Diponthus nigroconspersus ( Stål, 1861 )

Pocco, Martina E., Lange, Carlos E. & Cigliano, María Marta, 2023, Relationships and taxonomy of the genus Diponthus Stål (Orthoptera: Acridoidea Romaleidae), Zootaxa 5336 (1), pp. 33-81 : 48

Diponthus nigroconspersus ( Stål, 1861) stat. resurr.

( Figs. 3a, b, 7a, b, 8d, 9a, b, 10d, 11d, 12a, b, and 13).

Acridium (Diponthus) nigroconspersum Stål, 1861 [1860]: 327 (Holotype, female, Uruguay, Montevideo, NHRS Stockholm).

Diponthus nigroconspersus: Walker, 1870: 637 ; Pictet and Saussure, 1887: 374; Bruner, 1900: 65; Kirby, 1910: 382; Liebermann, 1939: 187; Dirsh, 1965: 43 (junior syn. of Diponthus cribratus ); Carbonell et al. 2023 ( Diponthus cribratus ); Cigliano et al. 2023 ( Diponthus cribratus ).

Acridium nigroconspersum is the type species of the genus, subsequently designated by Kirby, W. F. (1910) in “A Synonymic Catalogue of Orthoptera ( Orthoptera Saltatoria , Locustidae vel Acridiidae )”, 3(2): 674 pp.

Comments. Dirsh (1965) considered Diponthus nigroconspersus (Stål) as junior synonym of Diponthus cribratus (Serville) . However, after examination of type specimens of D. cribratus and D. nigroconspersus , and based on the original descriptions, as well as the examination of specimens collected in the distribution area of the species, we consider that Diponthus nigroconspersus is a valid species.

Diagnosis. Pronotal disc with a median dorsal longitudinal yellow band, wide in prozona, thinner in metazona; prozona with two oblique bands and lower area of lateral lobes yellow-ochre; metazona with circular mottles darkcolored in lateral lobes and elongated in metazona ( Figs. 3a, b, and 7a, b). Prosternal tubercle straight. Tegmina with longitudibnal veins light brown and transverse veins cream colored, delimiting irregular cells with central spots dark brown ( Fig. 8d). Epiproct quadrangular, furculae large with rounded tips, with tubercle prominent along the median longitudinal groove ( Fig. 7b). Male cerci long, surpassing the tip of epiproct; distal third down-curved with acute apex ( Fig. 7a). Dorsal valves of aedeagus with down-curved apex; valves of cingulum sub-rectangular, with posterior margin of apex rounded, in lateral view ( Fig. 10d). Sclerotized part of cingulum V-shaped; zygoma of cingulum with angulate borders ( Fig. 11d). Lophi of epiphallus rectangular and wide with upper margins oblique, in frontal view ( Fig. 12b), placed parallel to the bridge, in dorsal view, extended towards the posterior process of lateral plates ( Fig. 12a).

Redescription and chromatic characters, and material examined. See Appendix 1

Measurements (in mm). Body length: males: 45.3 (45–46); females: 57.1 (55.5–59); femur III length: males: 18.6 (17–20); females: 24.3 mm (24–25); tegmen length: males: 34.3 (32–36); females: 42.1 (40–43.5).

Distribution. This species is distributed in Argentina (Buenos Aires), and Uruguay (Tacuarembó, Artigas, and Montevideo) ( Fig. 13).