Diponthus 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 : 42-43

Genus Diponthus Stål, 1861

( Figs. 1a, c, d, g, h, k–m, q, r , and 13 )

Acridium (Diponthus) Stål, 1861 [1860]: 328.

Eynisacris Walker, 1870: 638 (Type species by monotypy: Eynisacris extranea Walker ); Kirby, 1910: 381.

Diponthus Stål, 1873: 30 ; Stål, 1875: 23; Pictet and Saussure, 1887:338; Giglio-Tos, 1898: 43; Bruner, 1900: 63; Bruner, 1906:

656; Bruner, 1910: 304; Kirby, 1910: 381; Robers, 1941: 240; Rehn and Grant, 1959:233; Uvarov and Dirsh, 1961: 153; Amédégnato, 1974: 198; Otte, 1995: 43; Yin et al. 1996: 236; Carbonell, 2010; Pocco et al. 2014; Pocco, 2015; Pocco et al., 2018; Carbonell et al., 2023; Cigliano et al., 2023. Type species. Acridium nigroconspersum Stål , subsequently designated by Kirby (1910)

Diagnosis. Medium to large size, robust and long-winged/macropterous (most species) ( Figs. 1a , and 2 ) or short-winged/brachypterous insects ( Fig. 3k, l ). Colorful insects, body with color-patterns of bands and spots ( Fig. 1a ), sometimes dark-mottled. Frontal costa wide. Distal margin of lateral lobe of pronotum rounded; posterior border of pronotal disk angulate. Prosternal tubercle prominent and laterally compressed, straight or directed backwards. Male cerci tapering towards the apex, with distal end slightly curved downwards ( Fig. 1d ). Phallic complex: dorsal valves thin with distal end curved downwards ( Fig. 1k ); cingulum plate-like with a central notch ( Fig. 1h, q ); rami projected forwards and upwards ( Fig. 1q ); arch of cingulum developed ( Fig. 1l ); zygoma of cingulum complete ( Fig. 1l, q ).

Redescription. Medium to large size (males: 19–46 mm; females: 25–59 mm), robust and long-winged/ macropterous ( Fig. 1a ); or short-winged/brachypterous insects ( Fig. 3k, l ). Integument rugose, smooth on areas of head, legs and abdomen.Antennae filiform. Eyes of medium to small size, with oval to subcircular shape. Fastigium wide, declivent ( Fig. 1a ); fastigio-facial angle rounded; frons slightly oblique to slightly convex in lateral view ( Fig. 1a ). Pronotum: metazona slightly longer than prozona in most species ( Fig. 1c ); mid-dorsal carina low, from obsolete to slightly marked, cut by one to four transverse sulci; integument of lateral lobes of prozona generally smooth. Prosternal tubercle straight or directed backwards. Tegmina in general hyaline with veins delimiting cells with shape and color pattern of specific value, mainly in the median proximal area. Hind wings with bristles on the transverse veins between first cubital (Cu1) and first anal (A1) veins ( Fig. 1r ). Male subgenital plate short ( Fig. 1d ), with rounded apex. Male epiproct with tubercles; furculae well developed and large. Male cerci tapering towards the apex, with distal end slightly curved downwards ( Fig. 1d ). Phallic complex ( Fig. 1g, h, k–m, q ): endophallic plates of endophallus large and apical valves (dorsal and ventral) short; dorsal valves thin with distal end curved downwards, apex not sclerotized; arch of cingulum developed, rami projected forwards and upwards, articulated with a distal segment constituting the valves of cingulum, whose base rests on the ventral valves of aedeagus; cingulum plate-like with central notch; zygoma complete (not incised); ventral ectophallic sclerite well developed and strongly sclerotized, latero-ventrally covering the posterior portion of aedeagus. Epiphallus small in relation to the endophallus, with large oval sclerites, and well developed lateral plates. Ovipositor valves of females short and robust. Colorful insects, body with color-patterns of bands and spots, sometimes dark-mottled ( Fig. 1a ).

Habitat. Species of Diponthus are normally found in grasslands, shrubby vegetation, and in the ecotone zone of low forests consisting of grasses and dicots.

Distribution. Argentina (centre and North), Bolivia (South), Paraguay (southeast), Brazil (southwest) and Uruguay ( Fig. 13 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Diponthus argentinus and Gurneyacris nigrofasciata, males. a, b: habitus, lateral views; c, e: head and pronotum, dorsal view; d, f: abdominal terminalia, lateral views; g–p: phallic complex: lateral (g, i) and dorsal (h, j) views; distal portion of aedeagal valves, lateral view (k, n), dorsal views (l, o); epiphallus, dorsal view (m, p) cingulum, dorsal view (q); r: bristles on hind wings of Diponthus. Abbreviations: An, ancora; Ap, apodemes of cingulum; Ar, arch of cingulum; Dv, dorsal valves of aedeagus; E, epiphallus; Ea, endophallic apodemes; Ev, ectophallic ventral sclerite; L, lophi of epiphallus; Vc, valves of cingulum; Zy, zygoma. Numbers indicate characters and states used in the cladistics analysis.

FIGURE 2. Diponthus species. Males, habitus lateral views (a, c, e, g, i, k) and dorsal views (b, d, f, h, j, l). Species as indicated. Scale bar= 1 cm. Numbers indicate characters and states used in the cladistics analysis.

FIGURE 3. Diponthus species. Males, habitus lateral views (a, c, e, g, i, k) and dorsal views (b, d, f, h, j, l). Species as indicated. Scale bar= 1 cm. Numbers indicate characters and states used in the cladistics analysis.

FIGURE 13. Distribution map of Diponthus species.