Anabropsis homerogomezi Cadena-Castañeda & Weissman, 2020

Cadena-Castañeda, Rj., Db. Weissman, González-Castillo, Nédiker Stiven, Castillo-Avila, Camilo & Arias-Pineda, Julián Yessid, 2020, A new unusual Anabropsis species from Mexico, with notes on the identity of A. rehni Griffini from Africa (Orthoptera: Anostostomatidae), Zootaxa 4860 (4), pp. 592-600 : 594-597

Anabropsis homerogomezi Cadena-Castañeda & Weissman n. sp.

( Figs. 1–2 )

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:511901

Diagnosis: Tympana on the outer side of the fore tibia absent ( Fig. 2E ), quadrangular pronotal disc ( Fig. 2C ), as wide as it is long; humeral notch absent ( Fig. 2B ). Wings completely absent. Lobes of the ninth tergite poorly developed and not sclerosed ( Figs. 2H, I ). Base of the paraproct thickened, hereafter thin, straight and with a pointed apex ( Figs. 2J, K ). Hooks of the tenth tergite sclerosed and reduced in size compared to other Anabropsis species ( Figs. 2H, I ). Styles of the subgenital plate originating before the apex ( Fig. 2L ) (in the other species, they originate in the apex of the subgenital plate).

Type material. Holotype. ♂. (in alcohol). Mexico, Michoacán, 40 Km E of Morelia on Highway 15 libre at Km post 205, 2370 m., 19°39’53.5’’N, 100°54’35.5’’W. 1 June 2008. D.B. Weissman & D.C. Lightfoot. DBW stop # 08-33.CAS Entomology type #20103 ( CAS). The type locality is oak-pine old growth forest, with other deciduous tree species. Area is dissected by several logging roads. All individuals in the type series were attracted to oatmeal trails.

Paratypes. ♂ 1 (excluding holotype) ♀ 9. Same data as holotype , ♂ 1 ♀ 2 ( CAUD) ; ♀ 2 ( CAS). Mexico, Micho- acán, 2.7–8.7 Km S of Highway 15 on Highway 37, 2180 m, 31 May 2008. D.B. Weissman & D.C. Lightfoot. DBW stop #08-29 , ♀ 4, 1 late instar ♂ ( CAS). Michoacán, Hwy 37, (road to Uruapán), 4.4 Km S intersection with Hwy 15 libre at Km post 4.4, 2070 m, 19°48’58.1’’N, 102°01’41.8’’W, 29 June 2011, F2232, D.B. Weissman & D.W. Weissman, DBW stop #11-61 , ♀ 1.

The female (F2232) from S11–61 was sequenced in Vandergast et al. (2017).

Description. Male. Body small for genus. Coloration. Yellowish brown with numerous darker marks on body ( Fig. 1 ). Head. Structure of head typical of Anabropsis , but dorsum without median keel, ocelli small circular and equidistant ( Fig. 2A ). Thorax. Pronotum wider than long, without median keel, anterior and posterior edge almost straight, humeral notch absent ( Figs. 2B, C ). Prothoracic sternite with a pair of spine-like processes near each other; mesothoracic sternite with a pair of mid-sized finger-like processes near each other; metathoracic sternite with a pair of wide angular projections having roundly convex lateral edges. Wings absent. Legs. Robust, with mid-sized dorsal and ventral spines on fore and middle tibiae, fore tibia with tympanum on inner face ( Fig. 2D ) without tympanum on outer margin ( Fig. 2E ), and with four spines on each ventral margin and a dorsal spine on outer margin ( Figs. 2D, E ). Mid tibia with four spines on ventral side; two outer and three inner spines on dorsal margin. Hind tibia with eight outer and seven inner dorsal spines and three spines on inner and outer apex. Abdomen. First two tergites with lateral pegs as small spinules ( Figs. 2G ). Ninth abdominal tergite with very small lobules not sclerotized ( Fig. 2G, H ). Tenth abdominal tergite with posterior edge unmodified, hooks small and sclerotized ( Figs. 2H, I ), confirming its adult status, paraproct with a thick base, and from middle to apex, slim and sharp ( Figs. 2J, K ). Subgenital plate with posteromedian apex straight, styles originating before the apex of subgenital plate, cylindrical and with a rounded apex ( Fig. 2L ).

Female. Similar to the male in shape and size ( Figs. 3 A–C). Triangular subgenital plate, longer than wide, with a distal spine ( Fig. 3D ). Ovipositor curving progressively, with a sharp apex ( Fig. 3E ).

Measurements (mm.). Holotype. LB: 20. Pr: 3.5. HF: 12. HT: 12.5. SP: 2.5. Paratypes (Male/Female). LB: 17–19 / 18–23. Pr: 3–3.5 / 4–5.5. HF: 11–12 / 13.5–16. HT: 11–12 / 12.5–18. SP: 1.5–2.5 / 2–3. Ov: 11–12.

Etymology. Dedicated to the memory of Homero Gómez, the defender of the monarch butterfly who disappeared in Mexico and whose work “affected the interests” of illegal loggers.

Comments. This species is unusual because it is the first in the genus without wings, or rudiments, and that does not have a tympanum on the outer face of the fore tibia. This condition only previously documented in the Asian Anabropsinae genus Paterdecolyus , but the new species differs by not having the paraproct with an obliquely truncated apex, and otherwise, the paraproct is tapered from the distal half of its length. Other genera of Anostostomatidae have species similar to A. homerogomezi n. sp., for example, Lutosa surda Gorochov, 2001 and Glaphyrosoma unumtympana Cadena-Castañeda & Weissman, 2020 . In these last two genera, there are species with tympanum on both sides of the fore tibia or only on one side ( Cadena-Castañeda & Weissman, 2020). Anabropsis is now included in the genera with this latter condition. Thus, the presence or absence of fore leg tympanum is not a good generic character in chevron crickets because it may have appeared several times in the evolutionary history of this old family. The DNA data from Vandergast et al. (2017) are important because A. homerogomezi n. sp. maps with other species of Anabropsis and not in a different subclade as a new genus. Thus, the validity of the Asian Paterdecolyus should be reassessed, especially in terms of its wing development.

A. homerogomezi n. sp. is included in the Aptera group of Anabropsis , being close to A. chiapas Gorochov & Cadena-Castañeda, 2016 and A. saltatrix (Saussure & Pictet, 1897) . They differ in the particular characteristics mentioned in the diagnosis of the species and the comparison with Lutosa and Glaphyrosoma . It does resemble these two latter genera in its habitus, moderately elongated male cerci, pronotal disc as long as it is wide, and the subgenital plate of the female without extending as a conspicuous spine.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Anabropsis homerogomezi n. sp. A–B. Male habitus in lateral and dorsal view.

FIGURE 2. Anabropsis homerogomezi n. sp. male. A. Frons. B. Head and thorax in lateral view. C. Head and pronotum in dorsal view. D. Fore tibia in inner side. E. in outer side. F. Lateral pegs on first abdominal tergites in lateral view. H. Terminalia in lateral view (arrow points to sclerotized hook confirming adult status), I. Hook detail in lateral view. J. Male terminalia in dorsal view. K–L. Detail of paraproct in lateral and dorsal view respectively. M. Subgenital plate.

FIGURE 3. Anabropsis homerogomezi n. sp. female. A–B. Habitus in lateral and dorsal view. C. Head and pronotum in lateral view. D. Subgenital plate. E. Ovipositor in lateral view.