Narea elongata (Brunner) Brunner, 2015

Rentz, Dcf, Su, You Ning & Ueshima, Norihiro, 2015, Studies in Australian Katydids: A Review of the Australian Snub-nosed Sylvan katydids (Tettigoniidae; Pseudophyllinae; Simoderini), Zootaxa 3946 (1), pp. 1-54 : 31-33

Narea elongata (Brunner) , comb. nov.

Sharp-winged Snub-nose Katydid

Figs. 13A–I , 20 K, L; Table 6 ; Map 4

Mastighapha elongata Brunner, 1895 . Verh. der Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellsch. Wien 45:272. urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:5265

View holotype: http:// orthoptera .speciesfile.org/Common/specimen/ShowSpecimen.aspx?SpecimenID=72770

Type locality. No precise locality other than “ Australia ” is known.

Description based on three females from near Jenolan Caves, NSW.

Differential diagnosis. Female (male unknown). Head with antennae strongly thickened, especially at base ( Fig. 13A ); surface of pronotum sparsely tuberculate, anterior margin feebly obtuse, with a few tubercles along margin, posterior margin broadly V-shaped, not bearing tubercles; pro- and mesonota each with a pair of stout teeth, metanotum with 2 large and 1 small teeth; lateral lobe with anterior margin oblique and bearing a few minute tubercles, posterior margin nearly straight and unarmed, ventral margin straight but uneven and bearing a few minute tubercles. Supra-anal plate ( Fig. 13F ) very elongate, without median carina, apex with a shallow V-shaped median incision. Ovipositor ( Fig. 13I ) massive, much longer than length of hind femur ( Table 1 ), serrated subapically on dorsal margin.

General. A relatively large species ( Table 6 ) with characteristic apically pointed tegmina. The armature of the pronotum should serve to distinguish it from Tallebudgeroptera spininota , a species with similarly apically acute tegmina.

Female. Head. Frons smooth, not undulating or swollen, genae not at all swollen. Fastigium of vertex triangular, surface deeply sulcate, lateral margins carinulate or minutely tuberculate ( Figs. 13A, B ). Frontal fastigium narrowly acute, median ocellus obscure. Antennal scape thickened, with a low tooth apically ( Figs. 13A, C ); pedicel about 1/3 length of scape; flagellum greatly thickened.

Thorax. Pronotum with anterior margin straight, with a few tubercles ( Fig. 13A ), posterior margin broadly Vshaped, without tubercles; surface of disk sparsely tuberculate, prozona with a pair of stout teeth on each margin, the first tooth much smaller than all others on the disk, mesozona with a pair stout teeth; surface of disk cut by 2 sulci ( Fig. 13A ), anterior sulcus straight, shallow, posterior sulcus depressed in middle and feebly undulating, the sulci continuing onto lateral lobes, parallel and shallow; lateral lobe sparsely tuberculate ( Fig. 13B ), ventral margin irregular, minutely tuberculate. Thoracic auditory spiracle ovoid, directed posteriorly. Sternum with prosternal processes close-set elongate; mesosternal lobes ( Fig. 13H ) strongly cup-shaped, margins crenulate; metasternum broadly cup-shaped, its margins smooth.

Legs. Fore coxa with an elongate spine. Fore femur not bowed, quadrate in outline, margins carinate, posterior margin minutely crenulate; ventral surface unarmed on both margins ( Fig. 13E ); fore tibia quadrate in outline, dorsally and ventrally carinate, ventral surface armed on both margins with a series of small spines, one on each side apical in position. Middle femur similar to fore femur but armed ventrally on anterior margin with a few minute tooth-like spines apically; middle tibia dorsally sulcate, unarmed, ventral surface armed on each side with a series of minute spines, one on each side apical in position. Hind femur slightly swollen basally, surface carinate on both margins and slightly sulcate, ventral surface bearing a series of small spines on each margin towards the apex; hind tibia quadrate in outline and carinate on each margin, dorsal surface bearing a series of elongate spines on each side but ending well before apex, ventral surface with a similar series of spines but extending to apex with one spine on each side apical in position. All genicular lobes unarmed.

Wings. Tegmen at rest extending well beyond apex of abdomen and hind femur; apex acute, tip directed dorsally at rest; anterior margin broadly and evenly obtuse, posterior margin straight. Costal field with principal veins oblique, cells very irregular ( Fig. 13D , 20 K, L).

Abdomen. Supra-anal plate ( Fig. 13F ) elongate; cercus conical, not distinctive; subgenital plate large, slightly curved, apex shallowly incised ( Fig. 13G ). Ovipositor ( Fig. 13I ) massive, straight, dorsal margin armed subapically with tubercles and serrations.

Colour. Colour somewhat faded due to age and preservation but overall colour assumed to be dark greenish grey with antennae and tarsi reddish brown, perhaps simulating eucalypt stems.

Specimens examined. New South Wales: Jenolan Caves, 7.xii.1954 (1 female nymph, K. H. L. Key, ANIC), 3.2 km SW of Jenolan Caves, 7.xii.1954 (K. H. L. Key, 11945. 2, site 2; 2 females, collected as nymphs, reared to maturity in laboratory, ANIC) (1 female, without locality, W. W. Froggatt Collection, ANIC).

Comments. This is the largest and most striking known species of Narea . It is odd that it has not been encountered in recent years. The Frontispiece is a watercolour with doubtlessly this species painted probably by George Raper prior to 1800. An important clue to the distribution of this species rests with the source of his other subjects in the painting. They may have come from natural areas around Sydney that are now devloped and, as a result, the katydid no longer may be there. If it existed in the Sydney area, natural habitats around National Park and south Sydney may still harbour populations of N. elongata . It has been found at Jenolan Caves but this site was unknown at the time the painting was made so the type was not collected there. See Fig. 27 C for another potential site for the species.

MAP 4. Known distributions for ⋅ Narea kungaree Rentz, Su, Ueshima sp. nov. and ˔ N. elongata (Brunner) .

Figures

FIGURE 20. Tegmina of simoderine species. A, Chloracantha lampra, male Mt Lewis. B, same, female, Mt Lewis, Qld., C, C. angularis Rentz, Su, Ueshima, sp nov., male. D, same species female. E, C. garradunga Rentz, Su, Ueshima, sp nov., topotype male. F, same species female topotype. G, C. hilleri, Rentz, Su, Ueshima, sp nov., male holotype. H, same species, female topotype. I, Narea kungaree Rentz, Su, Ueshima, sp nov., holotype male. J, same species, female, Powelltown, Vic., K, N. elongata no data, female. L, same species, female, Jenolan Caves, NSW. M, Tallebuderoptera spininota Rentz, Su, Ueshima, sp nov., female topotype.

FIGURE 27. Habitats where Australian simoderine katydids are likely to be found. A, Gap Ck., Qld. Mastigaphoides vaginalis, M. tuberculatus probably occur at this locality since they are known from nearby Shipton’s Flat. Searching the understorey shrubbery after dark should reveal the katydids. B, Lake Barrine, Qld. Chloracantha lampra and C. nigrolinea as well as Mastigaphoides tuberculatus have been found in the understorey vegetation at this site. C, Near Picton Lakes, NSW. Searching the understory growth along the forest edge during the summer months may reveal the presence of the elusive Narea elongata, hitherto known only from the vicinity of the Jenolan Caves, NSW.

FIGURE 13, A – I. Narea elongata (Brunner), comb. nov. A, head and pronotum. B, lateral view pronotum. C, frons and frontal fastigium. D, base of tegmen. E, fore femur. F, female supra-anal plate. G, female subgenital plate. H, sternum. I, ovipositor.