Pseudomacroxiphus szentia (C. Willemse 1958 ) Ingrisch, 2008

Ingrisch, Sigfrid, 2008, Revision of the genera Paramacroxiphus C. Willemse 1961 and Pseudomacroxiphus C. Willemse 1961 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae: Agraeciini), Zootaxa 1755 (1), pp. 1-34 : 30-31

Pseudomacroxiphus szentia (C. Willemse 1958) comb. n.

Figs. 80–94 , 96

Pseudomacroxiphus atrifrons C.Willemse 1961 syn. n.

Pseudonicsara szentia C. Willemse 1958 , Natuurh. Maandbl. 47: 123, figs. 1–3.

Pseudomacroxiphus atrifrons C. Willemse 1961a , Publ. natuurh. Gen. Limburg 12: 32, figs. 3–5.

Holotype (male): Papua New Guinea, Gulf province, Kerama Distr., Uamai Village , on coconut, 1–28.ii.1955, Sere May . Holotype in Collection of C. Willemse in Natuurhistorisch Museum Maastricht, Netherlands .

Specimens examined: Papua New Guinea: 2 females (paratypes of P. atrifrons ), Gulf province, Kerama Distr., Murua Agricultural Station , 1–31.iii.1959, F.X. Ryan ( MHME) ; 3 males, 2 females (holotype and paratypes of P. atrifrons ), do. 6.v.1959 ( MHME) ; 3 males, 9 females (paratypes of P. atrifrons ), do. 1– 31.vii.1959 ( MHME) ; 1 male, Western Prov., Tabubil , x.–xi.1975, T. Roberts, BM 1977–617 ( BMNH) ; 1 male, Eastern Highlands, Tori–Garoka ; 8–10.vi.1970, S. Cutleck ( BPBM) ; 1 male, Koitaki , xi.–xii.1928, Pemberton ( BPBM) .— Indonesia, Papua: 1 female, Hijob, Star Range , 25 m, 10.ix.1959, Neth. N.G. Exp. ( RMNH) ; 1 male, Kouth a. d. Digoel , 10 m, 8.ix.1959, Neth. N.G. Exp. ( RMNH) ; 1 female, Z. New Guinea, Kloofbivak [Lorentz Reserve], 13.xi.1912, G. Versteeg ( ZMAN) ; 1 female, Utakwa River Exp., 4° 0' S, 137° 6' E, ix.1912 – iii.1913, A.F.R. Wollaston ( BMNH) .— New Guinea: 1 female, J.B. Jackson , BM 1938–496 ( BMNH) .

Description. Fastigium verticis projecting 1.5–1.7 mm in front of eyes; eye diameter: 2.0– 2.3 mm. Tegmen reaching or surpassing middle of stretched posttibia ( Fig. 81 ); narrowing from basal area to middle of length and then widening again towards apex (width near base 9.0–10.0, in middle 6.5–7.5, near apex 7.3–8.0 mm). Femora with the following number of spines on ventral margins: profemur 6–11 external, 7–11 internal; mesofemur 6–7 external, 2–4 internal; postfemur 10–13 external, 11–16 internal most densely at base.

Male. Stridulatory file slightly sinuate, 2.54–2.85 mm long; teeth densely arranged, near apex very dense and small ( Fig. 94 ); with about 150–185 teeth or 58–65 teeth per mm; in middle 42–53 teeth per mm. Mirror of right tegmen roughly rectangular, longer than wide (2.67–3.10: 2.17–2.36 mm); apical vein substraight, oblique ( Fig. 84 ). Cerci narrow elongate, curved mediad in apical half or third; internal surface behind base with a dorso-ventrally compressed projection which is slightly curved anteriorly, has the apex obtuse but with a spinule at tip and which has on ventral side before apex a shorter conical obtuse projection; the baso-internal process continuing posteriorly into a stout lamella which is gradually ascending to the dorsal surface of the cercus, ends distinctly before apex of cercus and carries a minute spinule on tip; short apical part of cercus behind lamella bent ventrad; apex of cercus obtuse with a small spinule on tip ( Figs. 90–91 ).

Titillators sclerotised; closely approached in midline; basal parts broad, subhyaline; apical parts angular with large subhyaline expansion; expansion of apical parts with latero-dorsal margin recurved, with a short strip-shaped dorso-apical projection, at apical margin with a large dark spot ( Figs. 86–89 ).

Female. Subgenital plate consisting of a central membranous area and two acute lateral lobes; lateral lobes greatly extended dorso-laterally with extension forming a fold around a deep groove ( Figs. 92–93 ).

Variation. In a female from Z. New Guinea, 1912–13, Kloofbivak the central membranous area of the subgenital plate is rather wide (better conserved than in the other specimens?) and the groove of the dorso-lateral extensions is rather small and shallow. Without a corresponding male it is not certain whether those differences are due to individual variation or represent specific differences.

Coloration. Ochre. Frons below fastigium frontis dark brown or black, reddish-brown towards genae (extension of dark colour variable: frons may be completely dark reddish-brown or black except hind margin of genae); clypeus yellow; labrum medium brown; mandibles dark brown or black except at base. Knees and tibiae of all legs black or dark brown. Tegmen yellowish transparent; in pre-subcostal area with yellow veins and brown fields, behind radius with scattered brown spots.

Measurements: body male 40–49, female 37–50; pronotum male 9.5–10.7, female 10.3–11.3; tegmen male 51–55, female 55–63; postfemur male 26.5–29, female 28–32; ovipositor 47–54, -height 4.2 mm.

Diagnosis. Pseudonicsara szentia was described from a single male by Willemse (1958). Probably, the author did not have this specimen at hand when he later received a series of tettigoniids from Murua Agricultural Station noxious to coconut-palms for identification, as he did not mention the specimen in his latter publication ( Willemse 1961a). He correctly recognised that the specimens from Murua represent a new genus, Pseudomacroxiphus , but failed to detect the identity with P. szentia . Indeed, the holotypes of P. szentia and P. atrifrons fully agree in details of morphology and genitalia ( Figs. 86–89 ). Thus P. atrifrons becomes a junior synonym of P. szentia and the latter is newly combined with Pseudomacroxiphus . The type localities of both taxa are rather close to each other (Fig. 96).

Figures

FIGURES 80–85. Pseudomacroxiphus szentia: 80, male holotype of P. atrifrons; 81, female paratype of P. atrifrons; 82, frons holotype of P. atrifrons; 83, stridulatory area of left tegmen male holotype of P. szentia; 84, do. of right tegmen male paratype of P. atrifrons; 85, ovipositor female paratype of P. atrifrons. Scales = 1 mm (82–84) or 10 mm (81, 85).

FIGURES 86–94. Pseudomacroxiphus szentia details: 86–87, Titillators in ventro-distal view; 88, do. in latero-distal view; 89, do. in dorso-proximal view; 90–91, male abdominal apex in dorsal view; 92 female subgenital plate in ventral view; 93 do. in lateral view; 94, male stridulatory file on underside of left tegmen.—86–87, 91, 94, holotype male of P. szentia; 88–89, holotype male of P. atrifrons; 90, paratype male of P. atrifrons; 92–93, paratype female of P. atrifrons. Abbreviations: 10t tenth abdominal tergite; ce cercus; e epiproct; s stylus; sg subgenital plate. Scales = 1 mm.