Pachyphymus Uvarov, 1922

Bazelet, Corinna S. & Naskrecki, Piotr, 2014, Taxonomic revision of the southern African genus Pachyphymus Uvarov, 1922 (Orthoptera: Acridoidea: Euryphyminae), Zootaxa 5, pp. 401-420 : 403-404

Pachyphymus Uvarov, 1922

Uvarov, 1922: 121, 173 >>original description, type species (lost): Pachyphymus cristulifer (Serville, 1838) , by monotypy. Dirsh, 1956: 132 >>redescription in Euryphymi , designation of neotype: Pachyphymus cristulifer (Serville, 1838)

Description (male, except where specified). General. Body small, slender, and cylindrical; integument moderately to very strongly rugose and tuberculate from smooth to sparsely hairy; macropterous, with wings surpassing end of abdomen.

Head. Integument slightly to very rugose. Antennae filiform, of equal length or slightly longer than head and pronotum together. Occipital carinula from indistinct to very strong, represented by simple carinula to extended triangular region with apex in center of the head and diverging posteriorally, to elevated shapeless region in center of head. Transverse carinulae originate at eye at center of head (when viewed dorsally) or halfway point between pronotum and fastigium of vertex, and extend to occipital carina or border of elevated triangular region. Transverse sulcus varies from straight solid line, to series of tubercles in straight or curved line, sloped at posterior angle towards pronotum or anterior angle towards antennae. Carinulae of vertex weak to strong. Fastigium of vertex open, weakly to strongly concave; lateral carinulae ranging from merely distinct to very high raised ridges; fastigium of vertex weakly to strongly sloping downwards anteriorally, lateral carinulae continuous with lateral carinae of frontal ridge. Fastigial foveolae from deeply triangular, to indistinct and represented by coarse punctures, to absent. Frontal ridge ranges from flat and elevated to having deep sulcus, narrower below ocellus than above; below ocellus, lateral carinae vary from sinuate to parallel or converging slightly towards mouth parts; above ocellus, lateral carinae range from parallel to greatly converging towards ocellus. Facial carinae distinct and strong; vary from complete solid line connecting between eye and frons, to indistinct raised ridge; often branched near eye. Facial integument varies from smooth to heavily rugose, tuberculate and sculptured. Eyes large and convex, from round to oval, often bulbous.

Thorax. Pronotum divided by transverse sulci into distinct pro-, meso- and metazona; pro- and mesozona characterized by small to large crest-shaped lobes running longitudinally in place of median carina; metazona with posterior elevated inflation ranging in size from barely distinct to large; metazona of equal length or longer than pro- and mesozona combined; metazona from slightly to much wider than prozona. Lateral carinae of pro- and mesozona ranging from absent to characterized by single tubercle, parallel or diverging posteriorally; lateral carinae of metazona from simple and distinct to large and irregular, slightly or greatly diverging posteriorally. Lateral lobe of pronotum with distinct or indistinct white region, anterior margin curved or sulcate. Prosternal process ranges from conical to transverse, erect, sloped towards abdomen or sloped towards head. Mesosternal interspace open, wide, with gently curved lobes; metasternal lobe open, narrower.

Legs. Hind femur compressed or not; interior dark brown to black, with unpigmented apical region. Ventral surface of hind femur with dark pigmentation, no pigmentation, or dark interior and unpigmented exterior. Dorsal surface of hind femur often with three distinct dark spots, the largest of the three near the center of the femur, often with a darker outline, the other two spots at the interior and the apical regions. Exterior surface of hind femur with chevron pattern, smooth to rugose. Hind tibia unpigmented or with ventral surface dark brown. Tibia has 6–8 external and 9 internal spines, white with black tips.

Wings. Tegmen and wing fully developed, moderately to greatly surpassing end of abdomen. Hind wing often colorful and with band of infumation from thin to thick.

Abdomen. Tympanal opening broad, oval. Posterior margin of tenth abdominal tergite strongly sclerotized and rugose, with small median projection. Supraanal plate transverse rectangular with lateral margins upcurved, posterior margin containing median lobe, which projects slightly or greatly. Median longitudinal line of supraanal plate with slight or great concave indentation. Pair of small to large sclerotized tubercles found or absent from median basal region of supraanal plate, on either side of longitudinal depression; additional pair of tubercles or ridges present or absent on lateral basal region of supraanal plate. Cercus short and robust, when viewed laterally, tip blunt to sharp; extends in transverse direction into ridge, which is either oriented transversely or twists to be oriented longitudinally; ridge flat, curved, or opened into triangular plate.

Phallic complex. Apical valves of penis upcurved, robust; valves of cingulum extending beyond valves of penis; both valves of penis and valves of cingulum extending beyond sheath; basal valves of penis divergent and expanded laterally; zygoma of cingulum broad to very broad; rami slender to comparatively broad; apodemes narrowed toward apices, incurved or not. Epiphallus with short, broad and divided bridge, lateral plates small, ancorae from very small to small, lophi large, broad and robust, incurved lobiform with blunt or acute apices, with or without small anterior projection at apex.

Female. Generally similar to male, but larger and more robust. Valves of ovipositor short and slender to broad, curved at apex. Subgenital plate trilobate with small to large median lobe, posterior margin inflections forming obtuse or acute angles, median lobe notched or not.

Coloration. Integument varies from mottled grey to dark brown. In some rugose specimens, tubercles white. Hind wing color diagnostic and varies from clear, blue, pink, purple to black. Dark infumation may be complete or incomplete, dark or light band in apical region of hind wing, including extreme apex or not, or may cover as much as 100% of surface area of hind wing.

Diagnostic remarks. The genus Pachyphymus can be distinguished from other Euryphyminae by the double crest-like median carina of the pronotum and by the three-dimensional, complex male cerci, which are unique to this genus. Pachyphymus is most commonly confused with Trilophidia Stål, 1873 ( Acrididae : Oedipodinae) which possesses similar slender body shape and pronotal crests. The two genera can be distinguished on the basis of the male cerci (simple, conical in Trilophidia ), the presence of a prosternal process and lack of an intercalary vein in Pachyphymus , and other common features which differ between Euryphyminae and Oedipodinae. Four species of Pachyphymus can be delimited on the basis of the degree of infumation and color of the hind wing, shape of male supra-anal plate and cercus, and shape of female subgenital plate. A large degree of intraspecific variation exists and may point to ongoing speciation in this genus. Genetic analysis may illuminate distinct regional variants or subspecies.