Tetradinodula bambusae Zha, 2017

Zha, Ling-Sheng, Yu, Feng-Ming, Boonmee, Saranyaphat, Eungwanichayapant, Prapassorn D. & Wen, Ting-Chi, 2017, The subfamily Cladonotinae (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae) from China with description of a new monotypic genus, Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) 51 (25 - 26), pp. 1479-1489 : 1483-1486

Tetradinodula bambusae Zha sp. nov.

( Figures 1 (a–c), 2(a–j))

Description

Female. Body stout, size very small, its surface coarse and extremely uneven, covered with numerous granules and many conspicuous humps ( Figure 1 ). Vertex wide and short, nearly at the same level, 2.35 times as wide as one eye; median carina visible in anterior half but absent in posterior half; anterior margin undulated and serrate; lateral carinae projected forwards and reaching to level of anterior margin of eyes, anterior part folded upwards and a little over top of eyes; paired fossulae deep, behind fossulae vertex on both sides of median carina slightly elevated. In lateral view face vertical, vertex together with frontal costa serrate, obtusely rounded and a little exserted, frontal carinae between antennal grooves smooth, strongly obtusely triangular forwards; in frontal view frontal carinae diverged slightly above middle of inner margin of eyes, longitudinal furrow between antennal grooves wider (about 1.2 times) than diameter of scapus. Antenna filiform, 15-segmented, inserted far below lower margins of eyes, middle segments (segments VIII–X) 5 times as long as wide. Eyes globose and exserted, over level of anterior margin of pronotum, lateral ocellus placed slightly above lower margin of eyes ( Figure 2 (a–c)).

Anterior margin of pronotum truncated, in the middle a little concave inwards ( Figure 2 (a)), extralateral carinae short with swollen base; pronotum between posterior sulcus and humeral angles distinctly elevated in the centre, behind humeral angles nearly at the same level that is nearly as tall as anterior margin of pronotum. Median carina thick, barely entire and visible, with swollen base if elevated; before humeral angles thick lamellate and strongly elevated; in lateral view upper margin before posterior sulcus gradually elevated, highest at the level of posterior sulcus, with one distinct concavity at the level of anterior sulcus and another long and deep concavity behind posterior sulcus, then declines rapidly to the level of humeral angles, at last undulating backward. Prozonal carinae conspicuous and parallel, with swollen base, in lateral view arcuate ( Figure 2 (c)); between sulci and between humeral angles, pronotal disc slightly concave on both side of median carina; between posterior sulcus and humeral angles, pronotum in the centre extremely elevated and with paired large humps on both side of median carina (together with the concave median carina four distinct large humps formed), but both margins distinctly depressed; in posterior area pronotal disc with some conspicuous humps; humeral angles arcuate, hind process wide and short, only reaching antegenicular denticle, apex broadly rounded; external lateral carina straight, reaching sub-end of hind process and folded upwards at the level of humeral angles; before apex of hind process lateral carina of pronotum curved inward; posterior angle of lateral lobe of pronotum extending obliquely, backwards and slightly outwards, margin smooth, apex truncated and anterior margin of apex rounded; posterior margin of each lateral lobe with one concavity. Tegmen and wing absent (degenerated completely, apterous). Margins of all femora serrate except base of upper margin of hind femur; upper margin of fore femur nearly straight while lower margin with 2 large teeth; upper margin of mid femur with 2 large teeth while lower margin with 3 large teeth; hind femur stout, 2.4 times as long as wide, outer side with 4–5 nodules and dorsal external area with a series of large, distinct and obtuse nodules, upper margin with 2–5 indistinct small teeth (no fewer than 2 visible), lower margin with 3–5 small teeth; antegenicular denticle slightly isolated, low, long triangular, apex nearly right angled, genicular denticle finger-like, extending backwards and apex obtuse; outer margin of fore and mid tibiae with 2 small teeth each ( Figure 2 (h,i)); inner margins of hind tibia serrate, terminal part slightly wider than basal part, outer/inner side with 5–8 spines; first segment of hind tarsus 1.3 times as long as second plus third (1.4 times as long as third), first and second pulvilli small and apices sharp, third pulvillus large and apex obtuse ( Figure 2 (j)).

Ovipositor. Upper vulva about 3.5 times as long as wide, upper margin arcuate, subbase widest, terminal part slightly distorted inward, outer margins of upper and lower vulvae with saw-like teeth ( Figure 2 (d)). Subgenital plate: length nearly equal to width, median carina only reaching to sub-end, posterior margin truncated and middle broadly triangularly projected which is slightly folded inwards ( Figure 2 (e)).

Body dark brown ( Figure 1 ). Antennae brown, segments IX, XI and XIII mainly yellow. All tibiae brown and with 3 yellowish brown rings each, basal and middle rings of hind tibia long while terminal ring indistinct. Infrascapular area, teeth on margins of femora, outer side of hind femur, upper part of inner side of hind femur maculated with yellow or yellowish brown. Ovipositor yellowish brown or brown.

Male. Distinctly smaller than female ( Figure 1 ). Vertex, antenna and legs same as female. Subgenital plate short cone-shaped, apex bifurcate and forming into 2 obtuse teeth which are slightly divergent outwards ( Figure 2 (f,g)). Other characters same as female.

Measurements

Length of body (mm): ♂ 6.3–7.3, ♀ 7.8–9.5; length of pronotum: ♂ 4.6–5.0, ♀ 5.7–6.0; length of hind femur: ♂ 4.0–4.2, ♀ 4.3–4.8; length of antenna: ♂ 2.8–3.0, ♀ 2.8–3.0.

Type material

Holotype. ♀, China, Guizhou, Tongzi County, Baiqing Natural Reserve , 28.869972°N, 107.047739°E, 1906.5 m altitude, 16 July 2016, collected by ZHA Ling-Sheng . Paratypes: 4♀ 2♂, Baiqing Natural Reserve, 1700–2000 m altitude, 14–17 July 2016, collected by ZHA Ling-Sheng.

Ecology and habits

Individuals of Tetradinodula bambusae sp. nov. were observed and collected in humid bamboo forests [ Chimonobambusa quadrangularis (Franceschi) Makino ] on a high mountain of Guizhou Karst Region, China; a few of them were also found in humid broadleaved forests alongside bamboo forests. They move on fallen leaves; sometimes they also like to jump onto leaves of shrubs. They have only been found when the temperature is high, because in the morning and in the evening (middle of July, the warmest season of the year on this mountain) they were disappearing in forests; their body surfaces are covered tightly by numerous sandy grains, and a few individuals are even contaminated by mud; based on these we infer that for most of their life cycle they may live in soil. They feed on humus in forests. No nymphs were found during the period of our investigation. Toads are their main natural enemy ( Figure 3 (a–g)).

Etymology

The new species epithet bambusae means that individuals of the new species live in bamboo forests.

Distribution

China (Guizhou Province).

Figures

Figure 1. Tetradinodula bambusae sp. nov.: (a) lateral view of female body; (b) dorsal view of male body; (c) oblique-lateral view of male body. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figure 2. Tetradinodula bambusae sp. nov.: (a) dorsal view of female head; (b) frontal view of female head; (c) lateral view of female head and anterior pronotum; (d) lateral view of female ovipositor; (e) ventral view of female subgenital plate; (f) lateral view of male subgenital plate; (g) posterior view of male subgenital plate; (h) left-lateral view of female fore tibia; (i) left-lateral view of female mid tibia; (j) left-lateral view of female hind tibia and tarsus. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Figure 3. Ecology of Tetradinodula bambusae sp. nov.: (a–c) living in bamboo (Chimonobambusa quadrangularis) forests (a–b, female; c, male); (d–f) habitat environments (d–e, bamboo forests; f, humid broad-leaved forest alongside a bamboo forest); (g) toads were found as their main natural enemy. Photos by Lingsheng Zha in China, Guizhou, Tongzi County, Baiqing Natural Reserve, 14–17 July 2016.