Subria scutellaris Naskrecki and Morris

Piotr Naskrecki, 2000, Katydids of Costa Rica / Vol. 1, Systematics and bioacoustics of the cone-head katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae sensu lato)., Philadelphia, PA: The Orthopterists Society at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, : 122-123

Subria scutellaris Naskrecki and Morris , sp. n.

Common name: Lesser subria

Figs. 33 C, 33E, 33G, 38E, 50G, 58E-F, Map 17

Type locality: Costa Rica: Puntarenas Prov., Valle de Coto Brus, Las Cruces, Wilson Botanical Gardens; type depository: Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia – holotype male

Diagnostic description.— General characteristics as described above. Tegmina surpassing apices of hind femora by only about 1/6 of their length. Male pronotum with metazona expanded, entirely covering stridulatory apparatus ( Fig. 38 C, 38E). Stridulatory file of male weakly curved, 1.8 mm long, with 137 (n=1) wide and thin teeth, maximum width of file 102 μm ( Fig. 50 G); teeth of file uniform in thickness, evenly spaced and smoothly narrowing towards proximal end. Male cercus weakly incurved, about twice as long as thick, with large apical spine ( Fig. 38 E); apices of titillators expanded and flattened, with several large teeth ( Fig. 33 G). Ovipositor distinctly curved upwards and widened midlength, slightly longer than half of hind femur (ratio ovipositor/hind femur 0.72-0.78).

Coloration.— General coloration chestnut brown, with wide, dark band extending across the top of the head, pronotum, and posterior edges of tegmina; tegmina with irregularly distributed, small, diffused darker spots; outer pagina of hind femur with distinct reticulate pattern. No green form is known for this species.

Measurements.— Table 25 .

Bioacoustics.— Males of S. scutellaris produce relatively high duty calls, consisting of paired chirps separated by about 1 second of silence (at 26°C) ( Figs. 58 E-F). Each chirp in a pair is produced by 6-7 wing strokes, and lasts 176-181 ms. Chirps in the pair are separated by 514-654 ms of silence (based on 5 recordings of 2 males). Males of this species alternate their calls if they can hear each other.

Distribution — Subria scutellaris is known only from southern portion of Puntarenas Province, near the bor- der with Panama ( Map 17 ). All specimens were collected at elevations of 700-1300 m.

Etymology.— The specific epithet reflects the somewhat enlarged, shield-like pronotum of the males of the new species.

Material examined (holotype and paratypes). — COSTA RICA: Puntarenas Prov., Finca Cafrosa, Estac. Las Mellizas, P.N. Amistad, elev. 1300 m, 15 April 1989 (coll. M. Ramirez and G. Mora) - 1 male ( INBio); Valle de Coto Brus, Las Cruces, Wilson Botanical Gardens, 22 March 1994 (coll. P. Naskrecki) - 2 males, 2 females (incl. holotype, allotype) ( ANSP); same locality, elev. 700 - 1000 m, 1 - 6 December 1995 (coll. P. Naskrecki) - 2 males, 1 female ( PN collection).

Figures

FIG. 33. Subria spp. A. S. sylvestris - male, habitus, B. S. sylvestris - male head and pronotum, dorsal view, C. S. scutellaris - ditto, D. S. crassicerca - ditto, E. S. scutellaris - male head and pronotum, lateral view, F. S. crassicerca - ditto, G. S. scutellaris - apex of right titillator, H. S. crassicerca - ditto, I. S. sylvestris - titillators, J. S. sylvestris - ovipositor, K. S. sylvestris - female subgenital plate, L. S. nitida - ditto.

FIG. 38. Eggs and cerci of Costa Rican species of Conocephalinae s. l. A-C. eggs, with enlarged fragments of the chorion: A. Copiphora rhinoceros, B. Lirometopum coronatum, C. Erioloides longipennis, hatched egg, D-F. male right cerci of Subria spp., dorsal views: D. S. sylvestris, E. S. scutellaris, F. S. crassicerca.

FIG. 50. Stridulatory files of Costa Rican species of Conocephalinae s. l. A. Erioloides longinoi, C. Erioloides sikesi, C. Erioloides acutidentis, D. Eriolus duplidentis, E. Eriolus aculeus, F. Eriolus penicillus, G. Subria scutellaris, H. Subria crassicerca.

FIG. 58. Oscillograms of male airborne calls of Costa Rican species of Conocephalinae s. l. A. Vestria puncta, B. ditto, 0.5 s fragment, C. Subria sylvestris, D. ditto, 0.5 s fragment, E. Subria scutellaris, F. ditto, 0.5 s fragment, G. Podacanthophorus alas, 0.5 s fragment.

MAPS 13 - 18. Distribution of species of Conocephalinae s. l. in Costa Rica. 13. Sphyrometopa femorata, S. atlantica, Eppia truncatipennis, 14. Erioloides longipennis, E. macrocephalus, E. longinoi, E. brevipennis, 15. Erioloides, consobrinus, E. acutidentis, E. latiscobinus, E. sikesi, 16. Eriolus aculeus, E. acutipennis, E. duplidentis, E. penicillus, 17. Subria sylvestris, S. crassicerca, S. scutellaris, 18. Podacanthophorus alas, P. nelciae, P. vargasi, P. maylinae.