Zvierckia storozhenkoi Skejo et Tumbrinck, 2024

Skejo, Josip, Husemann, Martin, Jr, Romeo Patano, Tumbrinck, Josef, Pushkar, Taras I., Pavlović, Marko, Mohagan, Alma, Pamin, Jan-Henrik & Kasalo, Niko, 2024, Revision of the polyphyletic genus Hirrius Bolívar, 1887 (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae), with descriptions of three new genera and insights into antennal sensilla morphology, Zootaxa 5524 (1), pp. 1-61 : 42-49

Zvierckia storozhenkoi Skejo et Tumbrinck , sp. nov.

Zoobank ID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A7D33548-28F0-459A-A3E1-612700420969

Vernacular name: “Palu Pygmy Devil” ( Figs. 23 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 )

Historical mentions: As Zvierckia storozhenkoi Skejo, Tumbrinck, Šapina et Puškar in Skejo, 2017: 187-190 (not valid name and authorship nor published genus and species name as Diploma thesis cannot be regarded a publication under ICZN 1999).

Type specimens (♀ holotype, 9♂♂ paratypes, 10♀♀ paratypes, 8 nymph paratypes). 1♀ holotype ‘ INDONESIA: C Sulawesi: 20 km NE Pale , ca. 6km W Tawaeli , 250 m N 0° 43’ 45’’ E 119° 55’ 95’’, 02.III.2009, leg. A. Skale (019)’ ( CJT); 1♂ paratype ‘ INDONESIA: C Sulawesi: 20 km NE Pale, ca. 6km W Tawaeli , 250 m N 0° 43’ 45’’ E 119° 55’ 95’’, 02.III.2009, leg. A. Skale (019)’ ( CJT); 1♀ paratype ‘ INDONESIA: CW Sulawesi Palu district, Palolo env. V.2017. ZMH861001 ’ ( ZMH); 1♂ paratype ‘ INDONESIA: CW Sulawesi Palu district, Palolo env. V.2017. ZMH861002 ’ ( ZMH); 1♀ paratype ‘ INDONESIA: SC Sulawesi: Palopo Palu I.2017. ZMH831022 ’ ( ZMH); 1♀ paratype ‘ INDONESIA: SC Sulawesi: Palopo Palu I.2017. ZMH831023 ’ ( ZMH); 1♂ paratype ‘ INDONESIA: SC Sulawesi: Palopo Palu I.2017. ZMH831024 ’ ( ZMH); 3♂♂, 5 ♀♀, 8 nymph paratypes ‘ INDONESIA: Sulawesi Island, province Sulawesi Tengah (= Central Sulawesi province), Lore Lindu National Park , 45 km SSE of Palu City, env. of village Tomado on Lindu Lake , 1000 m, 13–17.II.2011, coll. A.V. Gorochov’ ( ZISP); 3♂♂, 2 ♀♀ paratypes ‘ INDONESIA: Sulawesi Island, province Sulawesi Tengah (= Central Sulawesi province), Lore Lindu National Park , 75 km SE of Palu City, env. of village Wuasa (near Eastern park edge), 1000 m, 7–12.II.2011, 3 males, 2 females, coll. A.V. Gorochov’ ( ZISP) .

Type locality: INDONESIA: Sulawesi: C Sulawesi: hills around Palu .

Type specimens’ depository: Holotype female and a paratype male are deposited in the Collection Josef Tumbrinck ( CJT) in Wassenberg, Germany, 3 male paratypes and 3 female paratypes are deposited in the Orthoptera collection of the Zoological Museum Hamburg, while 6 male, 7 female, and 8 nymph paratypes are deposited in the Zoological Institute , St. Petersburg.

Etymology. Named after our dear friend and colleagues, Sergey Yurievich Storozhenko, a famous Russian entomologist who has described 12 Tetrigidae genera and 55 species. The specific epithet is a Genitive case noun of the second Latin declension of Sergey’s Latinized surname, storozhenkous, storozhenkoi .

Diagnosis. Head traits similar to Z. sarasinorum , while pronotum traits similar to Z. montana . In lateral view, the disc of the pronotum almost straight, only with weakly undulated median carina. Lateral lobes of the pronotum projected outwards, but with a truncated, blunt apex (without spikes, VL projections). Vertex 1.64–1.85 times as wide as an eye in males, 1.76–1.86 times in females. Face 4.03–4.25 times as wide as an eye in males, 4.25–4.54 times in females. Male antennae uniformly black. General color black, but there are many orange-red dots on the median carina and on the pronotal discus. Hind tibia black.

Description. Moderately large and robust species(14–15mm long).Body finely granulated.Only brachypronotal, brachypterous specimens known. Coloration seems to be species specific. General body color black or dark grey. Pronotum often with reds prozona; median carina usually ornamented in orange and red spots; prozonal discus with alternating red and dark colored regions. Outer surface of the hind femur black with red markings.

Antennae. Antennae relatively long, reaching half of the pronotum length; uniformly black, but in males’ basal segments often with very lightly yellowish proximal margins. Antennae 14-segmented. 1 st scapus, 2 nd pedicel, 3 rd and 4 th (basal) antennomeres short; 5 th antennomere slightly more elongated than the previous two; 7 th (basal) antennomere very elongated; 8 th antennomere (subapical) elongated and weakly widened, 8–9 times as long as wide; subapical segment 9 th strongly widened and foliaceous; 10 th (apical) antennomere much smaller than the previous ones, slightly widened; apical segments (11 th to 14 th reduced and cylindrical.

Head. Vertex wider than a compound eye 1.64–1.85 times in males, 1.76–1.86 times in females. Frontal costa, in frontal view, long, bifurcating just between the compound eyes; in lateral view not visible. Eyes in dorsal view crescent-moon shaped, in lateral view semi-globular, in frontal view globular. Occipital area very narrow. In frontal view, scutellum narrow, facial carinae almost parallel, slightly diverging from the level of the antennal grooves and below. Antennal grooves positioned visibly (0.1–0.25 mm) below the lower margin of the compound eyes. Antennal groove and scapus each considerably wider than scutellum. Lateral ocelli situated very low, in the lower third of the compound eye height (females) or parallel with the inferior margin of the compound eyes (males). In lateral view, vertex in the level of pronotum. In dorsal view, fastigium of vertex truncated, not produced forwards, slightly concave in dorsal and frontal view. Fossulae present. Median carina of vertex present only in the distant third. Lateral carinae of the vertex visible in frontal view as strong tuberculated elevations, in dorsal view forming acute angle. Maxillary palps flattened, black with yellow margins.

Pronotum. In lateral view, the discus of the pronotum almost flat. Pronotum covering whole abdomen and extends to the abdomen apex and slightly surpasses hind femora; in lateral view descending towards the apex. Pronotal apex, in dorsal view, blunt. Anterior margin of the pronotum truncated. Median carina continuous, in lateral view weakly undulate. Prozonal carinae parallel. Interhumeral carinae short and parallel. In lateral view, a weak depression, giving an impression of the undulation of the median carina of the pronotum, visible on the discus just behind the shoulders. Humeroapical carinae forming with external lateral carinae obtuse, rounded angle. Infrascapular area triangular and as wide as a half of the mid femora in the widest part, running from tegminal sinus to the level of the 4/5 of the hind femora length where it fuses with wide lateral area. Lateral lobes directed outwards, with truncated apices, not bearing spine, i.e., the ventrolateral (VL) projection. Pronotal projections (tiny FM, fused low PM and MM1, low MMLs) extremely reduced and hardly visible; humeral ML completely absent. Tegminal sinus lobe weak, produced less than ventral sinus.

Wings. Tegmina small and only partly visible. Tip of hindwings not reaching the tip of the pronotum in lateral view.

Legs. Fore and mid femora elongated, with undulated margins. Dorsal and ventral margin of the fore femora slightly undulated and finely toothed. Mid femora with weakly undulated dorsal and ventral margins, both distally bearing a small tooth. Distal tarsal segments of fore and mid legs very long, black with a wide white stripe in the middle. Hind femora slender (2.9–2.95 times as long as wide). External median area with small and large tubercles. Six transverse ridges present, of which two proximal to the knee very week. Genicular and antigenicular teeth small. Dorsal margin of the hind femora finely serrated. Hind tibiae dark gray, finely serrated and with several larger spines, and with a narrow pale colored band below the knee. First and third tarsal segments equal in length. Tarsal pulvilli obtusely angular, first two smaller than the third.

Measurements. See Table 3 .

Distribution and habitat. Endemic to the mountainous tropical rainforests in the hills around Palu in central Sulawesi, Indonesia ( Fig. 22C ).

Figures

FIGURE 22. Distribution of the species belonging to the genera Zvierckia gen. nov. and Guentheracris gen. nov. A) Z. montana (Günther, 1937) comb. nov., B) Z. sarasinorum (Günther, 1937) comb. nov., C) Z. storozhenkoi sp. nov., D) G. scrobiculata (Günther, 1937) comb. nov.

FIGURE 23. Comparison of head in frontal view in the members of the genus Zvierckia gen. nov.: Z. montana (Günther, 1937) comb. nov., Z. sarasinorum (Günther, 1937) comb. nov., and Z. storozhenkoi Skejo et Tumbrinck sp. nov..

FIGURE 27. Zvierckia storozhenkoi Skejo et Tumbrinck gen. et sp. nov. ♀ holotype (A–E) and ♂ paratype (F-J) from Sulawesi, Palu region, deposited in CJT. A and F) dorsal view, B and G) right lateral view, C and H) left lateral view, D and I) head in frontal view, E and J) labels. Photo J. Tumbrinck.

FIGURE 28. Zvierckia storozhenkoi sp. nov. ♀ paratype ZMH 861001 (A–D) and ♂ paratype ZMH 861002 (E-I) from Sulawesi, Palu region. A and E) dorsal view, B and F) left lateral view, C and H) head in frontal view, D and I) labels, G) antennae. Photo E. Nguyen.

FIGURE 29. Zvierckia storozhenkoi sp. nov. ♀♀ paratypes (ZMH 831022, 831023) and a ♂ paratype (ZMH831024) from Sulawesi, Palu region. A, H and J) dorsal view; B, F and I) left lateral view; C, G and K) paratype labels; D, E, and L) head in frontal view. M) locality label. Photo E. Nguyen.

FIGURE 30. Zvierckia storozhenkoi sp. nov. ♀ paratype (A–C) and ♂ paratype (D–F) from Sulawesi, Palu region. A and D) left lateral view; B and E) head in frontal view; C and F) dorsal view. Photo S. Yu. Storozhenko.

FIGURE 31. Zvierckia storozhenkoi sp. nov. abdominal apex of ♂ paratype and (A, B) ♀ paratype (C–E) from Sulawesi, Palu region. Photo S. Yu. Storozhenko. A) ♂ details of the male apex in dorsal view, B) ♂ apex in dorsal view, C) ♀ apex in dorsal view, D) ♀ apex in ventral view, E) ♀ apex in lateral view. Photo S. Yu. Storozhenko.