Aphanogryllacris nigritibiae, 2018

Ingrisch, Sigfrid, 2018, New taxa and records of Gryllacrididae (Orthoptera, Stenopelmatoidea) from South East Asia and New Guinea with a key to the genera, Zootaxa 4510 (1), pp. 1-278 : 116

Aphanogryllacris nigritibiae sp. nov.

Figs. 38 H–M

Material examined. Holotype (female): East Malaysia: Sabah, Mt. Kinabalu , leg. Oberthür— 1 female (holotype) (Brussels RBINS).

Diagnosis. The new species differs from other species of the genus by a combination of the following characters: frons above clypeus black with yellowish ocelli ( Fig. 38J ), tibiae of all legs black leaving only the apical area brown ( Fig. 38I ), ovipositor rather narrow with subacute tip ( Fig. 38I ), female subgenital plate largely membranous, only along margins broadly sclerotised and at tip produced into a triangular flap ( Fig. 38L ), while the membranous zone encloses at base a large oval groove with stiffened rim ( Fig. 38M ). A. nigritibiae is similar to A. brachyptera (Gerst.) in shape and coloration. The types of both species also share the black tibiae. A. nigritibiae differs from the latter by the black face, more shortened wings, and by the shape of the subgenital plate, which is unfortunately up-curled in both specimens. The apex of the subgenital plate of A. nigritibiae is shortly bilobate while in A. brachyptera the central part is the most projecting.

Description. Small to medium sized species. Head: Face ovoid; forehead nearly smooth with scattered impressed dots; fastigium verticis wider than scapus, separated by a narrow suture from fastigium frontis; ocelli distinct; subocular furrows faint ( Fig. 38J ). Abdominal tergites two and three each with two rows of especially in the last row very tiny stridulatory pegs (3, 9–11; 8, 19; n = 1 female).

Wings not fully covering abdomen and not reaching hind knees ( Fig. 38H ). Tegmen: Radius with RS branching in about mid-length of tegmen, both with additional branches near tip; media anterior free from base but very close to radius in basal half and almost touching it for some distance; just before mid-length dividing into two branches (MA and MP), the posterior branch not reaching tip of tegmen; both cubitus anterior and cubitus posterior single branched and free throughout; with 4 anal veins.

Legs: Fore coxa with spine at fore margin; fore and mid femora unarmed; fore and mid tibiae with four pairs of large ventral spines and one pair of smaller ventral spurs; hind femur with 6–7 external and 10–12 internal spines on ventral margins; hind tibia with spaced spines on both dorsal margins, ventral margins with one pre-apical spine each; with 3 apical spurs on both sides.

Coloration. General color brown; tibiae of all legs black, only in apical area brown. Face, including fastigium verticis and fastigium frontis, laterally to subocular furrows and ventrally to base of clypeus black, otherwise of general brown color; ocelli yellow. Tegmen semi-transparent, veins dark brown; hind wing semitransparent white; veins light brown.

Male unknown.

Female. Seventh abdominal sternite unmodified. Subgenital plate separated by a large membranous zone from preceding sternite; at base of membranous zone with a rather large oval groove with stiffened rim; subgenital plate only along margin sclerotised and in middle of apical margin with a small triangular extension, recurved in specimen at hand ( Figs. 38 L–M). Base of ovipositor with small sclerite at base of ventral valves. Ovipositor elongate, slightly upcurved; with gradually approaching lateral margins; tip more strongly narrowing, subacute ( Fig. 38I ).

Measurements (1 female).—body w/wings: 29; body w/o wings: 29; pronotum: 5; tegmen: 15; hind femur: 13; tegmen width: 6.5; ovipositor: 14.5 mm.

Etymology. The name of the new species refers to the tibiae being black except for the red brown tip.

Figures

FIGURE 38. Genus Aphanogryllacris: A–G, A. sinustylata sp. nov. holotype male; H–M, A. nigritibiae sp. nov. holotype female.—Habitus dorsal view (A, H), do. lateral view (K), face (B, J), stridulatory pegs on 2nd and third abdominal tergites (front is right, C), male abdominal apex in dorsal (D), lateral (E), ventral (F) and apical view (G), ovipositor (I), female abdominal apex in apical (L) and ventral view (M).