Cophonemobius faustini, Desutter-Grandcolas, 2009

Desutter-Grandcolas, Laure, 2009, New and little known crickets from Espiritu Santo Island, Vanuatu (Insecta, Orthoptera, Grylloidea, Pseudotrigonidium Chopard, 1915, Phaloriinae and Nemobiinae p. p.), Zoosystema 31 (3), pp. 619-659 : 648-655

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5252/z2009n3a12
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/EB4887D3-FFDB-6700-FCBB-FE18FCE158B0
treatment provided by	Marcus
scientific name	Cophonemobius faustini
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Cophonemobius faustini View in CoL n. sp.

( Figs 12-14 View FIG View FIG View FIG ; 15A, B View FIG )

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype: Vanuatu. [Sanma province], Espiritu Santo [Island]. Big Bay, Matantas , Vatthé Conservation Area , 15°20’S, 166°95’E, jour, paroi, grotte de la falaise avec chauves-souris et guano, 26.X.2006, L. Desutter- Grandcolas, 1 ♂ (fn 21) (MNHN-ENSIF2122).

Allotype: same data as holotype, 1 ♀ (fn 24) ( MNHN- ENSIF2123 ).

Paratypes: 5 ♂♂, 14 ♀♀. Same data as holotype, 3 ♂♂ (fn 20, 22, 23), 13 ♀♀ (fn 25-37) (MNHN-ENSIF2124- 2139). — Same locality and collector as the holotype, nuit, paroi, grotte de la falaise avec chauves-souris et guano, 27.X.2006, 2 ♂♂ (fn 49, 50), 1 ♀ (fn 48) (MNHN-ENSIF2140-2142).

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Same data as holotype, 8 juveniles (fn 38-45) ( MNHN). — Same locality, habitat and collector as the holotype, 27.X.2006, 1 juvenile (fn 51) ( MNHN).

Butmas, grotte de Fapon, 15°19’51.6”S, 166°57’53.6”E, jour, sur paroi dans grotte, 15.X.2006, L. Desutter-Grandcolas, 1 ♂ (fn 16), 1 ♀ (fn 19) (MNHN-ENSIF2143, 2144), 2 juveniles (fn 17, 18). — Butmas, gouffre Mba, pitfall trap, 16.VIII.2005, J. Lips, 1 ♂, 1 juvenile (fn 1901) (MNHN-ENSIF2150).

Sarabo, grotte de Sarabo, pitfall trap, 6.VIII.2005, 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 9 juveniles (fn 1708); by sight, 8.IX.2006, J. Lips, 4 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, 1 juvenile (SK06-0622) (MNHN-ENSIF2150).

ETYMOLOGY. — Species dedicated to Franck Faustin, who was of great help for fieldwork during SANTO 2006 biological survey, especially cave exploration.

DIAGNOSIS. — In Cophonemobius , species characterized by its large size and its pattern of colouration (pronotum with a wide, transverse white band on dorsal disc anterior fourth and a variable median whitish fleck near posterior margin; tergites 2 and 3 white, the former with an additional, median brown fleck; head dorsum light ochre; rest of the body black with white or yellow spots, especially on legs).

DESCRIPTION

Very large nemobiine. Global colouration black brown, shining, with whitish pattern on dorsal disc of pronotum, tergites II and III, and femora; long and strong, black setae distributed on the whole body and legs ( Fig. 12 View FIG ).

Head. Eyes not at all protruding, rounded and flat on head surface ( Fig. 13A View FIG ); facets large. Ocelli all small; median ocellus vertical, subapical on fastigium and located behind a wide, shallow depression; distance between lateral ocelli greater than the distance between median ocellus and one lateral ocellus. Fastigium very wide, wider than the scapes, rounded. Scapes transverse. Palpi very long; joint 5 longer than joint 3, itself longer than joint 4; joint 5 slightly widened toward apex and truncated straight apically ( Fig. 13B View FIG ). Pronotum very large, narrowed posteriorly; dorsal disc longer than lateral lobes ( Fig. 13C View FIG ); dorsal disc with slightly concave anterior margin and convex posterior margin, and with a longitudinal median furrow over four-fifths of its length.Lateral lobes with anterior angle slightly raised dorsally; lower margin almost straight ( Fig. 13C View FIG ). FWs present in both males and females, hardened, very short, not reaching tergite 2 mid length; venation of dorsal and lateral fields made of 5 or 6 longitudinal parallel veins each, without a clear separation between dorsal and lateral fields. Legs all long and thin; spurs all long. TI without tympana; 2 ventral, apical spurs, located close to one another, the inner the longest. TII with 3 apical spurs (no outer dorsal spur); the ventral spurs subequal and the longest. TIII ( Fig. 13D, E View FIG ) with 3 pairs of very mobile, subapical spurs; inner subapical spurs lower on the tibia, the first (most apical) spur close to inner apical spurs, the third (most basal) spur the shortest; 3 outer apical spurs, the median slightly longer than the dorsal, both twice as long as the ventral; 3 inner apical spurs, the median more than twice as long as the ventral, the dorsal the longest, about one third longer than the median and longer than half basitarsus III; ventral apical spurs: inner longer than the outer. Tarsi very long, especially basitarsi. Barsitarsi III without dorsal serrulation, except one inner and one outer apical spines; inner apical spur longer than the outer. Tarsal claws long and acute.

Colouration

Blackish, shining, with white marks. Head dorsum dark ochre brown, with some lighter areas. Cheeks, fastigium and lateral parts of the face dark ochre brown; a median, more or less ^- or ∆-shaped, yellowish area on the face above epistemal suture ( Fig. 13A View FIG ). Palpi light brown.Scapes whitish, except for brown lower margins and a brown spot along inner margins. Antennae light brown. Pronotum black brown and dark ochre brown, with whitish and ochre spots ( Figs 12 View FIG ; 13C View FIG ); margins all blackish; dorsal disc with a wide, transverse white band in anterior fourth, an inconspicuous, rounded median whitish spot along posterior margin, and a light ochre indistinct transverse line in median zone. Coxae and thoracic sternites light yellow. Legs black and yellowish with whitish spots, densely covered with strong, black setae. FI and FII black dorsally and ventrally, yellowish laterally; a white spot on dorsal side at mid length. TI and TII yellowish, blackish basally. FIII black and yellow ( Fig. 13F View FIG ), their distal half black; 3 white spots on dorsal side, almost on a row, each near a very long and black hair. TIII yellowish, except for black dorsal side and apex; spurs all yellow, the dorsal side of apical spurs somewhat darker. Tarsi yellowish. Tergites ( Fig. 12 View FIG ) black, densely covered with short, golden and dark ochre setae; tergites 2 and 3 white, tergite 3 with a brown median area; tergite 4 with a pair of whitish rounded spots near anterior margin. Cerci yellowish brown with a wide yellowish basal ring. Sternites blackish.

Male

Subgenital plate short, truncated apically; black, covered by short, golden setae, a whitish spot along anterior margin. Tergite X and epiproct ochre.

Male genitalia. Pseudepiphallic sclerite not reaching pseudepiphallus distal margin; wide and rounded from above, convex, with a distinctive shape in lateral view ( Fig. 14B View FIG ); 4 slightly more sclerotized, longitudinal areas covered with long and strong setae, with a wide, shallow depression between the two median areas; on each side, area located between setae rows little sclerotized ( Fig. 14A View FIG ). Anterior margin of pseudepiphallic sclerite very deeply indented, up to sclerite mid length; posterior margin narrow, more abruptly concave, and more strongly sclerotized. Distal margin of pseudepiphallus membranous, connected to two elongate, median lobes (lophi?), oriented at 90° ventrad, and slightly sclerotized. Pseudepiphallic sclerite greatly narrowed at the level of rami base. Rami long and wide, not separated from pseudepiphallic sclerite. Pseudepiphallic parameres located under the lophi, as two median vertical plates longer than the lophi; hardly sclerotized on their upper and inner sides, membranous otherwise; partly coiled ( Fig. 14B View FIG ). Ectophallic apodemes very long and thin, divergent ( Fig. 14A View FIG ). Ectophallic fold short and membranous, its apex located between the pseudepiphallic parameres; in lateral view ectophallic fold slightly shorter than pseudepiphallic lophi. Ventral valves normal for the subfamily, but their distal margin distinctly narrowed compared to their base. Endophallic sclerite comprising a narrow, elongate median sclerite, bearing a longitudinal, crest-like endophallic apodeme, and two wide lateral plates without apodemes ( Fig. 14A View FIG ); the median sclerite prolonged posteriorly on the ventral side of ectophallic fold. Endophallic membrane widely, but not deeply, concave ( Fig. 14A View FIG ).

Female

FW venation with 5 or 6 longitudinal veins on dorsal field, sometimes irregularly bifurcated, and 4 or 5 longitudinal veins on lateral field, most often straight and simple. Subgenital plate short, transverse; posterior margin slightly indented; yellowish. Ovipositor quite long, straight basally, and curved apically; valve apex without conspicuous ornamentation: dorsal valves with a strong, dorso-lateral subapical keel, their lower margins additionally carinated and slightly undulated, but without conspicuous teeth ( Fig. 13G, H View FIG ).

Female genitalia. Membrane around aperture of spermathecal duct somewhat invaginated, but no conspicuous copulatory papilla; spermathecal duct very long and thin.

Juveniles

Similar to adults in colouration.

Measurements

See Table 12. VARIATION

Head dorsum variously brown and light ochre. White spots on FIII dorsal side sometimes quite dull. Dorsal disc of pronotum: posterior whitish spot and median ochre band variously conspicuous, but always much fainter than the white transverse band along anterior margin ( Fig. 15A View FIG ). Tergite 2 sometimes with a brown median area, as tergite 3; whitish spots on tergite 4 more or less conspicuous, sometimes almost absent. Male genitalia: posterior indentation of pseudepiphallic sclerite variable. Female FW venation (vein number and pattern) polymorphic, even within individuals.

The male originating from Butmas (MNHN- ENSIF2143) has the same pattern of colouration as the males from Big Bay, but it is distinctly darker; the anterior margin of its pseudepiphallic sclerite is not as rounded in shape.

In the male collected in Mba sinkhole, the whitish anterior band of pronotum is subdivided into two spots; its subgenital plate is similar to that of Amarur males (see below).

REMARK

Additional material collected in Amarur cave (Nambel, pitfall trap, 1.VIII.2005, J. Lips, 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ [fn 1648] [MNHN-ENSIF2150]) and preserved in alcohol presents additional white spots on the posterior half of pronotum dorsal disc, especially a white, rounded spot near the posterior margin (the most conspicuous spot) expanded anteriorly up to pronotum mid length, where it is widened laterally; these spots are separated from the anterior whitish band by a transverse, brown area ( Fig. 15B View FIG ). Th e yellow spot on their face also looks thinner than in other observed C. faustini faustini n. subsp. specimens. Male subgenital plate is brown, with a whitish median spot near anterior margin in addition to a longitudinal whitish median line. Male genitalia are similar to that of C. faustini faustini n. subsp. males, especially for their size, but the ectophallic apodemes look somewhat more convergent before apex. These characters, together with a smaller size, lead to suspect that these specimens could represent an additional subspecies of C. faustini n. sp. See Table 13 for measurements.