Paraoaxaca cohni, Aguilar-RoldáN & Gómez-Tapia & Mariño-Pérez & Song & Vázquez-Reyes & Sanabria-Urbán, 2024

Aguilar-Rolda ́ N, César Antonio, Gómez-Tapia, José David, Mariño-Pérez, Ricardo, Song, Hojun, Vázquez-Reyes, Leopoldo D. & Sanabria-Urbán, Salomón, 2024, Studies in Mexican grasshoppers: four new species of the genus Oaxaca Fontana Buzzetti & Mariño-Pérez, 2011 with the erection of the subgenus Paraoaxaca (Caelifera: Acrididae: Melanoplinae), Zootaxa 5486 (4), pp. 499-538 : 518-520

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5486.4.3
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:BB7EE938-98DD-4D39-9BAA-68432A36515B
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13210731
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/926A7070-2800-FFEF-E0FB-FA5FFE57FCD1
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Paraoaxaca cohni
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Paraoaxaca cohni sp. nov. Aguilar-Roldán, Gómez-Tapia, Mariño-Pérez & Sanabria-Urbán

DIAGNOSIS AND MORPHOLOGICAL AFFINITIES. Males of this species are differentiated from other Paraoaxaca species by their short, finger-like furcula with tips slightly slanted sidewards ( Fig. 10A View FIGURE 10 ) plus the spherical subgenital plate with a subtriangular tip pointing dorso-anteriorly ( Fig. 10C–D View FIGURE 10 ); or by the bilobulated lophi of epiphallus ( Fig. 14A–B View FIGURE 14 ), along with the short dorsal aedeagal valves with dorsally flattened, claw-like apices ( Fig. 14C–D View FIGURE 14 ). Other differences are shown in Table 2 View TABLE 2 . Overall, male genitalia of cohni sp. nov. is most similar to cuitlateca sp. nov.. Notably, these species are parapatrically distributed ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 ), and have lobulated lophi of epiphallus and short, dorsally flattened dorsal aedeagal valves ( Figs. 14–15 View FIGURE 14 View FIGURE 15 ). However, the shapes of these characters notably differ between species ( Table 2 View TABLE 2 ). For example, dorsal aedeagal valves are claw-like in cohni sp. nov. ( Fig. 14C View FIGURE 14 ), while wrench-like in cuitlateca sp. nov. ( Fig. 15C View FIGURE 15 ). Moreover, unlike any other species in the subgenus, males of cohni sp. nov. exhibit yellow coloration on the dorsomedial and dorsolateral stripes, as well as on the lower surface of their body ( Fig. 4E, F View FIGURE 4 ).

SPECIES DESCRIPTION. Coloration ( Fig. 4E–H View FIGURE 4 ) and general morphology ( Fig. 7E–H View FIGURE 7 ): similar in variation as described for the subgenus, except for the coloration of central and dorsolateral light stripes of the dorsal surface and the lower lateral half of the body that in this species are yellow in males and withe to ivory in females. Male terminalia ( Fig. 10A–D View FIGURE 10 ): supra-anal plate triangular with rounded apex. Furcula nearly touching dorsally, moderately short (but longer than in P. ottei ), finger-like with rounded tips slightly slanted sidewards in dorsal view ( Fig. 10A View FIGURE 10 ). Cerci conical and straight, tapering gradually towards the apex, nearly as long as the supra-anal plate ( Fig. 10A–B View FIGURE 10 ). Subgenital plate spherical with a subtriangular tip in the posterior border pointing dorso-anteriorly in dorsal view ( Fig. 10C View FIGURE 10 ) and with ventral border concave in lateral view ( Fig. 10D View FIGURE 10 ). Female terminalia ( Fig. 10E–F View FIGURE 10 ): supra-anal plate triangular. Furcula not developed. Cerci conical, nearly one-half the length of the supra-anal plate ( Fig. 10E View FIGURE 10 ). Dorsal valves of ovipositor lanceolate with tips curved dorsally ( Fig. 10F View FIGURE 10 ). Ventral valves of ovipositor with a ventral tooth projecting posteriorly and tips curved ventrally ( Fig. 10F View FIGURE 10 ). Male genitalia ( Fig. 14A–D View FIGURE 14 ): epiphallus well sclerotized, bridge slightly curved anteriorly ( Fig. 14A View FIGURE 14 ); ancorae short, triangular, and curved ventrally ( Fig. 14A–B View FIGURE 14 ); anterior projections curved inwards with sharp pointy apices ( Fig. 14A–B View FIGURE 14 ); lophi bilobulated, one lobule is knob-like and internal, while the other is stout and external ( Fig. 14A View FIGURE 14 ), and with anterior-internal tooth notably developed dorsally ( Fig. 14B View FIGURE 14 ). Endophallus with dorsal valves short (barely surpassing the sheath of ectophallus), claw-like and dorsally flattened ( Fig. 14C–D View FIGURE 14 ). Ventral valves conical and nearly as long as the dorsal valves in lateral view of endophallus ( Fig. 14D View FIGURE 14 ).

EXTERNAL VARIATION (in mm). Males (n = 15): body length: 13.28–16.29 (14.73 ± 1.15), pronotum length: 2.78–3.48 (3.18 ± 0.19), prozona length: 1.77–2.7 (2.17 ± 0.24), metazona length: 0.55–1.08 (0.94 ± 0.14), metazona/prozona ratio: 0.24–0.58 (0.44 ± 0.08), and hind femur length: 8.14–9.39 (8.72 ± 0.38). Females (n = 17): body length: 14.08–19.49 (17.23 ± 1.72), pronotum length: 3.01–4.33 (3.85 ± 0.38), prozona length: 2.01–3.16 (2.63 ± 0.34), metazona length: 0.97–1.48 (1.18 ± 0.16), metazona/prozona ratio: 0.35–0.55 (0.45 ± 0.07), and hind femur length: 8.84–10.72 (9.96 ± 0.64).

TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype male ( Fig. 7E, G View FIGURE 7 ): México, Michoacán, Carr. 37, 1.03 km al SO de “El Zorrillo”; Selva seca caducifolia, 8-X- 2023, 798 masl, 18.2746º N, -102.27683º W, S. Sanabria-Urbán & J.D. Gómez-Tapia L03.2023 (locality L14), CAFESI (specimen #15). GoogleMaps Additional type material: allotype female ( Fig. 7F, H View FIGURE 7 ) GoogleMaps and 21 paratypes (9♂ and 12♀) with same data as holotype, CAFESI; GoogleMaps 5 paratypes (2♂ and 3♀) from: Mexico, Michoacan, 7.2 mi. NE. Playa Azul (on HWY. 37) 2.8 mi. NE. La Mira Jct.; 6-XI- 1974, 213 masl, 18.067611º N, - 102.318296º W, T.J. & T. W. Cohn #123 (locality L06), ANSP; GoogleMaps 4 paratypes (3♂ and 1♀) from: Mexico, Michoacan, 26 mi. N. La Mira; Oak forest with overgrassed grasses, 8-IX- 1981, 752 masl, 18.301937º N, - 102.273416º W, Otte #59 (locality L09), ANSP. GoogleMaps

DISTRIBUTION, HABITAT AND TEMPORAL OCCURRENCE. This species has been found in three geographically close and lowland localities (213–798 masl) in the southeastern portion of Michoacán state, within the Pacific lowlands and the Sierra Madre del Sur biogeographic provinces. This species seems to be parapatrically distributed with cuitlateca sp. nov., which also reach Southwestern Michoacan but at lower elevations (2–212 masl). Notably, individuals of cohni sp. nov. and cuitlateca sp. nov. have been found in virtually the same site (localities L06 and L13), but at different years (1974 and 2023, respectively). Adult specimens of cohni sp. nov. have been collected from September to November in weedy-bushy ruderal habitats and overgrown fields surrounded by tropical deciduous and Oak forests ( Fig. 17 C–D View FIGURE 17 ).

ETYMOLOGY. The specific epithet is a patronym in honor of Theodore J. Cohn for his great contributions to the taxonomy of Melanoplinae grasshoppers northwestern Mexico and because some of the material revised here was collected by him.