The Little Harlequin Katydid-a new species of Paraxiphidium Redtenbacher, 1891 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae; Conocephalini) from the Amazonian Rainforest Author Mendes, Diego Matheus De Mello Author Oliveira, Jomara Cavalcante De text Zootaxa 2019 2019-06-24 4623 1 151 162 journal article 26427 10.11646/zootaxa.4623.1.10 6ec72253-14d7-4af4-af52-fbaed1a9fbc7 1175-5326 3253482 C844F8D1-6BBE-4AC9-A933-2A963CBBC529 Paraxiphidium iriodes Mendes & Oliveira , sp. nov. Figures 1–11 Diagnosis. Cercus apex bifurcate, with recurved triangular lateral projection, with the same length of apical projection ( Fig. 1A ); base with narrow and curved projection ( Fig. 1A ). Head dorsally with two brown bands ( Fig. 1D ); compound eyes dark blue. Pronotum dorsally with a black band ( Fig. 1D ); pronotal spot light blue under pronotal black band ( Fig. 1D ). Hind femur with overall reddish coloration and green and blue spots ( Fig. 1D ). Etymology. From Latin iriodes = like the rainbow. It refers to the bright and colorful body of this katydid, resembling the color of a rainbow. FIGURE 1. A: Paraxiphidium iriodes sp. nov. , right cerci, in dorsal view; B: Paraxiphidium versicolor , right cercus, in dorsal view; C: P. versicolor , lateral habitus ; D: P. iriodes sp. nov. , lateral habitus . FIGURE 2. Paraxiphidium iriodes sp. nov. , male. A: habitus , lateral view; B: head, frontal view; C: head and pronotum, dorsal view; D: head and pronotum, lateral view; E: Body, dorsal view; F: Thoracic sternites, ventral view; G: foreleg, lateral view; H: midleg, lateral view; I–K: Terminalia in dorsal, ventral and lateral view respectively. Abbreviations: Mes: mesobasisternum; Met: metabasisternum; Cer: cerci; Sty: styli; Pl: subgenital plate. FIGURE 3. Paraxiphidium iriodes sp. nov., tegmen of male in dorsal view. A: left tegmen; B: right tegmen. FIGURE 4. Paraxiphidium iriodes sp. nov. , stridulatory file of male. A: left file; B: right file. Type material. Holotype ♂: BRASIL, Amazonas , Tefé, Estrada da EMADE, km 20, Comunidade Bom Jesus, 06°07’29”S / 68°02’41”W, 25.xi.2018, coleta manual, D.M.M. Mendes & J.C. Oliveira leg . (INPA); Paratypes: idem , 18.ii.2018 (2♀–INPA). Geographical records. Brazil: Amazonas ( Fig. 11 ). Description. Holotype Male. Head. Head apex rounded, with fastigium-vertex short, slightly projecting, apex obtuse (Fig. 1B–D). Frons wrinkled and covered by short bristles (Fig. 1B). Compound eyes rounded (Fig. 1D). Thorax. Head with apex rounded, fastigium of vertex short feebly prominent, apically truncate (Fig. 2B–C). Posterior portion of pronotal disc projecting and divided by a transverse suture (Fig. 2E); lateral lobes cephalically straight, medially curved and posteriorly slightly concave to the apex, when viewed laterally (Fig. 2D). Mesobasis- ternum and metabasisternum trapezoidal, posteriorly with triangular concavity (Fig. 2F). Wings. Tegmina short, apex not meeting middle of abdomen (Fig. 2A); stridulatory region subrectangular, right tegmen with membranous region elliptical ( Fig. 3 ); tegminal apex with a row of short bristles ( Fig. 3 ). Right stridulatory file with base curved and apex slightly curved ( Fig. 4B ); total length 2 mm, greater width of the vein of 0.2 mm and 83 teeth; left stridulatory file with base curved and apex straight ( Fig. 4A ), total length of 1.5 mm, greater width of the vein of 0.1 mm and 68 teeth; medial teeth similar, short, broad and very close to each other ( Fig. 4 A–B); basal teeth rounded, spaced and decreasing in size towards base; apical teeth close to each other and decreasing towards apex ( Fig. 4 A–B) Legs. Fore and middle femora without spines ( Fig. 2 G–H). Fore tibia with tympanic region slightly enlarged and with six ventral spines ( Fig. 2G ). Hind femur basally thick, narrowing medially and becoming narrower apically; bearing five ventral spines ( Fig. 2A ). . FIGURE 5. Paraxiphidium iriodes sp. nov. , male internal genitalia. A–B: phallus, ventral view; C–D: phallus, dorsal view. Abbreviations: AP: sclerites of apodemes; DF: dorsal fold; DL: dorsal lobe(s); EV: ejaculatory vesicles; TI: titillator process; TS: titillator sclerite; Lw. vl.: lower folds of ventral lobe; Up. vl.: upper folds of ventral lobe. FIGURE 6. Male of Paraxiphidium iriodes sp. nov. , lateral view. Abdomen . Cercus and subgenital plate bearing numerous bristles ( Fig. 2 I–K), slightly curved, with medial portion wider than the apex and the base ( Fig. 2 I–K); apex bifurcate, with lateral projection curved and triangular, as long as apical projection ( Fig. 2 I–K); base with projection narrow and curved ( Fig. 2 I–K). Subgenital plate trapezoidal, with lateral margins slightly convex, apex bilobed ( Fig. 2J ); styli short, curved inwards ( Fig. 2 I–K). Internal male genitalia . Ejaculatory vesicles elliptical ( Fig. 5 A–D). Upper folds of ventral lobe asymmetrical, not connected. Titillator a double sclerite slightly curved and opposing. Apodemes sclerites short and curved ( Fig. 5 A–D). Lower folds of ventral lobe split, curved, lobed with numerous small rounded nodules, in dorsal view ( Fig. 5 A–B); dorsal folds elongate and bilobed, in ventral view; dorsal lobes rounded ( Fig. 5 C–D). Coloration . Described based on photos of live specimens ( Fig. 6 ). Body light green mixed with some areas dark green. Scape light blue, pedicel brown, flagellum brown with black spots. Compound eyes gray-blue. Head dorsally with two brown bands. Pronotal disc dorsally with a black band with two light blue bands laterally parallel. Lateral pronotal lobes with a spot medially light brown and other areas dark green. Tegmina dorsally light brown and laterally dark green. Fore and mid femur light green, with brown and blue-green spots. Hind femur dark red, basally with yellowish-green spots and medially with light blue and dark green spots. Hind tibia basally dark red and medially with shades of light red to the apex. Abdomen dorsally dark red, with light blue bands on three segments; ventrally light green. Cerci light green with dark red apex. Subgenital plate and styles dark red. Female. Morphologically similar to the male, except by the following characteristics: Wings. ( Fig. 2A ). Tegmina reduced, barely crossing pronotal disc ( Fig. 7C and 7E ). Abdomen. Cerci with numerous bristles, with the smallest at the apex ( Fig. 7H ); shape conical, slightly curved, with apex straight and acuminate ( Fig. 7H ). Subgenital plate trapezoidal, with apex slightly convex ( Fig. 7I ). Ovipositor slightly curved, with smooth margins ( Fig. 7J ), apex acuminate, with the dorsal valve crossing the apex of ventral valve ( Fig. 7J ). Ovipositor length almost equal to body length ( Fig. 7A ). FIGURE 7. Paraxiphidium iriodes sp. nov. , female. A: habitus, lateral view; B: head, frontal view; C: head and pronotum, lateral view; D: Thoracic sternites, ventral view; E: Body, dorsal view; F: Foreleg, lateral view; G: Midleg, lateral view; H: Terminalia, dorsal view; I: Subgenital plate, ventral view; J: Ovipositor, lateral view. Abbreviations: Cer: cerci; Pl: subgenital plate; Ovp: ovipositor. FIGURE 8. Female of Paraxiphidium iriodes sp. nov. , lateral view. Coloration . Described based on photos of live specimens ( Fig. 8 ). Compound eyes dark blue with gray spots. Cerci and subgenital plate light green. Ovipositor light red. Nymph. Old nymphs are very similar to adults, with differences only in the coloration and terminalia morphology ( Fig. 9 B–C). However, the young nymphs have a different aspect from the adults, which for a long time intrigued the authors of this work about what would be the true identity of this katydid. Only with the rearing of the old nymphs and adults it was possible to realize this association. Young nymphs ( Fig. 9A ). Compound eyes light blue. Antennae dark red with blue bands. Body bright red with many spots and light blue bands. Femur dark red with blue bands. Fore and mid tibia light green medially with blue and brown bands. Hind tibia brown with light green bands. Abdomen dorsally with dark green band. Old nymphs ( Fig. 9 B–C). Compound eyes dark blue. Body dark red dorsally and gradually shifting to light green ventrally. Legs light green with blue bands. Hind femur apex with a black spot. Hind tibia black with two white bands. Abdomen dorsally with light green band and a lateral rectangular black spot. Last instar nymphs ( Fig. 9C ) are very similar in coloration to adults, however differing themselves by the black antennae with white bands and the lighter reddish shade of the body. Measurements. Holotype ♂ : TL: 11,2; TegL: 3,5; TegH: 1,3; WF: 3,4; PL: 4,5; PH : 3,3; FF: 4,1; FT: 3,9; MF: 4,9: MT: 4,5; HF: 9,9; HT: 10,7; Lplac: 2,1; LC: 1,9. Paratypes : Female: TL: 13,9; WF: 3,5; PL: 4,9; PH : 3,4; FF: 4,8: FT: 4,9; MF: 3,8: MT: 4,1; HF: 13,4; HT: 13,1; Lplac: 1,2; LC: 1,5; OL: 11,5. Male (Nymph): TL: 10,8; WF: 3,3; PL: 3,5; PH : 3,1; FF: 3,5; FT: 3,3; MF: 3,4: MT: 3,9; HF: 9,7; HT: 10,3; Lplac: 1,7; LC: 1,3. Observation on behaviour. Adult specimens were collected at Terra Firme Rainforest diurnally, in open areas or edges of the forest with transition to a secondary vegetation. Adults are very active, with a very fast behavior, fleeing rapidly with the collector approach. Immatures were found only at night, mainly in leaves of Conceveiba sp. ( Euphorbiaceae ) ( Fig. 10 ). This type of plant is commonly found on the edges of forests and is also widely used for other katydid, with emphasis on some species of Meconematinae ( Mendes et al. 2017 ; Mendes et al. 2018 ).