Saussurella Bolivar 1887

Deng, Wei-An, Zheng, Zhe-Min & Lei, Chao-Liang, 2017, A new species of the genus Saussurella Bolivar 1887 from China, with a key to the species of the genus (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae), Journal of Natural History 51, pp. 1-10 : 2-3

Genus Saussurella Bolivar 1887

Saussurella Bolivar 1887: 303 ; Hancock 1906: 72; Kirby, 1910: 61; Hancock 1912: 156;

Liang and Zheng 1998: 15; Zheng 2005: 8; Deng, Zheng & Wei 2007: 11; Zheng, Lin & Shi 2013:296–297.

Type species: Saussurella cornuta ( Haan, 1843) , by subsequent designation ( Kirby 1910).

Redescription

Size small or medium, moderately elongated. Colour light brown to dark grey-brown or black-brown.

Head not exerted, vertex broad, slightly higher than eyes, completely or almost completely covered by anterior pronotal process; face slightly oblique, frontal costa bifurcate behind lateral ocelli, depressed between the eyes, slightly raised between antennae, broadly sulcate, carinae nearly parallel. Antennae filiform, located below the middle of the eyes. Eyes subglobular.

Pronotum produced over the head in front as a narrow strong horn-like process which is raised or not on the lateral margin, and extends behind further to apex of posterior femora; posterior margin of each lateral lobe of pronotum with two concavities. Elytra elongate, ovate. Wings extended up to the pronotal apex. Fore femora elongate, obviously sulcate above the entire length; middle femora elongate with a small acute genicular spine; hind femora slender, margins finely serrated; first and third segment of hind tarsi equal in length.

Differential diagnosis

The morphology of Saussurella is quite homogeneous, and this genus can be easily distinguished from other genera of the subfamily Batrachideinae by having the pronotum produced over the head in front as a narrow strong horn-like process, fore femora obviously sulcate above the entire length.

Key to the species of Saussurella Bolivar

1. Horn-like process of pronotum straight forward in profile; lateral margins of subgenital plate narrower backward apex in male.................................................................... ............................................................................................ Saussurella cornuta ( De Haan, 1843)

– Horn-like process of pronotum strongly ascendant, oblique in profile; lateral margins of subgenital plate parallel or widened apically in male ................................................... 2

2. Horn-like process of pronotum shorter, length of horn-like process about 0.95× longer than length of tegmina; middle lobe of female subgenital plate shorter than lateral lobes in length.................... .................... Saussurella brachycornis sp. nov.

– Horn-like process of pronotum longer, length of horn-like process more than 1.5× longer than length of tegmina ...................................................................................................... 3

3. Middle lobe of female subgenital plate longer than lateral lobes in length............. 4

– Middle lobe of female subgenital plate not longer than lateral lobes in length .... 5

4. Apex of horn-like process of pronotum very slightly decurved; without abbreviated carinae between the shoulders.................................... Saussurella indica Hancock 1912

– Apex of horn-like process of pronotum distinctly decurved; with a pair of abbreviated carinae between the shoulders............................................................................................. ........................................................................ Saussurella xizangensis Zheng, Lin & Shi 2013

5. Lower margin of horn-like process of pronotum straight in profile; lateral margins of subgenital plate widened apically in male; middle lobe of female subgenital plate equal to lateral lobes in length............ ............ Saussurella borneensis Hancock, 1912

– Lower margin of horn-like process of pronotum decurved forward in profile; lateral margins of subgenital plate parallel in male; middle lobe of female subgenital plate shorter than lateral lobes in length ............................................................................................. 6

6. Lateral ocelli placed on both sides of vertex, connect with upper margins of eyes.. .................................................................................................. Saussurella longiptera ( Yin, 1984)

– Lateral ocelli placed between anterior margins of eyes ..................................................... 7

7. Apex of horn-like process of pronotum acute in dorsal view, and hook-like in profile ............................................................................ Saussurella acuticornis Liang & Zheng, 1998

– Apex of horn-like process of pronotum rounded in dorsal view, and obtusely rounded in profile ................................................................................................................................ 8

8. Apex of horn-like process of pronotum distinctly decurved in profile; length of horn-like process about 3.1–3.6 mm ................................................................................................. ............................................................... Saussurella decurva Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1893

– Apex of horn-like process of pronotum very slightly decurved in profile; length of horn-like process less than 2.8 mm ............................................................................................. 9

9. Body smaller, length of pronotum: ♂ 14.0– 14.5 mm; length of horn-like process of pronotum about 2.6–2.8 mm ...................................... Saussurella javanica Bolivar, 1898

– Body larger, length of pronotum: ♂ 16.5–17 mm; length of horn-like process of pronotum about 2.3 mm ................... ................... Saussurella curticornu Hancock, 1912