Xizicus (Axizicus) falcata Chang, Du & Shi

Lin, Chang Yan, Cui, Du Xi & Ming, Shi Fu, 2013, Three new species of the tribe Meconematini (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) from Taiwan, Zootaxa 3750 (4), pp. 383-388 : 383-386

1. Xizicus (Axizicus) falcata Chang, Du & Shi sp. nov.

Figs. 1–8

Male. Body small, comparatively thiner and longer. Head stout and short, fastigium frontis vertical, fastigium verticis conical, protruding, apex rounded with a thin longitudinal furrow. Eyes globular.

Pronotum shorter, anterior margin straight, posterior margin rounded, transversal sulci indistinct; lateral lobes longer than deep; humeral sinus shallow.

All femora without spines on ventral surface. Forecoxa with a spine, foretibiae with 6 spines on inner side and 5 spines on outer side (including a pair of apical spines); tibial tympana open on both sides. Mesotibiae with 5 spines on inner side and 6 spines on outer side of ventral surface. Posttibiae with 27–31 spines on internal and external sides of dorsal surface separately, bearing a pair of dorsal apical spurs and two pairs of ventral apical spurs; genicular lobes with apices rounded.

Tegmina narrower and longer, surpassing apices of postfemora, anterior and posterior margins parallel, apices rounded. Stridulatory area concealed under pronotum. Hind wings longer than tegmina.

Tenth abdominal tergite longer, centre of posterior margin with a shallow notch, the lateral lobes moderately elongated posteriorly. Epiproct long tongue-shaped. Cerci with 2/3 base stout, cylindrical, apical area separated into two branches, outer branch short, slightly curved upwards, apex rounded; inner branch long, falcate, curved inwards, apex acute. Subgenital plate elongate, broad, basal area with median sulcus, posterior margin rounded. Styli medium-length, apices subacute on lateral margins of subapex of subgenital plate.

Body green. Eyes reddish brown. Disc of pronotum with a pair of longitudinal light brown stripes. Genicular lobes of postfemora brown, spines of posttibia on dorsal surface blackish brown, apices of spurs and claws blackish brown.

Female. Similar to male with following exceptions: Tenth abdominal tergite short, the lateral margins protruding posteriorly, apices rounded. Cerci conical, apices thin and acute. Subgenital plate with base straight, apical half of lateral margins and posterior margin folded ventrally ( Figs. 7–8 ). Ovipositor thin and long, straight, dorsal and ventral margins smooth, apices of dorsal valvulae acute, ventral ones hook-shaped.

Measurements (mm). Body (from apex of fastigium verticis to posterior margin of tenth abdominal tergite): ♂10.4–12.8, ♀11.0–13.0; pronotum: ♂3.5–3.7, ♀3.4–3.6; tegmina: ♂14.8–15.2, ♀16.3–16.5; postfemora: ♂10.5– 12. 0, ♀12.0–12.2; ovipositor: 11.3–13.3.

Type material. Holotype: ♂, Taizhong, Taiwan, 16 August 2006, collected by Du Xi Cui. Paratypes: 2♂ 1♀, Taizhong, Taiwan, 16 August 2006, collected by Du Xi Cui; 1♀, Taizhong, Taiwan, 15 August 2006, collected by Du Xi Cui.

Discussion. The new species is different from the known species of the genus Xizicus in: apices of male cerci separated into two branches, hind branch short, apices rounded; inner branch long, falcate, apices acute.

Etymology. The name of the new species is derived from Latin ‘ falcate ’, alluding to the morphology of the inner branch of the male cercus.

2 Xizicus (Eoxizicus) taiwanensis Chang, Du & Shi sp. nov. Figs. 9–13

Male Body moderately large for the genus. Fastigium verticis conical, apex rounded with a longitudinal furrow. Eyes oval, protruding.

Pronotum comparatively short, lateral carinae indistinct, anterior margin straight, posterior margin obtusely rounded; lateral lobes of pronotum longer than deep; humeral sinus shallow.

Tegmina considerably surpassing apices of postfemora, tapering, apices rounded; hind wings longer than tegmina.

All femora without spines on ventral surface. Forecoxa with a spine, foretibiae with 5 spines on inner side and 4 spines on outer side of ventral surface (including a pair of apical spines), apical spines shorter; tibial tympana open on both sides. Posttibiae with 22–25 spines on inner and outer sides of dorsal surface separately, and a pair of dorsal apical spurs and two pairs of ventral apical spurs.

Posterior margin of tenth abdominal tergite with a pair of small posterior processes. Cerci slightly curved upwards, base stout, inner margin with a circular inflation; tapering towards apices, inner margin lamelliform, apices rounded. Subgenital plate rectangular, posterior margin slightly concave. Styli short and stout on apices of lateral margins of subgenital plate.

Body green. Eyes yellowish brown. Pronotum with a pair of indistinct brown spots on posterior area of disc. Stridulatory area and the posterior area of tegmina brown. The spines on dorsal surface of posttibiae brown, apices of apical spurs of posttibia brown.

Female. Unknown.

Measurements (mm). Body: ♂13.0; pronotum: ♂4.0; tegmina: ♂17.3; postfemora: ♂10.0.

Type material. Holotype: ♂, Taizhong, Taiwan, 29 July 2006, collected by Du Xi Cui.

Discussion. The new species is allied Xizicus (Eoxizicus) magnus (Hsia & Liu, 1993) , but it differs from the latter in: male tenth abdominal tergite with a pair of distinct posterior processes; cerci with base rubust, inner margin with a circular inflation; subgenital plate rectangular, posterior margin straight.

Distribution. Taiwan.

Etymology. The name of the new species is derived from the type locality.

3. Decma (Decma) brachyptera Chang, Du & Shi sp. nov. Figs. 14–18

Male Body small, head short and stout. Frontis verticis vertical, fastigium verticis conical, apex rounded, dorsum with a longitudinal furrow. Eyes globular, protruding.

Pronotum moderately shorter, transversal sulci indistinct, anterior margin straight, posterior margin rounded; lateral lobes of pronotum longer than deep; humeral sinus absent. All femora without spines on ventral surface. Forecoxa with a spine, foretibiae with 5 spines on inner side and 4 spines on outer sides of ventral surface (including a pair of apical spines); tibial tympana long oval, open on both sides. Mesotibiae with 4 spines on inner side and 5 spines on outer side of ventral surface. Postlegs damaged.

Tegmina short but surpassing posterior margin of tenth abdominal tergite, not reaching apices of cerci, base broad, tapering, apices rounded. Hind wings shorter than tegmina.

Tenth abdominal tergite slightly longer, posterior margin moderately straight, centre slightly concave. Cerci longer, curved upwards, basal half cylindrical, apical half slightly broadened, apices rounded; with a spine-shaped inner process, curved inwards, covered by short spines, apices acute, reaching the middle of cercus. Posterior margin of titillator with a pair of thin and long apical spines, apices acute. Subgenital plate with basal margin slightly broader, posterior area narrower, posterior margin slightly concave. Styli thin and long, apices subacute.

Coloration. Body green. Eyes brown. Disc of pronotum with a pair of yellow stripes on lateral margins. The inner process of cercus and apical spines of titillator light brown.

Female. Unknown.

Measurements (mm). Body (from apex of fastigium verticis to posterior margin of tenth abdominal tergite): ♂8.8; pronotum: ♂3.6; tegmina: ♂6.1; postfemora:?.

Type material. Holotype: ♂, Taizhong, Taiwan, 16 August 2006, collected by Du Xi Cui.

Discussion. The new species is similar to Decma (Decma) fissa (Xia & Liu, 1992) and Decma (Decma) tristis Gorochov & Kang, 2005 , it is different from the former in: male tegmina shorter, not surpassing apices of cerci, base moderately broader, apices rounded; apical half of male cerci slightly broadened; from the latter in: the inner spines of cerci short, only reaching the middle area of cerci; tegmina moderately shorter.

Etymology. The name of the new species is derived from Latin ‘ brachy ’ and ‘ -ptera’, show short tegmina.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Xizicus (Axizicus) falcata sp. nov.: 1 – 2. pronotum: 1. dorsal view; 2. lateral view; 3 – 4. apex of abdomen: 3. dorsal view; 4. lateral view; 5, 7 – 8. subgenital plate: 5, 7. ventral view; 8. lateral view; 6. ovipositor in lateral view; 1 – 5. male; 6 – 8. female.

FIGURES 9 – 13. Xizicus (Eoxizicus) taiwanensis sp. nov., male: 9 – 10. pronotum: 9. dorsal view; 10. lateral view; 11 – 13. apex of abdomen: 11. dorsal view; 12. lateral view; 13. ventral view

FIGURES 14 – 18. Decma (Decma) brachyptera sp. nov., 19. Decma (Decma) fissa (Xia & Liu, 1992), 20. Decma (Decma) tristis Gorochov & Kang, 2005: 14 – 15. pronotum: 14. dorsal view; 15. lateral view; 16 – 20. apex of abdomen: 16. dorsal view; 17, 19 – 20. dorso-lateral view; 18. ventral view.