Pseudonicsara Karny, 1912

Ingrisch, Sigfrid, 2009, Revision of the genus Pseudonicsara Karny, 1912 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae: Agraeciini) 2185, Zootaxa 2185, pp. 1-122 : 9-10

Pseudonicsara Karny, 1912

Salomona (Pseudonicsara) Karny 1912a , Abh. Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden 14: 14;

Pseudonicsara Karny 1926 , Treubia 9: 225; Otte 1997, Orthoptera Species File 7: 33; OSF online 2009.

Type species: Salomona pallidifrons Brunner v.W. 1898, by original designation ( Karny 1912a, p. 15).

Diagnosis. The genus is easily recognised from other genera of Agraeciini by a combination of the following characters: The fore tibiae are in cross-section triangular with a single anterior and two hind angles. The pronotum has the lateral margins slightly concave and moderately descending posteriorly and the apical margin truncate in both sexes and does not cover the stridulatory apparatus in male, except for the subgenus Wasiorana n. subgen. where the hind margin is convex and may cover the base of the stridulatory apparatus. The pronotum in Pseudonicsara is thus intermediate between the funnel-shaped form as in Salomona Blanchard, 1953 or the flat shape as in Habetia Kirby, 1906 , Philmontis Willemse, 1966 , or Coptaspis Redtenbacher, 1891 , and the laterally strongly descending shape as in Axylus Stål, 1877 or Nicsara Walker, 1869 . There are always a few basal spines on the inner lower margin of the hind femur.

Description. Fastigium verticis conical, compressed laterally, shorter than scapus, apex subacute, subobtuse or rounded; ventral margin separated by a shallow or very shallow sinuosity from fastigium frontis. Face rugose, subrugose or shining, but always with impressed dots; slightly depressed at clypeo-frontal suture; a little angular above lateral angles of clypeus. Pronotum with disc broadly rounded into paranota, only very apical area faintly raised, flat and shouldered; with two transverse sulci, first sulcus entire or shortly interrupted in middle, second sulcus deeply cut on paranota, widened to a shallow furrow on disc; fore margin broadly rounded but slightly concave or subtruncate in middle; hind margin truncate, faintly concave or faintly convex; rarely distinctly convex. Paranota longer than high, ventral margin faintly concave or almost straight, little descending posteriorly, hind angle broadly rounded; auditory swelling distinct, ovoid; humeral sinus hardly indicated. Thoracic auditory spiracle large; oval; completely hidden under lateral lobe of pronotum. Prosternum with two spines or tubercles varying in length between subgenera. Mesosternal lobes varying between subgenera from conical or subspinose to rounded; metasternal lobes obtuse-angular, rounded or short-conical; median plate with a spine or conical projection at both hind angles. Fully winged to slightly brachypterous; tegmina often surpassing hind knees, margins tapering towards apex or fore margin constricted in apical half or apical third. Hind wings of same length as tegmina. All femora with spines on both ventral margins; on ventro-internal margin of hind femur usually with small or minute spinules in basal area, and in some species also with a few large spines before apex; in few species without spines on ventro-internal margin of hind femur. Knee lobes of fore femur triangular or short-spinose (rarely obtuse) on external, spinose on internal side; of mid femur spinose on both sides; of hind femur uni-spinose on both sides, in few species bispinose. Fore tibia in cross-section triangular (both dorsal margins fused), except in tympanal area and near apex.

Male. Stridulatory file on underside of left tegmen little sinuate; teeth decreasing in size from base to apex; at apex often indistinct. Right tegmen in dorsal area behind mirror with numerous spinules ( Fig. 85). Tenth abdominal tergite transverse, slightly globular or almost flat in middle; apex excised in middle, with obtuse, triangular or modified projection on both sides of excision. Epiproct variable; often rounded or triangular, in some species quadrangular, very narrow or widening towards apex; lateral margins raised; usually with a median furrow, rarely nearly flat. Paraproct with an obtuse projection, sometimes modified. Subgenital plate with lateral areas sloping and with obtuse lateral carinae in front of styli; apex roundly or obtuse-angularly excised; styli often small but in few species prolonged.

Titillators with basal parts rather strongly sclerotised but usually simple: compressed, band-shaped, somewhat twisted or slightly grooved, rarely widened or modified; in about middle of titillator length on dorso-proximal surface with an oblique step; fused with apical part of titillator which is rather flexible, widened to a variable degree and often forming complex structures; surface always densely covered with short clinging hairs, which are often dark in centre and becoming paler towards margin; margin of apical part of titillator granular, colour varying between species from hyaline to dark brown; opposite rim of margin fused with membranous external sheath thus forming together with apical part of titillator a sac filled with muscles. Both apical parts of titillators stuck together in a common cap-shaped membranous fold of the phallus when at rest that obviously can be retracted when the titillators become active. Membranous external surface often carrying a small area of sclerotisation (= apico-lateral sclerite). Also near bases of the titillators small baso-lateral sclerites of variable shape and size are found.

Female. Tenth abdominal tergite transverse, entire or furrowed in midline; apex often angularly excised in middle [variable within species and thus at least in part depending on conservation]. Epiproct rounded or triangular with apex obtuse; surface furrowed or slightly depressed. Cerci long-conical, slightly curved; apex pointed. Shape of ovipositor varying between subgenera: sabre-shaped, sickle-shaped or mainly curved behind base.