Micrornebius kopisua, Tan, Ming Kai & Ingrisch, Sigfrid, 2013

Tan, Ming Kai & Ingrisch, Sigfrid, 2013, New taxa and notes of some described species of scaly crickets (Orthoptera: Mogoplistidae: Mogoplistinae) from Singapore, Zootaxa 3637 (1), pp. 17-28 : 19

Micrornebius kopisua , new species

( Fig. 1 )

Material examined. Holotype (male): Singapore, MacRitchie Catchment Area, along Sime Track, secondary forest, on leaf litters, coll. M. K. Tan, 1 February 2011 (ZRC).

Paratypes: Singapore, 1 male, Dairy Farm Nature Park, along Wallace Trail, secondary forest, on the leaf of sapling, coll. M. K. Tan, 17 May 2012; 1 female, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, along BTNR main road, secondary forest, on the leaf of sapling, coll. M. K. Tan, 21 October 2012 (all ZRC).

Diagnosis. Similar to Micrornebius cylindricus but differs by the male supra-anal plate being laterally swollen, and distally slightly emarginated in middle. Further differences are found in the colouration being yellow, mottled black. The phallic complex differs by the sclerotised parts at the base of the medial valve and the lateral valves.

Description. Habitus typical for the genus ( Fig. 1 A). Frontal rostrum about 2.4 times (n =1, holotype) broader than scapus, indistinctly furrowed in midline. Maxillary palps with apical segment strongly widened, fourth segment slightly widened distally; all three apical segments of subequal length, apical segment slightly shorter than third and fourth segments ( Fig. 1 B). Pronotum in male 1.5–1.9 times (m = 1.7, n = 2) longer than wide with anterior dorsal margin feebly concave; lateral margins slightly widening posteriorly; posterior margin convex, covering tegmina completely. Fore tibiae with internal tympanum, large and oval; without external tympanum. Hind femora 1.3–1.6 times (m = 1.5, n = 2) longer than hind tibiae; hind tibiae 2.2–2.7 times (m = 2.3, n = 2) longer than hind metatarsi.

Male. Last abdominal tergite and epiproct fused to a supra-anal plate, transverse; swollen laterally; distally emarginated medially and laterally; with long bristles at both lobes ( Fig. 1 C). Paraproct hook absent. Subgenital plate distinctly wider than long; apical margin rounded and upcurved. Lateral lobes of phallus with bilobate, apical sclerite (on each side) (pointing slightly inwards) ( Figs. 1 D, 1E); medial valve of phallus with unpaired internal sclerite tapering anteriorly and with short, paired basal sclerites pointing dorso-anteriorly, connected to internal sclerite by a V-shaped bar ( Figs. 1 E, 1F).

Female. See discussion.

Colouration. Yellow, mottled with black in fresh specimens. Head yellow dorsally, black laterally, eyes dark; scapus and basal antennal segments black; maxillary palps mostly black, joints between segments pale. Pronotum variegated yellow and black; anterior region rather yellow, posterior and latero-anterior regions rather black. Mesosternum and metasternum pale yellow. Legs, including tarsi, generally black with yellow bands; fore and mid femora rather black, pale yellow at base; fore and mid tibiae black with three short yellow bands, one near tarsus, middle of tibiae, knee each. Hind femora inner surface mostly black with slight yellow variegation, pale yellow at base; hind tibiae black with two yellow bands, shorter band near knees, longer band below median region of tibiae. Abdominal tergites variegated yellow and black, supra-anal plate yellow; abdominal sternite and subgenital plate pale yellow medially and darker laterally. Cerci yellow brown, mottled with black, near apex black.

Measurements. See Table 1 .

Etymology. The species is named after the Bukit Brown cemetery ( Singapore), also known to the local community as Kopi Sua [= Coffee Hill, Hokkien dialect]; noun in apposition.

Discussion. Ingrisch (2006) described a single female from Taban Valley of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, also from Singapore. Descriptions of the colouration and measurement ratios suggest that the specimen may represent the corresponding female of the species described above.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Micrornebius kopisua sp. n. holotype (A – C) and paratypes (D, E, F): male habitus of freshly euthanized specimen in dorsal view (A); maxillary palps in lateral view (B); male abdominal apex in dorsal view (C); male phallic complex before cleaning in KOH in dorsal view (D); male phallic complex artificially positioned after cleaning in KOH (medial valve in dorsolateral view; lateral valve in ventro-anterior view) (E) and dorso-lateral views (F). Scale bars: 5 mm (A); 1 mm (B – F).