Protathra Desutter-Grandcolas, 1997

Desutter-Grandcolas, Laure, Anso, Jérémy & Jourdan, Hervé, 2016, Crickets of New Caledonia (Insecta, Orthoptera, Grylloidea): a key to genera, with diagnoses of extant genera and descriptions of new taxa, Zoosystema 38 (4), pp. 405-452 : 414

Genus Protathra Desutter-Grandcolas, 1997

Protathra Desutter-Grandcolas, 1997b: 150 .

TYPE SPECIES. — Protathra gigantea Desutter-Grandcolas, 1997b by original designation.

ILLUSTRATIONS. — Habitus: Fig. 2A . Male genitalia: Desutter- Grandcolas et al. 2014: figs 8-10. Calling song: Desutter-Grandcolas et al. 2014: fig. 11.

DIAGNOSIS. — After Desutter-Grandcolas et al. (2014). Size very large; coloration variegated yellow and brown, legs annulated. Face yellow and brown; a wide longitudinal yellow band between median ocellus and clypeus distal margin. Eyes very protruding. Fastigium very narrow and separated from vertex by a thin transverse furrow; median ocellus vertical, subapical on fastigium; lateral ocelli very close to each other; distance between one lateral ocellus and median ocellus much greater than distance between lateral ocelli. Scapes very large. Maxillary palpi moderately elongate; joint 3 smaller than joint 4; joint 5 the longest, truncate apically, regularly widened toward apex. Pronotum DD with a clear longitudinal median furrow; distal margin widely bordered with white setae; LL anterior angles raised dorsally, posterior angles truncate. TI with a small inner tympanum only; without an outer tympanum; two apical spurs; inner spur the longest. TII with three apical spurs; ventral inner spur the longest; dorsal outer spur missing. FIII regular, without a thin apical part. TIII higher than wide; three inner and four outer subapical spurs; three inner and three outer apical spurs, median spur the longest on both sides, median inner spur longer than about ⅓ basitarsomere III. TIII serrulated over their whole length with numerous, widely separate, very small spines. Basitarsomeres III very long; two rows of few, small dorsal spines.

Male. Metanotum, tergites and supra anal plate without glandular areas. Forewings short, covering less than half of abdomen; dorsal and lateral fields separated by a high vein; median area dorsal and flat, MP and CuA faint, CuP missing; lateral field narrow, narrowed in distal half, with faint and irregular veins, R close to MA and faint. Stridulatory apparatus complete and functional: harp crossed by several oblique parallel veins; mirror crossed by several oblique or transverse veins. Male subgenital plate low, with a distinct notch at about mid length of lateral margin; with a short distal, longitudinal, median furrow. Male genitalia: compact; pseudepiphallic sclerite transverse; median process broadly conical and completely sclerotized; on each side of median process, a long and thin tube-shaped process with a bunch of long setae on its tip; pseudepiphallic parameres large, thick and greatly sclerotized, bifid on distal margin; rami wide, separated from pseudepiphallic sclerite but almost in contact with it; with abruptly narrowed anterior part; ectophallic dorsal valves short and sclerotized; ectophallic fold short, truncate apically; ectophallic apodemes wide and flat; ectophallic arc incomplete; dorsal cavity lacking; endophallic sclerite U-shaped, with a faint median sclerotization.

Female. Apterous; ovipositor longer than FIII. Female genitalia: copulatory papilla large, triangular, strongly sclerotized.

DISTRIBUTION. — Endemic to New Caledonia.

HABITAT. — Forest-dwelling species, active on tree trunks at light and hiding during the day in hollow trees or behind falling dead trees (Desutter-Grandcolas 1997b; Desutter-Grandcolas et al. 2014).

Figures

FIG. 2. — New Caledonian Phalangopsidae Blanchard, 1845: A, Protathra centralis Desutter-Grandcolas, 2014, from Aoupinié, by night (modified from Desutter- Grandcolas et al. 2014); B, Parendacustes lifouensis Desutter-Grandcolas, 1997, male, from Lifou (Loyalty Islands); C, Caltathra amiensis Desutter-Grandcolas, 1997,from Col d’Amieu,by night (Photo PG);D, Pseudotrigonidium noctifolia Desutter-Grandcolas,1997,from Col d’Amieu,by night (Photo PG).Scale bars:5 mm.