Longchuanacris macrofurcula Zheng et Fu, 1989

Mao, Ben-Yong, Niu, Yao, Ou, Xiao-Hong, Zheng, Zhe-Min & Scott, Matthew B., 2011, A taxonomic study of the genus Longchuanacris Zheng et Fu (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Catantopinae), with descriptions of two new species from Yunnan, China, Zootaxa 3118, pp. 51-61 : 53-54

Longchuanacris macrofurcula Zheng et Fu, 1989

Longchuanacris macrofurcula Zheng et Fu 1989: 305 –307, Figs. 1–7 ; Yin, Shi & Yin 1996: 379; Li & Xia 2006: 100 –101, Figs. a–g.

Longchuanacris bilobata Mao, Ren et Ou, 2007: 52 , 56–58, Figs. 22–36, 51–52. Syn. nov.

Diagnosis. The diagnostic characters are given in the key in present paper.

Materials examined. Longchuanacris macrofurcula : 1 male (lacking external apical spine on hind tibiae; cerci apexes faintly bifurcated), holotype, CHINA: Ruili County, Yunnan Province, 850 m, 13 Aug. 1989, collected by Peng Fu, deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Shaanxi Normal University, Shaanxi Province, China. Twenty five males (two individuals with only a very small external apical spine on left or right hind tibiae; two other individuals with cerci faintly bifurcated at apex), 24 females, same locality, 24°04’ N, 97°50’ E, 2 Aug. 2010, collected by Yazhi Zhang; 14 males, 10 females, same locality, 1300 m, 6 Jul. 2005, collected by Yao Niu, deposited in SWFU, Yunnan Province, China. Longchuanacris bilobata : 5 males (including holotype), 1 female, CHINA: Lianghe County, Yunnan Province, 24º48’ N, 98º12’ E, 1300 m, 29 Jul. 2005, collected by Jishan Xu and Benyong Mao; 2 males, 4 females, same locality, 24º48’ N, 98º12’ E, 1190 m, 5 Jul. 2009, collected by Benyong Mao; 11 males, 10 females, same locality, 24º48’ N, 98º12’ E, 1200 m, 27 Jul. 2010, collected by Yazhi Zhang, deposited in the College of Agriculture and Life Science, Dali University ( CLDU),Yunnan Province, China.

Redescription. Interocular distance 1.3–1.5 (1.40, on the average, n=5, male) or 1.4–1.6 (1.55, on the average, n=6, female) times as wide as frontal ridge between antennal sockets. Antennae reaching beyond coxa of hind leg (male) or not reaching to posterior margin of pronotum (female), any mid segment 3.2–3.3 (3.24, ibid, male) or 2.1–2.4 (2.25, ibid, female) times longer than wide. Eyes with longitudinal diameter 1.4–1.5 (1.42, ibid, male) or 1.5–1.6 (1.52, ibid, female) times as horizontal diameter, and 2.4–2.5 (2.48, ibid, male) or 2.0–2.3 (2.10, ibid, female) times as subocular furrow. Pronotum with posterior margin shallowly and triangularly incised, prozona 2.4–2.8 (2.58, ibid, male) or 2.4–3.0 (2.68, ibid, female) times as long as metazona. Prosternal spine with apex subacute. Mesosternal lobes 1.1–1.2 (1.12, ibid, male) or 1.1–1.2 (1.16, ibid, female) times wider than long; mesosternal interspace 2.7–3.3 (3.12, ibid, male) or 1.5–1.7 (1.58, ibid, female) times longer than minimum width. Tegmina 2.7–3.7 (3.00, ibid, male) or 2.7–2.9 (2.82, ibid, female) times longer than wide.

Male genitalia. Furculae large, upright and oblong, width near apex broader than or equal to that at base, apical margin smooth (sometimes preapical-inner angle finely curved forward). Supra-anal plate with posterior margin triangularly projecting in middle. Cerci long conical, compressed, reaching or surpassing apex of supra-anal plate, apex incurve and bilobate, sometimes faintly bifurcated. Subgenital plate short conical; apex subacute or obtuse. Epiphallus with lophi oblong; anchorae with apex obtuse; anterior projections outward oblique, posterior sides nearly straight in lateral view; lateral plate with external margin weakly concave.

Female genitalia. Subgenital plate with posterior margin nearly straight with two obtuse dentes and a long triangular median flap.

Colouration. Body generally green or atrovirens. Frons and clypei yellowish green. Genae yellowish green with an oblique black stripe below eyes. Antennae with basal 3–4 segments bluish green, the others gradually dark towards apex. Eyes brown. Vertex and occiput bluish green. Postocular bands black (male) or brown (female), continued on dorsal area of lateral lobes of pronotum, tegmina and 5th abdominal tergite. Pronotum with disc bluish green; lateral lobes with two yellow maculations, inferior margins black. Tegmina black (male) or brown (female), except anal areas green. Fore and middle legs yellow, except tibiae and tarsi bluish green. Hind femora with basal four fifths yellow or greenish yellow, apical one fifth orange or orange red; knees black; hind tibiae and tarsi blue. Abdominal tergites darkish green; abdominal sternites and terminalia yellow. Furculae, cerci and apical half of supra anal plate black in male.

Measurements (mm). Body length: male 18.5–20.0, female 21.8–24.2; pronotum length: male 3.3–3.7, female 4.1–4.6; tegmen length: male 3.0–3.5, female 3.3–4.0; hind femur length: male 10.0–11.0, female 12.1–12.7.

Distribution. China (Yunnan: Ruili, Lianghe).

Remark. The holotype of Longchuanacris macrofurcula was known as having very small external apical spines on the hind tibiae ( Mao, Ren & Ou, 2007); however, after being carefully re-examined, it was confirmed that the specimen lacked external apical spines on hind tibiae. The holotype was also observed to have a shallow incision at each cercus apex, indicative of faintly bifurcated cerci, a character ignored in the original description ( Zheng & Fu, 1989). From the 39 male specimens taken from the type locality, all individuals have small external apical spines on hind tibiae and clear bifurcations at the cerci apex, but two have only a very small external apical spine on left or right hind tibia, and other two individuals have only faintly bifurcated cerci. When comparing the type specimen of L. macrofurcula with specimens from the type locality, we found that they were the same taxon. Moreover, since the type specimen was partially damaged during mounting, 73 topotypes were designated for L. macrofurcula , and deposited in SWFU.

Longchuanacris bilobata Mao, Ren et Ou, 2007 was established, mainly based on three external features that distinguished from L. macrofurcula : “male cerci with apex bifurcated”, “mid segment of antennae 3.2–3.3 times longer than wide in male” and “mesosternal interspace 2.7–3.3 times longer than minimum width in male”. Since the three features can be observed in L. macrofurcula and the nominal species of L. bilobata , the differences between them become blurred. In other words, there is no difference between them on species status, differing only in secondary characters. Based on the substantial similarities in the external morphology and male genitalia structures, L. macrofurcula and L. bilobata are thus proven to be the conspecific. In this paper, L. bilobata Mao, Ren et Ou, 2007 is proposed as a new junior synonym of L. macrofurcula Zheng et Fu, 1989 .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Longchuanacris lobata Niu et Ou, sp. nov.. 1. male terminalia, dorsal view; 2. male cercus and furcula, lateral view; 3. female subgenital plate, ventral view; 4 – 6. epiphallus, dorsal, anterior and lateral views. an = anchora; cer = cercus; f = furcula; ilo = inner lophus; olo = outer lophus; pp = posterior projection; sa = supra-anal plate. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 7 – 12. Longchuanacris microfurcula Niu et Zheng, sp. nov .. 7. male terminalia, dorsal view; 8. male cercus and furcula, lateral view; 9. female subgenital plate, ventral view; 10 – 12. epiphallus, dorsal, anterior and lateral views. an = anchora; ap = anterior projection; cer = cercus; f = furcula; lo = lophus; pp = posterior projection; sa = supra-anal plate. Scale bars = 1 mm.