Liara (Liara) bifurcata Gorochov, 2020

Gorochov, A. V., 2020, Taxonomy of the katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) from East Asia and adjacent islands. Communication 13, Far Eastern Entomologist 400, pp. 1-36 : 8-9

Liara (Liara) bifurcata Gorochov , sp. n.

http://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/ BA65A688-29EF-496B-B43B-1A528A2483FB

Figs 8–10 , 31–36

MATERIAL. Holotype – ♂, Vietnam: Quang Binh Prov., 35 km NW of Dong Hoi ,

Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park , 600 m, IX–X 2003, N. Orlov ( ZIN). Paratypes : same data as for holotype, 1 ♀, ( ZIN); same province, Phong Nha Nature Reserve , 300 m, forest ,

3–19.VII 2003, 6 ♂, 1♀, N. Orlov ( ZIN); same country, Thua Thien Hue Prov. , 40 km SE of

Hue , Bach Ma National Park, 1300 m, X 2003, 4 ♀, N. Orlov ( ZIN) .

DESCRIPTION. Male (holotype). General appearance similar to that of L. (L.) tramlapensis Gorochov, 1994 . Colouration light, brownish yellow with yellowish labrum, maxillae,

labium, coxae and sternites, with black anterior and distal parts of mandibles, with small brown marks as bases of all tibiae, with small dark brown spot on fore tibia near distal parts of tympana, with brown to light brown tegmina having yellowish to whitish venation in lateral field and in lateral part of dorsal field, and with abdominal tergites intermediate between brown and light brown. Rostral tubercle conical, slightly not reaching apex of scape, and with almost acute apical part; space between antennal cavities (under rostral tubercle) with small convexity which vertical (almost keel-like) and rounded in profile; pronotum with rather long hind lobe almost completely covering tegminal mirror ( Figs 8, 9 ); tegmina strongly protruding beyond pronotum, reaching fifth abdominal tergite, slightly inflated, with more or less narrowly rounded apical part, with densely cellular venation in dorsal and lateral fields

(except for stridulatory areas), and with two distinct longitudinal veins between these fields

(crossvenation between these veins also densely cellular); last tergite with a pair of rounded,

very short and wide posterodorsal lobes, and with moderately deep and roundly angular posteromedian notch ( Fig. 31 ); epiproct simple, widely triangular and rather small; paraprocts significantly smaller, lobule-like and with small rounded apical tubercle; cerci somewhat larger than in L. tramlapensis , with ventral branch longer, and with dorsal branch having large widening and long apical spine ( Figs 31, 33 ); genital plate much larger than epiproct,

weakly elongate, with distinct angular posteromedian notch and small (in shape of short fingers) styles ( Figs 32, 33 ); genitalia strongly different from those of this species: distal portions of their sclerites arcuate and with acute apical parts (not rounded and not clavate),

semisclerotized lobes near subapical parts of these sclerites very large, and anterior (proximal)

portions of these sclerites semisclerotized and almost straight as well as directed aside and more or less fused with each other at moderately short distance ( Fig. 34 ).

Variations. Other males slightly varied in body size and coloration: from slightly darker

(almost brown with whitish venation only in lateral field) to barely lighter (with light brown abdominal tergites).

Female. Coloration and structure of body approximately as in males, but: abdominal tergites sometimes brownish yellow; hind pronotal lobe always very short; tegmina also very short, more or less scale-like, reaching base of first abdominal tergite, almost in contact with each other or barely overlapping, with distal parts widely rounded, with venation densely cellular, and with coloration brownish yellow to light brown; last tergite with distinctly smaller posterodorsal lobes; cerci unspecialized, i.e. smaller, conical, without branches and with thin apical part. Genital plate very characteristic: rather large, transverse, with a pair of very strong and long posterolateral spines directed backwards and somewhat upwards ( Fig.

35). Ovipositor as in Fig. 36 .

MEASUREMENTS. Length (in mm). Body: ♂ 24–30, ♀ 23–35; pronotum: ♂ 9–10, ♀

8–9; tegmina, visible parts: ♂ 7–8.5, ♀ 2.5–3; hind femora: ♂ 14.5–16, ♀ 17–18.5; ovipositor

12–13.5.

COMPARISON. The new species is similar and most related to L. tramlapensis but differs from it in the presence of a pair of posterodorsal lobes on the male last tergite (vs. this tergite has one unpaired posteromedian lobe) and the above-mentioned characters of male cerci, male genital sclerites and female genital plate. These abdominal characters of male as well as strongly bifurcate female genital plate well distinguish the new species from all the other congeners.

ETYMOLOGY. This species name is the Latin word “bifurcata” (bifurcate); such name is connected with strongly bifurcate shape of the female genital plate.

Figures

Figs 1–13. Liaromorpha and Liara s. l.: 1–3 – Liaromorpha bispinosa sp. n.; 4, 5 – L.

Figs 31–50. Liara s. l.: 31–36 – L. (Liara) bifurcata sp. n.; 37–43 – L. (Liara) inaculeata