Pizacris zefai ( Mews & Sperber, 2010 ) Mews & Sperber, 2010

Souza-Dias, Pedro G. B., Desutter-Grandcolas, Laure & Pereira, Marcelo Ribeiro, 2015, Pizacris: a new genus and two new species of Luzarinae cricket close to Guabamima de Mello, 1992 and Mellopsis Mews & Sperber, 2010 (Orthoptera: Grylloidea: Luzarinae), Zootaxa 3956 (3), pp. 374-388 : 382-384

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3956.3.3
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:AB6683CA-29FF-422A-A8D0-85A3306FEE35
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6112657
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/016387AB-0B16-491D-A3D6-C1C39EB6EAB9
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Pizacris zefai ( Mews & Sperber, 2010 )
status	comb. nov.

Treatment

Pizacris zefai ( Mews & Sperber, 2010) View in CoL n. comb.

Figures 1–3 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 , 7 View FIGURE 7

Mellopsis zefai: Mews et al. (2010) : 164; de Mello et al. (2013): 92

Diagnosis. Within the genus, P. zefai n. comb. can be recognized by the following characters: TI bearing only the internal tympanum; male FWs coriaceous, reaching the first tergite, lustrous, and slightly pubescent; with rounded posterior margin and without stridulatory file or specialized veins. Male genitalia with a pair of phallic vesicles, ventrally visible; ventral part of pseudepiphallic sclerite less than half size of dorsal pseudepiphallic paramere (PsP2—see Discussion below); ventral pseudepiphallic paramere (PsP1) smaller than PsP2; PsP2 longer than wide in lateral view, rounded; endophallic sclerite long, reaching the basis of PsP1 and visible in ventral and dorsal views.

Type locality. Brazil, Minas Gerais State, Viçosa municipality, Mata da Biologia.

Type material. Neotype (preserved in ethanol 85%): 1 male, labeled “ Brazil, Minas Gerais, Viçosa, Mata da Biologia, 03.ix.2007, Pereira leg. ( MZSP).

Non-type material (topotypes): 2 males, labeled “ Brazil, Minas Gerais, Viçosa, Mata da Biologia, 17.vi.2013, Fabiene M. Jesus leg. (2 males) ( MZSP); 4 females, labeled “ Brazil, Minas Gerais, Viçosa, fragmento P4, 16.xii.1993, P4B1 #2969, Sperber leg. (2 females) ( MZSP); “ Brazil, Minas Gerais, Viçosa, Mata da Biologia, 17.vi.2013, Fabiene M. Jesus leg. (2 females) ( MZSP).

Other specimens examined (non-type material). 1 male, labeled “ Brazil, Espirito Santo, Santa Teresa, Estação Biológica Santa Lúcia, 17.vi.2013 —coleta ativa. Marcelo R. Pereira, Thiago G. Kloss, Fabiene M. de Jesus, Gabriel L. de Oliveira leg.”; 1 female, same data as the other non-type specimen.

Redescription. In addition to the characters of the genus:

Head: head densely pilose, dark brown in dorsal view ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 C). Occiput dark brown with a pair of central, triangle-like yellowish brown stripes ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 C). Vertex and median part of fastigium dark brown ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 C); fastigium with thick bristles on median part, below vertex level and separated from vertex by a yellow brown line, not a transverse furrow, this line surrounding lateral ocelli ( Figs. 2 View FIGURE 2 C–E); fastigium wider than scape ( Figs. 2 View FIGURE 2 C, E); median part of fastigium laterally surrounded by a yellow brown stripe and a dark brown stripe on inner side of scape ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 E). Antennal scape and pedicel medium brown ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 C); antenomeres lighter than scape, with interspersed dark brown antenomeres. Gena and frons dark brown, uniform ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 E) or with a medium brown stripe in posterior margin of gena (present in some specimens) ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 D). Mandibles dark brown. Clypeus light brown, anterior margin dark brown; labrum light brown. Maxillary palpi: first and second joints dark brown on ventral part, light brown on dorsal and whitish in apex; third joint longest, same color as previous ones; 4 and 5 joint whitish, with a small dark brown stripe on ventral part; fifth joint curved, apex rounded ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 E).

Thorax: Pronotum dark brown, uniform, densely pilose ( Figs. 2 View FIGURE 2 A, C, D). Disk of pronotum, lateral borders and lateral lobes dark brown, uniform; cephalic margin almost straight; caudal margin slightly convex ( Figs. 2 View FIGURE 2 A, C, D, E). Metanotum without glandular structures.

Legs: Legs I and II medium brown, with sparse dark spots; apex of TI and TII dark brown; TI with elliptical tympanum, with two ventral apical spurs; TII with four apical spurs, the inner largest; tibiae I, II and III medium and yellow brown, marbled; FIII light brown, inflated on basis, without longitudinal dark brown stripe, with dark transverse striae. Subapical spurs: 4/4. Apical spurs: the inner longer than outer; inner apical spurs: dorsal (iad) and median (iam) equal in length ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 J); outer apical spurs: the median (oam) longer ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 I). Basitarsus III elongated, bearing a double file of small spines.

Abdomen: Abdomen pubescent; tergites dark brown, uniform ( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 A, B, 2A); tergal gland on third tergite visible in distended specimens. Sternites light brown, the distal darker as subgenital plate. Cerci medium brown. Supra anal plate shield-shaped, pubescent, dark brown; proximal margin straight; distal margin rounded, wide, without extended angles ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 K). Subgenital plate elongated, pubescent, dark brown; proximal margin concave; median portion of distal margin broadly convex, with extended angles, resembling an open “W ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 N).

Male. Male FWs coriaceous, dark brown, reduced, reaching the first tergite, lustrous and slightly pubescent ( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 A, B, 2 A, C); presence of bristles on its ventral face, probably glandular; posterior margin rounded; without stridulatory file or specialized veins for sound production; apex of FWs black, on both faces ( Figs. 2 View FIGURE 2 F, G).

Male genitalia. Pseudepiphallic sclerite transverse, composed by a median part, visible in dorsal and ventral view ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 A–D); pseudepiphallic arms small, thin, ventrally-oriented and presenting a small ventral projection next to the phallic vesicle ( Figs 3 View FIGURE 3 C, D); pseudepiphallic arm clearly separated ventrally from the median part of the pseudepiphallus ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 C, D), this separation more or less visible laterally ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 E, F). Dorsal pseudepiphallic parameres (PsP2) longer than wide in lateral view, the ventral part of its apex elongated ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 E, F), highly sclerotized, and uncovered ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 A–D); ventral pseudepiphallic parameres (PsP1) smaller than PsP2 ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 C, D). A pair of phallic vesicles, ventrally visible, located near the ventral projection of pseudepiphallic arms ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 C, D). Rami elongated, longer than the ectophallic apodemes ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 A–F). Ectophallic apodemes elongated ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 A–F); ectophallic arc located anteriorly to the median part of pseudepiphallic sclerite ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 A, B). Endophallic sclerite longitudinal, elongated, reaching the basis of the PsP1 and visible in ventral and dorsal views ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 A–D); endophallic apodemes laterally expanded, robust, well developed ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 A–D).

Female topotype: Larger than male; general appearance and coloration similar to male: body dark brown, almost uniform, densely pilose ( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 B, 2B). Presence of a pair of median, yellow brown spots from third to sixth tergite ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 B). Female FWs reduced to a very small scale ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 H). Supra anal plate densely pilose, proximal margin slightly concave and distal rounded ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 L). Subgenital plate small, distal margin bilobate ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 M). Ovipositor longer than FIII and TIII. Female genitalia. Copulatory papilla longer than wide, apex pointed, with convex basis in ventral view ( Figs 3 View FIGURE 3 G–I).

Measurements (mm). Male neotype: Hw, 2.38; iod, 1.54; Lpron, 1.73; awpron, 2.34; pwpron, 2.69; wpron, 3.08; LFW, 1.60; wFW, 1.45; LFIII, 8.85; wFIII, 2.26; LTIII, 9.09; LtarsI–III, 2.30.

Habitat. The species of this genera seem to be restricted to forest habitat, occurring on leaf litter but not found in trunks of living trees.

Notes on reproductive behavior ( Figs. 7 View FIGURE 7 A–C). During a field trip, after being collected, two individuals of P. zefai n. comb. started to perform the reproductive behavior. Although it was not possible to see the entire reproductive behavior since the courtship was not observed, and only one copulation event was observed, we could get some information about the mating behavior. The copulatory position in P. zefai n. comb. is female-above ( Alexander & Otte, 1967), with male showing its raised FWs ( Figs. 7 View FIGURE 7 A–C); this position is widespread among Luzarinae and described in all Brazilian species studied so far (see de Mello & dos Reis, 1994; Prado, 2005; Zefa et al., 2008). During mating, the female touches the dorsum of male’s head and pronotum with the maxillary palpi, and the ventral surface of male’s FW with labial palpi, while the female copulatory papilla is everted and attached to male phallic complex by the pseudepiphallic parameres ( Figs. 7 View FIGURE 7 A, B). Then, the female begun to touch the ventral surface of male’s raised FW with mandible, indicating that she possibly feeds on secretions produced in the ventral surface of male’s FW, which is covered by very small bristles ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 C). In Guabamima , a close genus, the male’s FW have a glandular area on ventral surface, also covered by bristles; its reproductive behavior, however, is unknown. The position female-above was maintained during the entire mating process; the same position was observed in an undescribed species of Endecous and in Eidmanacris meridionalis Desutter-Grandcolas, 1995 (Souza-Dias, unpubl. data). Prado (2006) and Zefa et al. (2010) reported that in Eidmanacris corumbatai Garcia, 1998 , and Adelosgryllus rubricephalus Mesa & Zefa, 2004 , respectively, an end-to-end position is performed at the final stage of copulation, indicating that different final mating positions may occur between Luzarinae , even in a same genus as in Eidmanacris .