Minigryllacris perpusilla, 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 : 221-222

Minigryllacris perpusilla sp. nov.

Figs. 78 H–L, 79N–M

Material examined. Holotype (female): East Malaysia: Sabah, Kinabalu area , plantation, 23.i.2001, leg. A. Floren by fogging (tree no. 4)—(Bonn ZFMK).

Other specimens: same data as holotype, leg. A. Floren (tree nos. 1 + 2)— 1 female (paratype, Bonn ZFMK).

Diagnosis. The new species is characterized by its minute size combined with the strongly upcurved ovipositor that is nearly straight behind the basal curvature, the membranous female subgenital plate with a large transverse groove in basal area, and the tegminal venation with the media branching from the common M+CuA base. The absence of a pre-apical ventral spine on the hind tibia is probably due to the strong reduction of size. Differences to other taxa are already discussed under genus.

Description. Small species. Head: Face ovoid; forehead with very fine sculpturing and scattered impressed dots, depressed above and below clypeo-frontal suture that is interrupted in middle; fastigium verticis distinctly wider than scapus, separated by a very fine suture from fastigium frontis; ocelli indistinct; subocular furrows weak ( Fig. 79N ). Abdominal tergites two and three each with two rows of stridulatory pegs (7–9, 13; 11–12, 13; n = 2; Fig. 78J ).

Wings covering about abdomen ( Fig. 78 H–I). Tegmen with reduced venation. Radius with radius sector branching in about apical quarter; media fused at base with cubitus anterior, divides at about end of basal third and divides before tip into MA and MP; fused M+CuA single branched at base, divides in about basal quarter into M+CuA1 and CuA2, the first branch then divides again at end of basal third into M and CuA1; cubitus posterior free and single branched throughout; with three anal veins. In the second female (paratype), M divides from CuA1 at beginning of apical third and does not divide further.

Legs: Fore coxa with spine at fore margin; fore and mid femora unarmed; fore and mid tibiae with 4 pairs of rather short ventral spines and 1 pair of smaller ventral spurs; hind femur very thick in basal half, in basal area almost half as high as long ( Fig. 78I ), with 5–7 external and 7 internal spines on ventral margins; hind tibia with spaced spines on both dorsal margins, ventral margins without pre-apical spine; with 3 apical spurs on both sides.

Coloration. Rather uniformly light brown; pronotum with a pair of indistinct dark brown lateral bands on disc. Tegmen yellowish semi-transparent; hind wing whitish semitransparent, little darker towards tip.

Female. Seventh abdominal sternite wider than long, weakly sclerotised. Subgenital plate membranous and thus not clearly separated from preceding membranous zone, in basal area wide and provided with a large transverse groove, then with approaching lateral margins; apical margin subtruncate or faintly convex ( Fig. 78K ). Ovipositor strongly upcurved in subbasal area, then nearly straight with faintly approaching margins, in subapical area faintly curved again; tip subacute ( Fig. 78L ).

Measurements (2 females).—body w/wings: 14.5–15.0; body w/o wings: 14.5–15.0; pronotum: 3.5–3.7; tegmen: 9.5–14.5; tegmen width: 3.2; hind femur length: 7.0–7.5; hind femur greatest height: 3.0; antenna: 130; ovipositor: 6.0– 6.5 mm.

Etymology. The new species is named for its minute size, from Latin perpusillus (minuscule).

Figures

FIGURE 78. A–B. Neanias squamatus Brunner, 1888 female type (A), male (B); C–D, Neanias virens sp. nov. female holotype; E–G, Monseremus appendiculatus sp. nov. female holotype (E–F) and paratype (G); H–L, Minigryllacris perpusilla sp. nov. female holotype (H–K) and paratype (L).—Habitus lateral view (A, B, D, F–G, I) with wings enlarged (inset in B), habitus dorsal view (C, E, H), stridulatory pegs on second and third abdominal tergites, front is left (J), female subgenital plate (K), ovipositor (L). Scales 10 mm.

FIGURE 79. A–D, Neanias squamatus Brunner, 1888 female type (A–B) and male allotype det. Karny (C–D); E–G, Neanias virens sp. nov. holotype; H–L, Monseremus appendiculatus sp. nov. holotype (H–J, L), and paratype (K); M–N, Minigryllacris perpusilla sp. nov. female holotype.—Face (A, C, E, H, N), female subgenital plate with base of ovipositor (B), male abdominal apex in ventral view (D), female end of abdomen with seventh sternite, subgenital plate and base of ovipositor in about ventral (F, J, K) and in lateral view (G, I); stridulatory pegs on second and third abdominal tergites, front is right (L), anterior part of body with spread tegmen (M), the stippled line indicates the course of the anterior margin if it was not fold to the underside.