Holocerus devriesei, Skejo & Medak & Pavlović & Kitonić & Miko & Franjević, 2020

Skejo, Josip, Medak, Kristian, Pavlovic, Marko, Kitonic, † Davorka, Miko, Rafanomezanjanahary Jean Christian & Franjevic, Damjan, 2020, The story of the Malagasy devils (Orthoptera, Tetrigidae): Holocerus lucifer in the north and H. devriesei sp. nov. in the south?, ZooKeys 957, pp. 1-15 : 1

Holocerus devriesei sp. nov. Figs 3 , 4 Common name: Southern Devils’ pygmy grasshopper

Holocerus lucifer : Rehn (1929: 493; description, drawings, and distribution); Günther (1939: 91; reported from Antongil Bay and from Alahakato (= Lakato, approximately S19.171498, E48.510321)); Günther (1959: 10; included in key, reported sympatrically two Holocerus species; records from Antongil Bay and from Alahakato Forest); Günther (1974: 966-967; reported from Périnet and Rogez = Andasibe-Mantadia NP and Analamazaotra, but also from Antongil Bay, sympatrically with the other Holocerus species); Devriese (1991: 123-124; mentioned and depicted); Yin et al. (1996; listed in catalogue); Otte (1997; listed in catalogue); Cigliano et al. (2020; OSF catalogue);

Holocerus taurus : Skejo and Caballero (2016: Figs 2a, b ; photographs of living specimens (an adult and a nymph), wrongly identified as H. taurus ).

Derivatio nominis.

We name this neat new species in honor of Hendrik Devriese, a Belgian entomologist and botanist. Devriese is one of the world’s leading tetrigidologists, geographically specialized in African and Malagasy taxa, taxonomically in Tetriginae and Xerophyllini genera. He has hitherto introduced the terminology of pronotal carinae with an emphasis on Malagasy taxa, described five new genera, 12 new species, and one new subspecies, and many more are awaiting description, especially those from Madagascar. The specific epithet is a genitive case second Latin declension noun, derived from the Latin version of the surname ‘Devriese’ - N devrieseus G devriesei .

Type material.

(11 specimens: holotype and 10 paratypes): 1♂ HT Analamazaotra (S18.943 E48.428) 12.I.2010. leg. Miko (MNCN, Catalogue number MNCN_Ent 26936); (1/10) 1♀ PT, Madagascar, Tananarive, Lamberton 1914. (Catalogue number MNHN-EO-CAELIF 9070); (2/10-3/10) 2♀♀ PTs, Madagascar, Perinet, forêt côte Est, A. Seyrig, 1937. (Catalogue numbers MNHN-EO-CAELIF 9071, MNHN-EO-CAELIF 9072); (4/10) 1♀ PT, Madagascar, Forestier, Frappe, 1946. (Catalogue number MNHN-EO-CAELIF 9073); (5/10-6/10) 2♂♂ PTs, Madagascar, Perinet, forêt côte Est, A. Seyrig, 23-2-34. (Catalogue numbers MNHN-EO-CAELIF 9074, MNHN-EO-CAELIF 9075) (MNHN); (7/10-9/10) 2♂♂ + 1♀ Madagascar: Rogez, Madagascar Centr., I-1932. A. Seyrig (Catalogue numbers MNCN_Ent 195226, MNCN_Ent 195227, MNCN_Ent 195230), (10/10) 1♀ PT (Catalogue number MNCN_Ent 268524) Madagascar: Rogez, Madagascar Centr., XII-1931. A. Seyrig (MNCN).

Type material depository.

The holotype male is a wet preserved specimen, kept in 80% ethyl alcohol, deposited in MNCN Madrid. One hind leg of the holotype was isolated for future molecular studies. The paratypes are ten dry-mounted specimens. Four paratypes are deposited in the Orthoptera collection within the Entomological collections of the Museo de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid, while six paratypes are deposited in the Entomological collections of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris.

Additional material examined (altogether 17 specimens).

Museum collections (9 specimens). 2♂♂ Madagascar; Anovano, Madagascar (probably within hither Andasibe - Mantadia), I-1934. A. Seyrig (MNCN_Ent 195223, MNCN_Ent 195224) (MNCN); 2♀♀ Madagascar: Rogez (Analamazaotra), Madagascar Centr., II-1932. A. Seyrig (MNCN_Ent 195229, MNCN_Ent 195231) (MNCN); 1♀ Madagascar: Omalamazaotra (= Analamazaotra) I-1933 A. Seyrig (MNCN_Ent 195233); 1 nymph Madagascar: Omalamazaotra XII-1933. A. Seyrig (MNCN_Ent 195239); 4♀♀ Madagascar: Fito IV-V.1932. A. Seyrig (MNCN_Ent 195235, MNCN_Ent 195236, MNCN_Ent 195237, MNCN_Ent 195238).

Online social media platforms (8 specimens). 1♀ Moramanga region 25.VI.2011. obs. entomokot (Konstantin) (uploaded to iNaturalist); 1♂ nymph Andasibe-Mantadia NP: Andasibe 13.XI.2011. obs. P. Bertner (uploaded to Flickr); 1♂ nymph Vohimana reserve 29.XI.2013. obs. F. Vassen (uploaded to Flickr and Wikimedia Commons); 1♂ Ranomafana NP 12.V.2015. obs. Paul Bertner (uploaded to Flickr); 1♂ Andasibe-Mantadia NP: Périnet (Analamazaotra) 1.II.2018. obs. J.-Y. Grospas/ Biosphoto (uploaded to Alamy); 1♂ Analamazaotra (S18.943552 E48.428283) 18.I.2019. obs. Miko and Skejo (uploaded to iNaturalist); 1♂ Andasibe-Mantadia: Périnet (Analamazaotra) NP 26.III.2019. obs. J.-Y. Grospas/ Biosphoto (uploaded to Alamy); 1♂ Ranomafana NP obs. Marc Hoffmann (uploaded to Instagram).

Annotated specific diagnosis.

The new species, Holocerus devriesei sp. nov., is similar to H. lucifer , its only congener, but is easily distinguished from it by the following set of traits: (i) compared to H. lucifer , the new species H. devriesei sp. nov. has more robust (less elongated) femora of fore and mid legs; (ii) dorsal spines (elevated lateral carinae) are short and projected as acute triangular plates in H. devriesei sp. nov., whereas in H. lucifer they are long and decurved; (iii) middle prozonal spine (promedial projection) is sharp and higher in H. devriesei sp. nov. than in H. lucifer ; and (iv) H. devriesei sp. nov. is generally a darker species, with less yellowish-green parts ( H. lucifer is usually paler in coloration, but exceptions do occur). For a detailed description of H. devriesei sp. nov., see Rehn’s (1929) description of what he called ' H. lucifer '.

Measurements.

Body length, pronotum length, pronotum width between the lateral lobes, maximum pronotum width (between the tips of the dorsal spines), and hind femur length are shown (Table 3 ).

Distribution, habitat and threats.

Holocerus devriesei sp. nov. inhabits eastern Malagasy rainforests, from Ranomafana in the south, via Analamazaotra, rainforests around Lakato, Vohimana and Andasibe-Mantadia, all the way to the Antongil Bay, where it has an overlap in distribution with H. lucifer . The natural habitat of the species are primary and secondary rainforests, but on account of forest depletion and habitat degradation, population decline is expected, as well as extinction of its subpopulations in certain territories where the rainforest is undergoing degradation.

Figures

Figure 2. Variability of Holocerus lucifer. A living specimen in Marojejy NP (photo R. Becky) B-E variability of pronotal projection morphology (B holotype of Holocerus lucifer C Maroantsentra, Antongil Bay D holotype of H. taurus E Tamatave).

Figure 3. Holocerus devriesei sp. nov. in natural habitat. A Nymph from Andasibe (photo P. Bertner) B nymph from Vohimana (photo F. Vassen) C adult ♀ from Andasibe in c in dorsal view and D in dorsal view (photo P. Bertner).

Figure 4. Holocerus devriesei sp. nov. and its habitat. A ♂ from Ranomafana in natural habitat (photo M. Hoffmann) B-E adult ♂ from Analamazaotra F-G natural habitat in Analamazaotra G Ravenala madagascariensis, the Traveler's Palm (B-G photo J. Skejo).