Lophotettix alticristatus Hancock, 1909

Silva, Daniela Santos Martins, Cadena-Castañeda, Oscar J., Pereira, Marcelo Ribeiro, Domenico, Fernando Campos De & Sperber, Carlos Frankl, 2019, Review of Lophotettix, the sole member of the subfamily Lophotettiginae Hancock 1909 (Insecta: Orthoptera: Caelifera: Tetrigidae), Zootaxa 4686 (3), pp. 346-360 : 348-350

Lophotettix alticristatus Hancock, 1909

Figures 2 A–D

Lophotettix alticristatus Hancock, 1909 ; pg. 389 [general description], female holotype (OUM); type locality: “ Brazil, South America”. Günther, 1938 [crest morphology comparison]. Barranco, 2010: 23, Fig. 4 [type image].

Diagnosis: Pronotum subquadrate, with denticles throughout the median carina of pronotum ( Fig. 2A ); anterior margin of median carina truncated, with perpendicular projection over the head, provided with three protuberances ( Fig. 2A ) and wavy (two conspicuous curves) ( Fig. 2B , dorsal view); wings slightly longer than pronotum.

Redescription (Female holotype, Fig. 2 ): Body surface rugose. Head. Lateral view ( Fig. 2A ): head and compound eyes inserted below median carina crest; protuberant and globose eyes with straight base; vertex and fastigium not visible between eyes; antennal groove situated below margin of compound eyes; facial carinae arched. Frontal view ( Fig. 2C ): fastigium of vertex straight; front hirsute; eyes laterally arranged on the head but not pedunculated; frontal costa inconspicuous, only the bifurcation and facial carina visible; two superior ocelli between facial carina; medial ocellus involved by facial carinae; antennal grooves placed beside facial carinae; antennae shaped as compressed segments laterally expanding from the base to the apex; left antennae missing; apex of each antennal segments with a lighter color than the remaining antenna; scapus and pedicel with small tubercles; maxillary palpi having the two last articles flattened and hirsute. Dorsal view ( Fig. 2B ): vertex between eyes wider than eyes in horizontal and vertical diameter; supraocular lobe conspicuous; rectangularly shaped head. Pronotum. Macropronotal, rugose, subquadrate, erose, having irregular teeth and emarginations, with denticles throughout the median carina of pronotum. Lateral view ( Fig. 2A ): anterior margin of median carina truncated, with perpendicular projection over the head, provided with three protuberances; median carina crest begins to decline after surpassing the apex of tegmina and then becomes thinner; prozonal carina and extralateral carina inconspicuous; ventral sinus and tegminal sinus present; lateral lobe almost truncated and slightly laterally directed; infrascapular area narrow, thin and shorter than fore tibiae; wings slightly longer than pronotum. Frontal view ( Fig. 2C ): lateral lobes of pronotum slightly projected and directed sideward. Dorsal view ( Fig. 2B ): median carina continuous and strongly elevated, with crested wavy (two conspicuous curves) ( Fig.7A ), lateral lobe almost truncated. Sternomentum. Inconspicuous. Wings. ( Fig.2A ): tegmina and wings visible; wing longer than pronotum; tegmina ovoid and elongated with rounded apex; tegmina with slightly marked venation. Legs. Hirsute. Fore legs ( Fig. 2A, B ): dorsal and ventral margins of femur with undulated carinae; tibias with two crests on dorsal margin. Middle legs ( Fig. 2A, B ): left leg missing; dorsal and ventral margins of femur with undulated carina, with a dorso-apical blunt spine; tibiae with two crests on the dorsal margin. Hind legs: both hind legs missing in the type. Abdomen. ( Fig. 2A ): eight sternites visible, ovipositor valves short, superior margin of dorsal and ventral valve with small teeth.

Measurements (all in mm). Body length from the tip of the frontal carinae to the end of the pronotum 15.96; pronotum length 14.91; pronotum height (from the lowest part of the lateral lobes to the highest part of the dorsum in lateral view) 7.30; pronotum width (dorsal view) 4, 75; fore femur length 3.42; fore tibia length 2.88;

Sampling data ( Hancock, 1909): “One specimen from Brazil, South America, collected by Bates; W.W. Saunders’ collection, presented by Mrs. F.W. Hope to the University Museum, Oxford.”

Original coloration description: “Darker, almost black body, (…) antennae black and pale annulate at the joints, (…) the middle tibiae pale annulate at the middle and margins little compresso-tuberculate; apical half of tarsi black.”

Current coloration: Similar to the original description but with fore and middle tibiae and second tarsus with brown markings.

Comments: This species is based on a single female specimen and the author did not designate the holotype in the original description. However, following the article 73.1.2 of ICZN that specimen is the holotype fixed by monotype.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Lophotettix alticristatus Hancock, 1909 female holotype (A) habitus in left lateral view, (B) habitus in dorsal view, (C) frontal view and (D) labels. Scale bar = 2 mm. Photo of type: Museum of Oxford University/James Hogan, photo of label: Josef Tumbrinck.

FIGURE 4. Lophotettix hancocki (Bruner, 1910) male holotype. (A) habitus in left lateral view, (B) habitus in dorsal view, (C) frontal view and (D) labels. Scale bar = 5 mm. Photo of type: Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia/ Daniela Silva and Marcelo Pereira.

FIGURE 7. Pictorial key to species of Lophotettix. Arrows in L. brevicristatus and L. zumbadoi indicate pronotum direction; in L. unicristatus the arrow points to the hook-like shape of the pronotum and in L. alticristatus and L. hancocki the arrow points to the shape of the anterior margin of the pronotum over the head.