Macromotettixoides Zheng, Wei & Jiang, 2005

Deng, Wei-An, Xin, Lei, Zhang, Rong-Jiao, Huang, Chao-Mei, Xu, Hai-Qing, Tan, Liu-Su & Huang, Su-Qin, 2020, New species and new synonyms of Macromotettixoides (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae) with an updated key, Zootaxa 4852 (1), pp. 41-60 : 42-43

Macromotettixoides Zheng, Wei & Jiang, 2005

http:// orthoptera .speciesfile.org/Common/basic/Taxa.aspx?TaxonNameID=1101427.

Macromotettixoides Zheng, Wei & Jiang, 2005: 366 ; Zheng, 2005: 176; Zheng et al., 2006: 603, Deng, 2011: 543; Zheng et al., 2012: 329; Deng et al., 2014: 548; Deng, 2016: 155; Zha et al., 2017: 13 ; Han et al., 2020: 563 .

Type species. Macromotettixoides jiuwanshanensis Zheng, Wei & Jiang, 2005 by monotypy and original designation.

Description and differential diagnosis: Size small and stout. Colouration uniformly dark brown or brown.

Head. Head not exserted above pronotal surface. Fastigium of vertex in dorsal view, width of vertex between eyes wider than width of compound eye; anterior margin of fastigium arcuate or nearly truncate, slightly surpassing anterior margin of eye; median carina visible anteriorly; lateral margins turned backward. In lateral view, frontal ridge and vertex forming a rounded or right angle shape, frontal costa straight or concave between eyes, protruded anteriorly and broadly rounded between antennal grooves. In frontal view, frontal costa bifurcated above lateral ocelli, width of longitudinal furrow of frontal ridge slightly wider than or equal to or narrower than antennal groove diameter. Antennae short, filiform, antennal grooves inserted between or below inferior margin of compound eyes. Eyes globose, lateral (paired) ocelli located lowest third or middle of anterior margins of compound eye height.

Thorax. Pronotum with distinctly tectiform or flat dorsum, anterior margin obtuse or truncate or slightly arcuate; upper margin of pronotum in profile arch-like or straight or undulated, median carina entire; hind pronotal process not reaching or reaching apex of hind femur. Humeral apex ridge and lower margin of pronotum connected in the middle or behind middle of lower margin of pronotum. Posterior angles of lateral lobes produced outwards, end of posterior angles truncate, posterior margins of lateral lobes of pronotum only with ventral sinus. Tegmina absent. Hind wings absent or with vestigial hind wings.

Legs. Fore and middle femora slightly compressed, margins finely serrated, with carinated and straight or undulated ventral margins. Hind femora robust and short, margins finely serrated; length of first segment of hind tarsi longer than third.

This genus is similar to Macromotettix Günther, 1939 , from which it differs in posterior margins of lateral lobes of pronotum only with ventral sinus (posterior margins of lateral lobes of pronotum with ventral sinus and tegminal (upper) sinus in Macromotettix ); Tegmina are absent and hind wings are also absent or vestigial (Tegmina and hind wings are present in Macromotettix ).

After consultation of the description and the photograph of the holotype in Zheng, Li & Lin (2012), Pseudomacromotettix Zheng, Li & Lin, 2012 and Macromotettixoides Zheng, Wei & Jiang, 2005 are very similar in morphology, the only difference is that posterior margins of lateral lobes of pronotum only with ventral sinus in Macromotettixoides , while posterior margins of lateral lobes of pronotum with ventral sinus and tegminal (upper) sinus in Pseudomacromotettix . I suspect that the two genera may be a synonym, but we haven’t checked the type specimens of Pseudomacromotettix . Therefore, whether or not Pseudomacromotettix and Macromotettixoides is identified as synonym will be confirmed in further studies.

Composition and distribution: Altogether twenty known species are now assigned to the genus Macromotettixoides and only found in China.