Ptygomastax nihilsulcus Ge, 2021

Ge, Jun-Jie, Agrippine, Yetchom Fondjo Jeanne, Xu, Sheng-Quan & Huang, Huateng, 2021, Description of three new species of Gomphomastacinae (Orthoptera Eumastacoidea) from the east of Qinghai-Tibet plateau, China, Zootaxa 5068 (3), pp. 419-427 : 420-422

Ptygomastax nihilsulcus Ge , sp. nov.

Material examined. Holotype: 1 ♂, paratypes: 1 ♂, 2 ♀. China, Luhuo (Sichuan), 4229 m, (31°73’89’’N 100°75’33’’E), August, 2020. Coll. Jun-Jie Ge, Ke-Yao Zhang & Kuo Sun; deposited in the Zoological and Botanical Museum, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China. ( ZBM).

Description. Male ( Fig. 1 ). Body size small, head shorter than the length of pronotum; vertex wide, distinctly prominent between the eyes, median keel distinct; face slightly oblique in profile, forming a rectangular fastigium; frontal ridge sulcate and widened margins between antennae, constricted above the lateral ocellus and below the median ocellus, slightly rounded prominent; antennae clavate, shorter and thicker, with 14 segments and slightly wider in apical part, antennal organ on the tenth segment; eyes oval, longitudinal diameter is 1.4 times than the horizontal diameter and almost of equal diameter with subocular furrow; pronotum flattened, without transverse sulci, median keel sharp and distinct, lateral keels irregularly curved, posterior margin incised mesally forming a triangular structure, its apex being in continuity with the median keel, lateral lobes of pronotum with an oblique keel; wings, sound producing organ and tympanum absent; hind femur 5.2 times longer than its width, median keel of upper side smooth without spine, the lower lobe of knee blunt; hind tibia with 15~17spines on outer side and 11~13 spines on inner side; first segment of hind tarsus with 3 inner and 4 outer spines; with equal claw, arolium of tarsus tiny; tergum with distinct median keel, lateral keels clearly visible before fifth segment; tympanal organ absent; epiproct triangle; cerci long conical, apex blunt, extending to the tip of epiproct; subgenital plate short conical ( Fig. 1E ); epiphallus bridged, lophi thick and hook-like, lateral plate wide and short, with big flaky structure on lateral side ( Fig. 1G ); phallic structure simple, forming a U-shaped, dorsal with two big flaky structures, apical valves of penis hook-like ( Fig. 1H ).

Female. Similar to male but larger and more robust; fastigium of vertex bifid on the anterior margin; outer side of dorsal valves with serrate teeth and acute apex; outer side of ventral valves with big teeth, apex hooklike; cerci short conical; the middle of posterior margin of subgenital plate with conical prominent, apex acute ( Fig. 1F ).

Coloration. Body dark-brownish; antennae brown, apical segments of antennae black-brownish; oblique keel on lateral lobe of pronotum yellowish-brown; sternum gray-brown; between median keel and lateral keel of tergum yellow; epiproct and cerci yellowish.

Habitat. Alpine brushwood.

Measurements. (In mm) Body length: ♂ 14.1-15.4 mm, ♀ 19.1-21.4 mm; pronotum length: ♂ 2.3 mm, ♀ 2.3 mm; hind femur: ♂ 11.1-11.3 mm, ♀ 11.2-11.4 mm.

Diagnosis. Antennae 14 segments. Pronotum without transverse sulci. Hind femur without spine. Epiphallus bridged, lophi thick and hook-like, lateral plate wide and short, with big flaky structure on lateral side; phallic structure simple, forming a U-shaped, dorsal with two big flaky structures, apical valves of penis hook-like. The new species Ptygomastax nihilsulcus sp. nov. is similar to Ptygomastax longifemora Yin, 1984 China, Qinghai, Guinan. Some of the characteristic differences are shown in Table 1 .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Ptygomastax nihilsulcus sp. nov. A. ♂ Body, dorsal view; B. ♂ Body, Lateral view; C. ♀ Body, dorsal view; D. ♀ Body, Lateral view; E. ♂ End of abdomen, dorsal view; F. ♀ End of abdomen, lateral view; G. ♂ Epiphallus; H.♂ Phallic complex.