Parapentacentrus fuscus Gorochov, 1988

He, Zhixin & Ma, Libin, 2021, Crickets of the subfamily Itarinae Shiraki, 1930 (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) from China with description of a new species and distribution and critical notes on other species, Zootaxa 4942 (3), pp. 382-408 : 404

Parapentacentrus fuscus Gorochov, 1988

Parapentacentrus fuscus Gorochov, 1988: 23

Holotype information. Type locality: Asia-Tropical , Indo-China , Vietnam, Vinh Phu Province, Tam Dao National Park (not examined).

Materials examined. China: male, Fujian, Wuyi Mountain , 16-v-2004, Caixia Yuan & Jing Li coll. ; male, Hongkong, Damao Mountain , 9-v-2018, Libin Ma coll.; 6 males , Guangxi, Jinxiu, Shengtang Mountain , 28-iv- 2019, Libin Ma & Tao Zhang coll.; 5 males , Zhejiang, Suichang, Jiulong Mountain , 25-v-2019, Yun Bu coll. ; male, Xizang, Motuo, Beibeng , 31-v-2019, Libin Ma coll.; 2 females , Fujian, Wuyi Mountain , 16-v-2004, Caixia Yuan & Jing Li coll.; 9 females , Guangxi, Jinxiu, Shengtang Mountain , 28-iv-2019, Libin Ma & Tao Zhang coll.; 3 females , Zhejiang, Suichang, Jiulong Mountain , 25-v-2019, Yun Bu coll. ; female, Xizang, Motuo, Beibeng , 31-v-2019, Libin Ma coll ..

Description. Male. Head small, slightly wider than pronotum. Occiput narrowed, smooth and convex. Median ocellus smaller than lateral ocelli and laterally expanded. Antennal scape somewhat square and wider than half width of rostrum. Labrum apical margin somewhat rounded. Terminal maxillary palpus truncated and widened, longer than 3rd palpus. Terminal labial palpus rod-like, longer than total length of remaining palpi. Pronotum almost oblong, apical and basal margins nearly similar in width, basal margin straight and apical margin almost straight, they both pilose. Forewing long and narrow, exceeding the apex of abdomen; basal field armed with 4 longitudinal veins which oblique and paralleled; lateral field bearing 4 longitudinal veins (not counting branch vein). Fore tibia armed with a small external tympanum and very large oval internal tympanum. Hind tibia possessing dorsal spurs numbered 5:4 (inner: outer). Hind tarsus armed with dorsal short spines and numbered 7:8 (inner: outer).

Metanotal gland intraspecific varied. Of light brown individuals: the middle of anterior margin upward curved; posterior margin ornamented with rhombus and concavity medially, and a large round or square lateral vesicle in each side ( Figs. 16A, B ). Of dark brown ones: the middle of anterior margin upward curved; posterior margin ornamented with rhombus and concavity medially, and a small round lateral vesicle in each side ( Figs. 16C, D ). In previous study, Gorochov (1997) indicated that P. fuscus bearing small rounded vesicles and those large, round or square vesicles should be of the species of P. lineaticeps (?= P. formosanus ), but we observed both of types in one species, P. fuscus . Anterior part of anal plate wide and inward concave medially, posterior part bearing two processes shaped as fold line and ornamented with hairs ( Figs. 16 E–H).

Male genitalia ( Fig. 17 ). Of epiphallus, middle lobes very small, lateral lobes rather large and inferior margin inclined; accessory structure of epiphallus vimineous with apex curved outward and hooklike. Ectoparameres long and curved proximally, apical part slightly narrowed with short spines.

Female. Similar to male ( Figs. 15A, C ).

Coloration. Coloration changed in individuals. Some individuals are colored dark brown. In dark ones, the head is colored dark brown and ornamented with white stripes. Their pronotal disc and hind wing colored dark brown and the legs colored dark brown with light brown spots. Others were colored light brown. Head colored light brown and ornamented with white stripes, pronotal disc and hind wings light brown; legs light brown with dark brown spots.

Measurements. Male (n=14). BL 17.04±1.89, HW 2.73±0.77, PL 1.66±0.64, PW 3.27±0.85, FWL 13.76±1.45, HWL 4.41±0.79, HFL 7.62±1.43, HTL 5.58±1.01, HML 4.32±0.68. Female (n=15). BL 17.08±2.34, HW 3.09±0.80, PL 1.69±0.43, PW 3.43±0.62, FWL 13.98±1.65, HWL 5.09±0.62, HFL 7.52±1.14, HTL 6.50±1.19, HML 4.44±1.15, OL 7.52±0.61.

Remarks. Since Gorochov compared the type of this species with a paratype of P. lineaticeps (?= P. formosanus ) ( Gorochov, 1988, 1997), we believe that they are different species. But we doubt that there would be an incorrect identification on material collected from China, which were mentioned in Gorochov’s works. He discussed three specimens collected from Guangdong Province, China (three females, China, Prov. Guangdong, Guangzhou ‘Canton’, Mell S.V., deposited in Natural Museum of Humboldt University, Berlin) and he identified two of them which bear dark coloration as P. fuscus and one colored light as P. lineaticeps (?= P. formosanus ) ( Cigliano et al., 2020; Gorochov, 1988, 1997). All specimens we collected in China (see details in materials examined above) were identified as P. fuscus by features of male genitalia (accessory structure of epiphallus of this species armed with hook-like apex) and they are vary in coloration, of them some ones are colored dark while others colored light. Thus, we do not think it was correct to identify those three females (in Natural Museum of Humboldt University) based on their coloration and, to a great extent, we think they are probably the same species as we have here. In addition, there is a problem on illustrations of P. lineaticeps (?= P. formosanus ) in Gorochov (1997: Figs 169–178), since these figures were drawn based on specimens of Province Vinh Phu, Vietnam but not the type specimen. If the author did not check the genitalia of them and only judged them by their coloration, we could assume these specimens bear light coloration should not be the species of P. lineaticeps (?= P. formosanus ). But, in this case, how do we understand the difference, such as structure of metanotal gland, between species of P. fuscus and P. lineaticeps (?= P. formosanus ) as indicated in Gorochov (1997). Our male specimens possess similar genitalia and they vary not only in coloration ( Fig.15 ) but also in structure of metanotal gland ( Fig. 16 ). Thus, we still believe it is reliable to use genitalia features to identify the species of the genus, but, at least for now, not coloration and some others mentioned in literature ( Gorochov, 1997).

Figures

FIGURE 15. P. fuscus. A, B. Dark brown individuals. C, D. Light brown individuals. A, C. Males. B, D. Females. Scale bar: 1 cm.

FIGURE 16. P. fuscus. A–D. Metanotal gland. E–H. Supra-anal plate.

FIGURE 17. Genitalia of P. fuscus. A–C. Of a dark brown individual. D-F. Of a light brown individual. A, D. Dorsal view. B, E. Lateral view. C, F. Ventral viewed. gd. guiding rod. lle, lateral lobes of epiphallus. mle. middle lobes of epiphallus. ect. ectoparameres. as. accessory structure of epiphallus.