; 2010 SEY SH 159). — Same locality data as
holotype
,
3 ♂♂
(coll. SH; 2010 SEY SH 093-095)
.
TYPE LOCALITY. — Indian Ocean,
Seychelles
,Praslin Island.
DISTRIBUTION. — I collected this species on Praslin National Park, in the close vicinity of Vallée de Mai and near the island summit. I also recorded specimens singing in Vallée de Mai, high on palms.
ETYMOLOGY. — Named after the
type
locality, Praslin Island.
DIAGNOSIS. — This species is close to
S. visenda
n. comb.
, but both species differ by the male terminalia (
Fig. 1
). All males of the
seria typica
(n = 4, from two distinct localities) are clearly distinguished from all examined
S. visenda
n. comb.
males (n = 7, from distinct localities) by the following stable characters: basal process of cerci long and slender (posterior view), SGP with short styli (i.e. the styli can not physically be in contact [
Fig. 1F
, compare with
Fig. 1B
]), SGP with a deep emargination (deeper as the styli length), bifurcated branches of epiphallus of medium length (
Fig. 1H
), with rounded apices (branches long, slender, pointing in
S. visenda
n. comb.
). Apparently, females do not display diagnostic characters.
FIG. 4. —
Seselphisis
n. gen.
calling song:
A
,
B
,
S. visenda
(Bolivar, 1912)
n. comb.
;
C
,
S. praslinensis
n. gen., n. sp.
;
A
, specimen (coll.SH;2010 SEY SH 039),2h00 AM,27°C;
B
, specimen (coll.SH;2010 SEY SH 214),1h30 AM,30°C;
C
, holotype (MNHN-ENSIF2972), 2h00 AM, 29°C. In grey: song of another species. All records in studio, with an AT822 microphone.
TABLE 2. —
Seselphisis praslinensis
n. gen.,n.sp.
Number of specimens measured: 4 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀. Abbreviations:see Material and methods.
|
Body
|
Head
|
Pro
|
Tibia
|
Femora
|
FW
|
O
|
|
L
|
L
|
W
|
L
|
W
|
H
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
1
|
2
|
3 L
|
3 W
|
L
|
L
|
W
|
| ♂ Average |
18.3 |
1.8 |
2.8 |
4.6 |
3.4 |
2.2 |
10.3 |
8.3 |
18.8 |
9.7 |
7.6 |
16.9 |
2.3 |
23.0 |
– |
– |
| Min |
16.0 |
1.6 |
2.7 |
4.4 |
3.3 |
2.1 |
9.0 |
7.2 |
17.4 |
9.0 |
7.2 |
16.2 |
2.2 |
21.9 |
– |
– |
| Max |
20.7 |
2.1 |
3.1 |
4.7 |
3.6 |
2.5 |
11.5 |
9.2 |
19.6 |
10.3 |
8.5 |
17.6 |
2.5 |
25.2 |
– |
– |
| ♀ Average |
15.5 |
2.0 |
3.0 |
4.7 |
3.3 |
2.4 |
10.7 |
8.6 |
20.2 |
9.8 |
7.0 |
17.4 |
2.0 |
25.0 |
11.8 |
1.4 |
| Min |
13.7 |
1.8 |
2.9 |
4.7 |
2.9 |
2.2 |
10.4 |
8.6 |
20.1 |
9.7 |
6.3 |
17.1 |
1.6 |
24.0 |
11.5 |
1.4 |
| Max |
16.5 |
2.3 |
3.1 |
4.8 |
3.8 |
2.7 |
11.2 |
8.6 |
20.3 |
9.9 |
7.5 |
17.6 |
2.2 |
26.4 |
12.1 |
1.4 |
DESCRIPTION
In addition to generic characters.
Legs
Spur formulae: T1 7(very rarely 8)/7; F1 5/5; T2 6/6 (proximal spine minute); F2 4-5 (usually 4)/1-2 (usually 1).
Male
Wings (
Fig. 2
D-F): left FW with 46-50 (average: 48) lamellar teeth (
Fig. 2F
).Terminalia:basal process of cerci long and slender (posterior view or inner side view;
Fig. 1G
). SGP, with a deep emargination (deeper than styli length) (
Fig. 1F
). Epiphallus bifurcated branches of medium length, with rounded apex (dorsal view;
Fig. 1H
).
Female
SGP apex tongue-shaped, without emargination (
Fig. 3D
).
Measurements
See
Table 2.
BIOLOGY. — I observed most of the specimens on endemic palm, in palm dominated localities. In captivity, specimens are eating small moths.
BIOACOUSTICS (
FIG. 4C
)
Males sing by night hours, often on palm trees. Males are sometimes moving while calling. At 27°C, the call of
S. praslinensis
n. gen., n. sp.
consists of long irregular echeme-sequences; in the recorded specimens, echeme-sequences were made of mono- or disyllabic echemes. Echeme-sequences are lasting 14.1-
79.1 s
(average:
45.8 s
) and are separated by long pauses (> 1 min). Echemes are lasting 46.3- 103.0 ms (average: 77.4 ms) and are separated (between disyllabic echemes) by 48.1-109.9 ms (average:84.9 ms); within echeme-sequences, pauses between mono- or disyllabic echemes are lasting 223.1-6147.3 ms (average:1632.0 ms).Fundamental peaks at 22.5 kHz.