Trelleora khasiana Meena, Swaminathan & Nagar, 2020

Meena, Ashok Kumar, Swaminathan, Rajamani & Nagar, Rajendra, 2020, Notes on some lesser known crickets of the tribe Podoscirtini (Podoscirtinae: Gryllidae: Orthoptera) from India, Zootaxa 4821 (1), pp. 49-70 : 51

Trelleora khasiana Meena, Swaminathan & Nagar sp. nov.

( Plate I ; Fig. 1 .)

Material examined: Holotype. 1 ♂, India, Meghalaya, East Khasi Hills , 07-VI-2013, 25° 34’ 0.12’’ N, 91° 52’ 59.88’’ E, 1496 m, from the grasses, coll. R. Nagar.

Description: Male (Holotype). Body of medium size with fine hair and general body colour yellowish brown. Frontal rostrum on head between antennal cavities is more or less equal to scape, with several short setae at apex. Ocelli raised. Anterior half of head upper part (from rostral apex to hind edges of eyes) dark brown; posterior half of this part light brown). First four segments of antennae and maxillary uniformly brown; remaining part of antennae light brown. Head more or less equal to anterior margins of pronotum; pronotum light brown with dark brown bands along lateral sides of dorsal disc (these bands with several lightish narrow transverse stripes and small spots) and numerous dark spots on lateral lobes. Thorax (meso and meta) and abdomen almost blackish with brown welldeveloped metanotal gland. Tegmina colour light yellowish, with 2 long parallel and 3 short oblique veins; mirror longer than wide, crossed by one straight vein; subcosta divided into 10 subveins; hind wings very light and distinctly longer than tegmina. Legs light brown with dark spots on tibiae, fore and middle femora. Outer surface of hind femora has a darkish longitudinal line. Inner and outer sides of hind femoral apex, base and apex of hind tibiae and the hind tarsi darkened. Inner side of tympana on the fore tibiae has a slit-like opening, while the outer side is oval in shape. Supra anal plate simple with inverted lamp-like membranous part in the centre. Male genitalia well sclerotized with all parts developed (Plate-I: 7 & 8). Epiphallus short and distinctly wide, with lateral lobes long and connected with a larger membranous sac on both sides, membranous sac with setae; long inner ectoparameres bent inwards, but not reaching apex of lateral lobes of the epiphallus, lateral lobes of the epiphallus with large hooklike apical processes being more or less curved inwards and without denticles at apex. Ectophallus apodeme short, endophallus apodeme also short with wide rounded apex and well-developed rami; the guiding rod not narrow with high keel along dorsal surface between proximal and distal upper processes, the guiding rod upper processes sinuate with hooked apex when viewed dorsally.

Female: Unknown.

Measurements (mm) Male: Body length 17.0; Body length with tegmina 23.75; tegmina 18.0; pronotum 3.0; hind femur 10.75 and hind tibia 10.0.

Comparison: The new species differs from other reported species, T. fumosa and T. consimilis , morphologically and in the male genitalia structures; though, has similarity in some morphological features.

(1) The new species has 5 harp & 10 oblique subcostal veins in the tegmina; while, 6 to 7 harp & 15 to 16 subcostal veins are reported in T. fumosa ; and, 5 harp veins & 12 oblique subcostal veins in T. gravelyi ;

(2) Shape of the central membranous part in the supra anal plate is inverted lamp-like in the new species, while it is reportedly short in T. fumosa ;

(3) The guiding rod is longer and sinuate with high keel along dorsal surface in between proximal and distal upper processes;

(4) The endophallus apodeme in the new species is wide with rounded apical apex, while in T. fumosa it is very short and acute;

(5) The lateral lobes of the epiphallus with large hook-like apical processes are less curved inwards in the new species, while the apical processes are more curved and c-shaped in T. fumosa ;

(6) Shape of metanotal gland in the new species differs from that of T. consimilis ;

(7) Supra anal plate and subgenital plate shape also differ.

(8) The guiding rod is wider than that of T. consimilis and the upper processes with sinuate hooked apex when viewed dorsally;

(9) It also differs from the Indian species Trelleora gravelyi Chopard, 1928 in having longer body length and the shape of guiding rod in male genitalia, which is straightened, hooked at the apex and without keel in T. gravelyi .

Etymology: The name of the new species is associated to the place of its collection from East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Trelleora khasiana sp. nov. ♂ Holotype (1–4): 1. Maxillary palpus; 2. Tegmina, dorsal view; 3–4. Tympanum: 3. Outer side; 4. Inner side.

PLATE I. Trelleora khasiana sp. nov. ♂ Holotype (1–8): 1. Habitus; 2. Head, dorsal view; 3. Metanotal gland; 4. Tegmina, dorsal view; 5. Supra anal plate; 6. Sub-genital plate; 7. Dorsal view of genitalia (a. guiding rod); 8. Ventral view of genitalia .