Paraluzaropsis mjobergi (Chopard, 1926), 2020

Meena, Ashok Kumar, Swaminathan, Rajamani & Nagar, Rajendra, 2020, Revision in the generic name of the cricket, Luzaropsis mjobergi Chopard, 1926 of tribe Luzaropsini (Phalangopsidae: Phalangopsinae), Zootaxa 4869 (3), pp. 413-420 : 415-419

Paraluzaropsis mjobergi (Chopard, 1926) [Plates: I (a, b) & Fig. 1 ]

Material examined: 6 (4 ♂ & 2♀): India, Kerala, Idukki, Vagamon heights, 23.x.2015, 9° 40’ 50’’ N, 76° 52’ 0’’ E, 1200 m.; from the non-cropped area by net sweep, coll. R. Nagar (3); from same location, coll. R. Swaminathan (1) and T. Swaminathan (1). The type specimens are deposited in the Reference Chamber of Kushwaha Keet Sangrahalaya (Kushwaha Insect Museum), Department of Entomology , Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture & Technology, Udaipur, INDIA.

Description: Male. Body is medium sized (15.0 – 17.25 mm) dark brown in colour with long dark brown hair and smaller yellowish hair. Head globular, rather small, wider (3.25–3.50mm) than long (2.25–2.50mm), narrower than the pronotum in front, vertex with ornamental shape, yellowish to brown colour, frontal rostrum as wide as the first joint of antennae; face brown with 6 yellowish spots, two above the clypeus, one pair on each side of the genae, which is sometimes less visible; ocelli are arranged in a triangle that appear yellow in colour with minor difference in size; the frontal ocellus is oval and smaller than the laterals; eyes are large and latero-dorsally placed with yellow stripes behind. The 1 st and 2 nd segment of the maxillary palpi are very small; the 3 rd, 4 th, and 5 th are more or less equal in length, the 5 th one is very much dilated at apex and securiform. Antennae are brown, interspaced with yellow bands on the entire length of the antennae. Pronotum is significantly wider (4.0– 4.50mm) than long (2.75–3.0mm) with hairs; the anterior and posterior margins straight, the pronotum disk reddish brown with a median sulcus with small brown spots. Metanotal glands present on the metanotum, but devoid of glandular hairs. Tegmina short (4.0– 4.50mm), longer than wide in both sexes, slightly longer than the 3 rd abdominal tergite; overlap strongly, rounded at the apex, with a few cells quadrangular in shape; the chordal, basal and apical area are conspicuous with two longitudinal veins clearly visible at the forewing angle; in place of a mirror diagonal veins are present; the area between M and Cu veins close before the apex; at the forewing angle, in between R and M veins a yellowish brown stripe can be observed; the lateral field has 4 parallel, feebly curved veins; the lateral filed is wide basally and narrowed at the distal fourth. The tegmina are with stridulatory apparatus having about 33 teeth on the left and about 26 on the right; the right and left tegmina have more or less similar features. Hindwings are absent in both the sexes. Legs are brown colour with hair; the fore- and middle legs are of medium length; fore tibiae posses’ oval shaped internal tympanum, while the external tympanum is absent. On the internal side of fore femur of both sexes two small tympanum-like (eardrums) can be observed that are of almost equal size and shape. The hind femur is significantly longer (11.25–13.0mm) than hind tibiae (10.0–11.0mm) and thick; the dorsal aspect of the hind tibiae are armed with four pairs of subapical spurs, serrulated at base and between them; the inner apical area of hind tibiae have three (3) spurs, of which two are longer; and, the outer apical area has three (3) spurs with the middle one longer. Metatarsus is longer than the other segments, with small denticles; the apical parts have two spurs with the inner one being longer than outer. Base of the tarsal segments have yellowish stripes on all legs. The abdomen is reddish-brown with a silky pubescence. Cerci are long, dark brown in colour with small to long hairs.

PLATE I (a). Paraluzaropsis mjobergi (Chopard, 1926) ♂ (1–9): 1. Habitus; 2. Head, front view; 3. Pronotum, lateral view; 4. Metanotal gland; 5. Tegmina, dorsal view (a. stridulatory file); 6. Tegmina, lateral view; 7. Abdominal apex; 8. Supra anal plate (a. close-up); 9. Subgenital plate

PLATE I (b). Paraluzaropsis mjobergi (Chopard, 1926) ♂ (10–16): 10–12. View of genitalia: 10 &11. Dorsal (10 a. close-up, 10 b. distal parts of epiphallus); 12. Ventral (a. guiding rod, b. apical parts); ♀ (13–17): 13. Habitus; 14. Supra anal plate (a. close-up); 15. Subgenital plate; 16. Ovipositor (a. row of spines on apex); 17. Median valve of the ovipositor; 18–20. Copulatory papilla views: 18. Dorsal; 19. Ventral; 20. Lateral.

Male genitalia: Supra anal plate almost quadrate in shape, anterior half margin with some dark brown spots, posterior side or in middle of anal plate with small hairs and distal part of supra anal plate with thick margins bearing bunch of small to long setae in latero-apical corners. Subgenital plate is almost triangular or V-shape, length and width more or less equal, apex feebly rounded, anterior half is semitransparent but posterior half is brown with hairs. Phallus is significantly longer than wide, sclerotised with well-developed all parts dorsally and ventrally. Epiphallus is wider than long, dorso-lateral areas are wider, epiphallus distinctly raged in middle, distal part of epiphallus is dark brown or black colour, before apex curved, apex narrower without emargination or notch, lateral side of distal part of epiphallus with serrated and whitish hairs. Proximal part of epiphallus very less curved, with feebly narrow hook-shaped prominences at sides with rounded apex. Epiphallus is with well developed ramus, closely attached to epiphallus. Ventrally, rachis (= guiding rod) is well developed with different parts viz. Virga, sacculus, valva and semitubus. Apical part of rachis, after base of endoparameral apodeme is less sclerotized and shape look-like as an anterior part of arrow with feebly curved downward; rachis is free-from any attachment. Endoparameral apodeme well developed, which is closely attached to ventral side and distal part of epiphallus by membrane. Anterior part of endoparameral apodeme is sinuated, pointed and nearly up to the ramus. Ectoparameres and endoparamere are less developed; apical part of endoparamere is rounded in shape and not spinose. The phallus has a developed formula (i. e., mould of spermatophore attachment plate).

Female: the morphological measurements (morphometrics) are almost the same as in males except for the following differences: body being slightly longer (17.0–18.0mm) than male; ornamentation on vertex is less visible as the colour of head and pronotum is dark brown. Tegmina (3.5–4.0mm) reaches the end of the 3 rd tergite of abdomen and the tegmina do not overlap; at the forewing angle, in between R and M the yellowish brown stripe is wanting; the dorsal area is with 7 longitudinal veins and lateral field with 3 or 4 parallel, feebly curved veins. Supra anal plate is almost the same as in the male, but with very few hairs. Subgenital plate is transverse with a distinct postero-median notch. Ovipositor is significantly longer (15.0– 15.25mm) than femur (13.0mm) and tibiae (12.0mm) of hind leg; dorsal valves have a distinctive dorsal notch and pointed spine; a ventral concavity before apex and also present a row of hairs. The copulatory papilla appears almost egg-shaped when viewed from the dorsal and ventral side; when viewed laterally, appears like the fore finger apex; the median valve of the ovipositor has an acuminate leaf-like appearance when held gently pressed under a glass slide, but gets rolled up and united when released.

Distribution: India, Kerala, Idukki; Asia-Tropical, Malaysia, Borneo, Sarawak, Mt. Matang.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Paraluzaropsis mjobergi (Chopard, 1926) ♂ (1–5): 1. Maxillary palpus; 2. Fore femur (inner side); 3. Fore tibia (tympanum inner side); 4-5. Hind tibia: 4. Inner side; 5. Outer side.