Chloracantha Hebard 1922

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 : 6-7

Chloracantha Hebard 1922

Delicate Snub-nosed Katydids

Chloracantha Hebard 1922 . Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 74: 172. Type species: Chloracantha lampra Hebard by original designation.

Hebard originally placed Chloracantha in the Mecopodinae as a member of the “section” Phrictae. This view was continued by Willemse (1961) but the “section” was transferred to the Pseudophyllinae by Rentz et al. (2005), naming it as a tribe along with all the other genera hitherto ascribed to “Phrictae”.

Chloracantha is a genus of generally small, delicate species with a characteristic appearance of the pronotum. The species live in rainforests or along rainforest margins where they occur in understorey shrubbery. They have a distinctive stance during the day. They are active after dark and can be rather easily found feeding on a variety of leafy plant material. Females deposit eggs in dead wood with the hooked end protruding outwards, usually in twigs and branches.

Differential diagnosis. Male/Female. In overall body shape, Chloracantha species are distinctive. Males are generally cylindrical in body shape, females have the posterior margin of the tegmen exaggerated ( Figs. 2 , 7 ) but the body is relatively small and slender. The armature of the pronotum resembles that seen in the Madagascan Parasimodera saussurei Carl , Simodera acutifolia Brunner , S. halterata Karsch and S. latifolia Chopard. Chloracantha differs from these species in features of the shape of the tegmina and male and female genitalia including the ovipositor.

General. Body cylindrical, slender, delicate, of small size for subfamily; males with tegmina only slightly surpassing apex of abdomen in most species, females with proportionately longer tegmina ( Fig. 7 ) and an ovipositor that is minutely serrate on the dorsal margin near the tip.

Head. Head narrow when viewed dorsally, strongly slanting in lateral aspect; frons almost flat, smooth but slightly concave when viewed in lateral aspect; lateral carinae absent ( Fig. 4C ). Fastigium of frons very poorly developed, present as a short carina between the antennal scrobes ( Fig. 4D ) and separated from the fastigium of vertex by the antennal scrobes; fastigium of vertex ( Fig. 4D ) short, with a median sulcus that almost divides the fastigium into two parts. Eyes positioned high on head ( Fig. 3C ), very prominent, slightly horizontally elongate; median and lateral ocelli indiscernible; antennal scape and pedicel prominent, unarmed; flagellum 3–5 times length of body.

Thorax. Pronotum with surface flat, with regularly positioned tubercles and cut by two continuous, straight sulci; anterior margin of disk truncate, posterior margin feebly obtuse; lateral margins of disk with two short, laterally directed spikes on each segment, metanotum with a small tubercle or spike positioned at apex of junction with lateral lobe. Thoracic auditory spiracle minute, circular, not concealed by pronotum. Sternum with prosternum armed with a pair of elongate, closely spaced spikes; mesosternum with cup-like lobes characteristically armed on margins; metasternum armed but greatly reduced when compared to mesosternal armature.

Legs. Legs elongate, slender. Fore coxa armed with an elongate spine; fore femur slender, dorsally minutely serrate, without spines; genicular lobes unarmed. Fore tibia elongate, quadrate in section, dorsal surface unarmed, ventral surface with a few minute spines, apex with a small spine on each side; tympanum open and of similar size on each side. Middle femur elongate, slightly laterally compressed, both surfaces unarmed; genicular lobes unarmed; middle tibia quadrate, swollen in basal half, dorsal surface unarmed, ventral surface armed with a few spines and hairs in apical quarter and an apical spine on each side. Hind femur slender, about 2.5 times length of middle femur, surfaces unarmed; genicular lobe with a small, broad digitiform process; hind tibia very slender, laterally compressed, quadrate in cross section, dorsal surface with setae and minute spines on each margin and without apical spines, ventral surface with minute spines, apex with a minute spine on each side.

Wings. Tegmen reaching well beyond apex of abdomen in both sexes ( Figs. 2 , 4A , 7 ), tegminal venation normally developed; costal field expanded, occupying considerable portion of tegmen, tegmen narrow but expanded on posterior margin. Veins Sc and R minute, scarcely discernable from one another, diverging in apical third; Rs and M absent, Cu arching, more prominently produced than other veins. Right stridulatory area with elongate mirror without enclosed veins but with marginal sclerotisation indicated by colour ( Figs. 20 A, 20C, 20E, 20G). Hind wing fan-like, shorter than tegmen in both sexes.

Abdomen. Male. Tenth tergite produced, surface smooth, bisected medially; cercus short, with internal tooth and external margin produced or not ( Figs. 3D , 6D , 8F ); supra-anal plate produced, not especially modified. Phallus represented by a feebly sclerotised, elongate tongue-like process enclosed in a thin membrane. Subgenital plate elongate, apically shallowly indented, apex without styli.

Female. Tenth tergite produced, apical margin irregular; supra-anal plate ( Fig. 9H ) produced, tongue-like, cercus elongate, unarmed; subgenital plate broadly triangular, apex feebly indented, styles absent in all species.

Ovipositor. Ovipositor much shorter than hind femur, strongly curved upwards, ventral margin minutely serrate.

Colour. Overall colour green. Ventral margin of lateral pronotal lobe concolorous green or black with yellow. Tegmina often with small golden spots, some veins white, others green.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Male and female Chloracantha lampra Hebard. illustrating both size discrepancy and the habit of males riding on females even when not in copulation. J. Hasenpusch photo.

FIGURE 7. Chloracantha garradunga Rentz, Su, Ueshima, sp. nov. Adult female. Note large size and pattern on tegmina. This pattern is not borne on all females.

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 4, A – L. Chloracantha lampra Hebard. A, adult female. B, adult male lateral view, note colour of ventral margin of lateral pronotal lobe and tegminal spotting. C, head and pronotum. D, head. E, male tegmen, note stridulatory region. F, stridulatory file. G, male subgenital plate. H, tip of ovipositor. I, entire ovipositor. J, male titillator, note sheath. K, female subgenital plate, ventral view. L, female subgenital plate, lateral view.

FIGURE 3, A – D. Chloracantha lampra Hebard. A, holotype male, dorsal view. B, holotype male, lateral view. C, adult male, head and pronotum dorsal view. D, male tip of abdomen.

FIGURE 6, A – H. Chloracantha angularis Rentz, Su, Ueshima, sp. nov. A, head and fastigium. B, Adult female. C, head and pronotum, dorsal view. D, male tip of abdomen. E, male titillator. F, ovipositor, tip showing minute serrations. G, entire ovipositor. H, nymph, last instar.

FIGURE 8. A – H. Chloracantha garradunga Rentz, Su, Ueshima, sp. nov. A, fastigium of vertex, adult male. B, male stridulatory region, left tegmen. C, head and pronotum, adult male. D, male subgenital plate, lateral view. E, male subgenital plate, dorsal view. F, male tip of abdomen, lateral view. G, male titillator. H, egg.

FIGURE 9, A – I. Chloracantha hilleri Rentz, Su, Ueshima, sp. nov. A, fastigium of vertex, holotype male. B, lateral lobe of pronotum, holotype male. C, paratopotype male, right tegmen. D, holotype male, stridulatory region. E, sternum, female. F, tip of abdomen, male. G, male titillator. H, ovipositor and supra-anal plate. I, adult female, Mt Glorious, Qld.