A new genus of predatory katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Listroscelidinae) from the Amazonian Rainforest
Author
Mendes, Diego Matheus De Mello
Author
Chamorro-Rengifo, Juliana
Author
Rafael, José Albertino
text
Zootaxa
2016
4162
3
594
600
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.4162.3.12
8faf081f-4deb-450b-8ce9-c55a50ab8399
1175-5326
265410
E319233F-929C-4C9E-A513-FAACB0C9D40C
Venatorellus viridipedes
Mendes, Chamorro-Rengifo and Rafael
sp. nov.
(
Figs. 1–4
)
Etymology.
The specific epithet refers to the coloration of the middle- and hind femora, which are greenish.
Holotype
male
:
BRASIL
,
Amazonas
, Manaus, Reserva Adolfo Ducke,
ix.2005
, (L. Pierrot
leg.
)
Allotype
female:
BRASIL
,
Amazonas
, Manaus, Reserva Adolfo Ducke,
v.2010
, coleta manual, (D.M.M. Mendes
leg.
)
FIGURE 3.
Terminalia and internal genitalia of
Venatorellus viridipedes
sp. nov.
. (A) male cerci in dorsal view, (B) male subgenital plate in ventral view, (C) female subgenital plate in ventral view, (D) phallus in dorsal view, (E) phallus in ventral view. Abbreviations: TS: titillator sclerite; Lw.vl.: lower folds of ventral lobe; Up. vl.: upper folds of ventral lobe.
Diagnostic description.
General characteristics as described above.
Male.
Tegmina as shown in
Fig. 2
A; left stridulatory file with 96 teeth and right with 92 teeth (
Figs. 2
C and 2D). Subgenital plate slightly emarginated, styli as long as the plate (
Fig. 3
B). Phallus as shown in
Figs. 3
D and 3E.
Female.
Subgenital plate as shown in
Fig. 3
C. Ovipositor as long as the thorax plus the abdomen (
Fig. 1
D).
Coloration.
Body mostly dark brownish (
Figs. 1
A, 1B, 1D and 1E); face blackish (
Figs. 1
C and 1F); some body parts are greenish: membrane of the antennal sockets, thoracic spiracles, and middle- and hind femora (
Figs. 1
D, 1E and 4A). Alive immature are light greenish, with a yellowish spot at the end at the midline of the pronotum (
Fig. 4
B). Just after the last molt, the newly developed tegmina and alae are whitish. This coloration pattern remains for few minutes while the insect cuticle dry (
Fig. 4
C).
Measurements.
Holotype
: WF:
7,7 mm
; TL:
23,6 mm
; TegL:
24,7 mm
; PL:
7,3 mm
; FF:
17,7 mm
; LF:
22,5 mm
; MF:
13,6 mm
; MT:
14,5 mm
; LH:
28 mm
; LT:
31,1 mm
; Lsp:
4,1 mm
; LC:
3,4 mm
.
Allotype
: WF:
5,7 mm
; TL:
28,9 mm
; TegL:
24,8 mm
; PL:
6,5 mm
; FF:
13,7 mm
; LF:
15,8 mm
; MF:
11,1 mm
; MT:
13,4 mm
; LH:
23,2 mm
; LT:
25,3 mm
; Lsp:
3 mm
; LC:
3,5 mm
; OL:
22,4 mm
.
Paratypes
(n = 15): WF: male
5,1–7 mm
/ female
5–5,7 mm
; TL: male
24,6–32,1 mm
/ female
28,8–29,94 mm
; TegL: male
21,6–26 mm
/ female
24,8–28,7 mm
; PL: male
5,9–6,9 mm
/ female
6,5–6,8 mm
; FF: male
15,6–16,2 mm
/ female
13,8–14,9 mm
; LF: male
16–20,3 mm
/ female
17,5–19,7 mm
; MF: male
9,6–13,1 mm
/ female
11,2–12,6 mm
; MT: male
12,5–16,5 mm
/ female 15,6–
14,2 mm
; LH: male
22,7–27,6 mm
/ female
24,2–27,5 mm
; LT: male
23,8–30,2 mm
/ female
27,6–30,6 mm
; Lsp: male
3,8–4 mm
/ female
2,8–3,5 mm
; LC: male
2,7–3 mm
/ female
2,8–3,3 mm
; OL: 25,7–
22,6 mm
.
FIGURE 4.
Live individuals of
Venatorellus viridipedes
sp. nov.
. (A) adult female, (B) immature male, (C) male soon after molting into adult,(D) adult male being preyed by
Tytius metuendus
on tree trunk.
Additional type series. Paratypes:
9♂ and 6♀–
BRASIL
,
Amazonas
,
Manaus
,
Reserva Adolfo Ducke
,
17.iv– 04.v.2007
, armadilha suspensa sub-bosque, platô,
Norte-Sul
, (
G. Freitas
;
R.A. Silva
leg.
)(
1♂
)
;
idem
,
27.ix– 09.x.2006
, armadilha malaise, platô, Norte-Sul, (J. Vidal, J. Ale-Rocha, G. Freitas
leg
.)(1♀);
idem
, armadilha suspensa dossel,
Norte-Sul
, (
J. Vidal
,
J. Ale-Rocha
,
G. Freitas
leg
.)(
1♂
)
;
idem
,
31.ix.1975
, (E. Rappa
leg.
)(1♀);
idem
,
01.v.2015
, coleta manual, (D.M.M. Mendes
leg
.)(1♂);
idem
, ZF-03, BR-174, km 41, Res. 1501,
10 - 25.x.1995
, (Rocha e Silva, L.E.F.
leg.
)[02°27’26”S / 59°45’00”W](1♂ e 1♀);
idem
,
Reserva
km 41,
PDBFF
,
16– 18.iii.2005
, armadilha suspensa / sub-bosque (
R. Queiroz
,
S. Costa
,
A. Nagarima
,
L. Queiroz
,
M. Feitosa
,
S. Deus
leg.
)(
1♂
e
1♀
)
;
idem
,
Campus Universitário da Universidade Federal
do Amazonas—UFAM,
01.v.2015
, coleta manual, (
D.M.M. Mendes
leg
.)(
1♂
)
;
idem
, INPA, EEST, BR-174, km 43, SI,
09.iv.2002
, coleta manual, (M.I.P. Creão
leg.
)(1♂);
idem
,
Presidente Figueiredo
, AM-240, km 24,
Ramal São Francisco
,
01.viii.2013
, coleta manual, (
F.F. Xavier
F°,
A. Agudelo
,
C. Maldaner
&
D.M.M. Mendes
leg.
)[
02°00’55”S
/
59°49’40”W
](
1♂
)
;
idem
,
Coari
,
Base Petrobrás Urucu
,
Clareira
0 5,
Acampamento Araracanga
,
16–17.viii.2013
, (
G.L.S. Monte
leg.
) (
1♂
e
1♀
)
;
idem
,
Novo Aripuanã
, Res. Sokagakkay, clareira / mata,
7–8.xii.1999
, luz mista, (
M.F. Vieira
&
F. Gouveia
leg.
)[
05°15’57”S
/ 60°06’32W](
1♀
)
.
Comments.
All specimens were collected at night in “terra firme” dense ombrophilous forest. Most of them were captured with suspended traps between
35 to 40 m
at the canopy. Some specimens were captured manually on trees between 1.50 to 2.0 m height.
Some specimens were observed feeding on several kinds of insects, such as crickets, grasshoppers and some larvae of unknown taxonomic group. One male adult was photographed being preyed by a
Tytius metuendus
Pocock, 1893
scorpion (
Fig. 4
D).