Miogryllus muranyi, De, Francisco De A. G. & Morselli, João Paulo, 2011

De, Francisco De A. G. & Morselli, João Paulo, 2011, A new species of Miogryllus Saussure, 1877 from Andean Venezuela with bizarre cephalic morphology (Orthoptera, Gryllidae, Gryllinae, Modicogryllini), Zootaxa 2824, pp. 53-61 : 54

Miogryllus muranyi n. sp.

( Figs. 1–28 )

Diagnosis. The present species can be readily identified from other congeners by the striking sexual dimorphism in head shape; male head features the following characteristics: 1— male showing hyper-development and specialization of the clypeus; 2—concealment of the inferior portion of the mandibles by a case-shaped labrum; 3—head with vertical frons, forming a 90 degree angle with dorsum of head along sagital line; 4—male and female pronotum with a broad white area surrounded by brownish margins, 5—lateral field of male and female fore wings transparent.

Description. Holotype male: color pattern on dorsal surface of body as in Fig. 1 . Head ( Figs. 3, 4 , 13 to 18) with a peculiar shape, characterized by the following: eyes black with a conspicuous band of unpigmented ommatidia on supero-frontal angle; area behind each eye with a brown macula on a whitish background; lateral ocelli large, the median quite smaller; dorsum of head medium to dark brown; antennal scape depressed, dark brown at base but gradually becoming light brown towards the apex, flagellum median brown; inter-antennal space/scape breadth= 3.15; frons wide, flat and decidedly vertical, forming a 90 degree angle with dorsum of head along sagital line, almost white inferiorly but gradually becoming dark brown near the median ocellus; epistomal suture shaped as a broad inverted “V”; clypeus very large, whitish, its superior portion much inflated, inferior portion bearing a pair of small digitiform projections which are separated from the superior portion of the structure by a broad, deep depression; labrum forming a case that conceals the entire inferior portion of the mandibles; palpi whitish ( Fig. 19 ); gena almost white; base of mandibles nearly white but becoming very dark brown towards the apex. Pronotum much broader than long ( Figs. 1 , 17 ), the lateral lobes with a very broad white area surrounded by dark brown margins, disk marbled of light and medium brown ( Fig. 1 ); right fore wing very light brown, harp area and lateral field poorly pigmented, venation as in Figs. 5, 6; stridulatory vein with 123 teeth; hind wings vestigial, unpigmented; tibia I with a large, elongate auditory tympanum on outer face only, three apical spurs present; tibia II with four apical spurs; tibia III with five alternating dorsal spurs on both sides (Figs. 7 A, B); dorsum of hind basitarsus with 7 teeth on outer row and 6 on inner; mesosternum subquadrate, metasternum nearly round along fore and lateral margins ( Fig. 20 ). Supra-anal plate trapezoid, as long as its breadth at base ( Fig. 21 ); subgenital plate long ( Fig. 8 ). Phallic complex ( Figs. 9 A, B, C) very similar to those of other species of Miogryllus , characterized by the following: main body of pseudepiphallus with a deep posterior U-shaped invagination coupled to a pair of acute projections, rami not fused proximad, pseudepiphallic apodemes present, pseudepiphallic parameres small; ectophallic apodeme and arc somewhat W-shaped as seen from dorsum, ectophallic fold acute, endophallic cavity large.

Measurements (mm). Head width 5.54; Inter-ocular distance 4.3; Pronotum length 2.85; Pronotum width 5.05; Fore wing length: 7.74; Femur III length 9.89; Tibia III length 6.67.

F emale: similar to male in overall size and many details, including: color patterns of all head areas and structures; lateral lobes of pronotum also bearing a broad white area surrounded by dark brown margins; limbs colored as in the male; inner row of teeth on hind basitarsus also with 6 elements (outer row with 8 on female and 7 on male); meso and metasternum rather similar to those of male ( Fig. 26 ). Differences from male: color pattern slightly different on dorsal surface, especially that of pronotum disk ( Figs. 1 and 2 ). Head normal-shaped, much different from that of male ( Figs. 23 , 24, 25 ); inter-antennal space/scape breadth= 3.04; lateral field of fore wings with six parallel veins below angulation; supra-anal plate as in Fig. 27 ; hind margin of subgenital plate slightly concave ( Figs. 11 , 28 ); tip of ovipositor as in Figs. 12 A, B, C.

Measurement (mm). Head width 5.05; Inter-ocular distance 3.55; Pronotum length 3.33; Pronotum width 4.95; Fore wing length: 3.12; Femur III length 10.43; Tibia III length 7.31; Ovipositor length 11.56.

Etymology. Species named after Hungarian entomologist, Dr. David Muranyi , who collected the specimens.

Specimens examined. Holotype male, paratype female, 10.iv.2005, D. Muranyi leg.: Venezuela, North of San Juan Caparú, Andean Acacia-Cactaceae semi-desert bush in the Chama Valley. Both specimens preserved in alcohol and deposited at the Department of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History Museum.

Figures 29 and 30 show the habitat where the specimens were collected. However, there is no ecological or biological data available.

Comments. The odd morphology of male head distinguishes Miogryllus muranyi n. sp. from any other congener described so far. While other species of Miogryllus exhibit sexual dimorphism in the form of mega and microcephaly (Serville 1938, Hebard 1915), the sexual dimorphism observed on the head of the present species does not involve size “solely”, but a highly modified form of the male head. Other cases of sexually-dimorphic heads regarding shape, not just size (mega-microcephaly), are known in a few members of the Modicogryllini , e.g., Sciobia Burmeister, 1838 (see Chopard 1943); Conoblemmus saussurei Adelung, 1910 (see Mistshenko & Gorochov 1981); Loxoblemmus pallens Serville, 1838 (see Otte & Alexander 1983). The shape of the phallic complex of Miogryllus is conservative and rather similar among different species; for comparisons, illustrations of other species can be found in the following articles: 1— Randell (1964: 1593) ( Miogryllus verticatis ); 2—Desutter (1990: 15) ( Miogryllus sp); 3— Otte (2006: 305–307) ( Miogryllus armatorius , M. scynthros and M. pammelas ).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Miogryllus muranyi n. sp. 1 — male dorsum; 2 — female dorsum; 3 — male head, lateral; 4 — male head, frontal; 5 — male right fore wing, dorsal; 6 — same, lateral; 7 A, B—Male hind leg, external and internal view, respectively.

FIGURES 8 – 12. Miogryllus muranyi n. sp. 8 — male subgenital plate; 9 A, B, C—phallic complex, lateral, dorsal and ventral, respectively; 10 — female terminalia, lateral; 11 — female subgenital plate; 12 A, B, C—ovipositor, lateral, dorsal and ventral, respectively. Conventions: Arc—ectophallic arc; Ect. Ap—ectophallic apodeme; Ect. F—ectphallic fold; End. C—endophallic cavity; MLPs—main lobe of pseudepiphallus; Ps. Ap—pseudepiphallic apodeme; Ps. P—pseudepiphallic paramere; R—ramus; V—paired vesicules of the ejaculatory duct.

FIGURES 13 – 16. Miogryllus muranyi n. sp. 13 — male head, latero-frontal; 14 — same, lateral; 15 — same, fronto-lateral; 16 — same, frontal. Conventions: Cp—clypeus; Lb—labrum; Md—mandible.

FIGURES 17 – 23. Miogryllus muranyi n. sp. 17 — male head, dorsal; 18 — same, ventro-frontal; 19 — male palpi; 20 — male meso and metasternum; 21 — male supra-anal plate; 22 — male subgenital plate; 23 — female head, dorsal.

FIGURES 24 – 28. Miogryllus muranyi sp. n. 24 — female head, ventral; 25 — same, fronto-lateral; 26 — female meso and metasternum; 27 — female supra-anal plate; 28 — female subgenital plate.

FIGURES 29, 30. Habitat of Miogryllus muranyi n. sp., semi-desert Acacia-Cactacea bush in the Chama Valley, Venezuelan Andes.