Similameconema, Yujie & Fuming, 2018

Yujie, Dou & Fuming, Shi, 2018, One new genus of the tribe Meconematini (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Meconematinae) from China, Zootaxa 4429 (3), pp. 569-571 : 569-570

Similameconema gen. nov.

Type species: Similameconema sinica ( Liu & Wang, 1998) , comb. nov.

Generic diagnosis. Body small, medium size for the tribe Meconematini , relatively robust. Fastigium of vertex conical, apex obtusely rounded, dorsal surface with a longitudinal groove in the midline. Pronotum with an entire median carina, metazona moderately protruding, lateral lobe slightly longer than deep, ventral margin obtusely rounded, humeral sinus absent. Foretibial tympana bilaterally opened. Male 2nd to 5th abdominal tergites with tubercular projections; posterior margin of 10th abdominal tergite slightly projecting backwards, with a middle notch. Cercus slender, base with a stumpy conical process. Subgenital plate trapezoidal or pentagonal, styli long. Genitalia sclerotized. Female cercus unmodified, conical. Ovipositor smooth dorsally and ventrally, apices of ventral valvulae hook-shaped. Body yellowish green. Eyes brown. Posterior margin of pronotum with a pair of distinct brown spots.

Discussion. The new genus is similar to the genus Nipponomeconema Yamasaki, 1983 , main differences: pronotum with an entire median carina, lateral lobe slightly longer than deep, male 2nd to 5th abdominal tergites with tubular projections; the base of male cercus with a process; male genitalia sclerotized. The new genus is distinguished from the genus Meconema Serville, 1831 by the following combination of characters: male 2nd to 5th abdominal tergites with tubercular projections; the base of male cercus with a process; genitalia comparatively stout, apex thin; female subgenital plate without a median protrusion.

Etymology. The name derived from the Latin words “simil” and “ meconema ” shows the genus is similar to the genus Meconema in appearance.