Conocephalus (Xiphidion) cinereus Thunberg, 1815

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, : 16

Conocephalus (Xiphidion) cinereus Thunberg, 1815

Figs. 1 E, 2A, 2C, 2H, 37D, 39C, 40C, 52E-G, Map 1

1815 Thunberg, Mem. Acad. St. Petersb. 5: 27; type locality: Jamaica; type depository: Zoological Institute, University of Uppsala, Sweden - holotype female

[syn.] 1875 Scudder, Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. 17: 459 >> Orchelimum ortoni ; type locality: South America: Peru: Maranon; type depository:Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, USA >> holotype female

Diagnostic description.— General characteristics as described above; most individuals in the Costa Rican population macropterous ( Fig. 2 A), rarely mesopterous (with tegmina hardly reaching apices of hind femora ; in such individuals hind wings sometimes completely covered by tegmina). Stridulatory file of male 1.47 mm long, with 44-45 teeth, maximum width of file 66 μm ( Figs. 40 C); teeth of file thick, peg-like, more densely arranged at proximal end of file. Left (upper) mirror of stridulatory apparatus as in Fig. 1 E, shorter than eye diameter. Fastigium of vertex 2/3 to 3/4 as wide as scapus. Outer ventral edge of hind femur unarmed or armed with 1-2 minute, black spines. Male cercus as in Fig. 39 C; ovipositor distinctly shorter than hind femur (ratio ovipositor/ hind femur 0.76-0.87), nearly straight ( Fig. 2 C).

Coloration.— Coloration typical of the genus, light green, with brown stripe on top of head and pronotum; posterior half of abdomen in male bright yellow, cerci yellow to light brown; abdomen in females usually green or faintly yellowish ( Fig. 37 D).

Measurements.— Table 2 .

Bioacoustics.— The call of C. cinereus has two repeating, distinct parts: a series of individual, short chirps, followed by a train of continuous buzz ( Fig. 52 E). At 27°C each series of chirps lasts 1.6- 1.8 s, with chirps produced at the rate of 0.30-0.32/s, and each chirp lasting 32-37 ms (avrg. 34±1.7 ms, n=10) ( Fig. 52 F). The continuous portion of the call lasts 0.86- 1.1 s and consists of a train of short chirps produced at the rate of 39.5-40.2/s ( Fig. 52 G). Both parts can be repeated continuously for several minutes. Within the audible portion of the call most energy is allocated between 8 and 16 kHz.

Remarks.— Conocephalus cinereus is known from most of the Caribbean islands and a large portion of the continental Americas, from Florida in the US and Vera Cruz in Mexico, through Guatemala, Costa Rica ( Map 1 ) and Panama, to French Guyana, Surinam and Peru. Older records (prior to Rehn and Hebard 1915b) should be treated with caution as this species has been frequently confused with C. fasciatus (De Geer) . These two species can be separated based on the shape and coloration of male cerci (cerci green, apical part short and only weakly flattened dorso-ventrally in C. fasciatus [ Fig. 38 D], yellow, apical part more elongated and strongly flattened dorso-ventrally in C. cinereus [ Fig. 38 F]) as well as in the number of the stridulatory teeth (about 33 in C. fasciatus , 44-45 in C. cinereus ). In addition, the apical portion of the fastigium of vertex in C. cinereus is usually slightly expanded laterally, whereas that of C. fasciatus has its sides parallel.

Material examined.— COSTA RICA: Alajuela Prov., Caño Negro, R.N.V. S Caño Negro, elev. 20 m, 14 - 27 April 1994 (coll. K. Flores) - 1 male ( INBio); same locality, elev. 20 m, 3 - 23 April 1995 (coll. R. Villalobos) - 1 male ( INBio); Zona Protectora de Arenal, Pocosol, 10 - 16 February 1994 (coll. P. Naskrecki) - 1 male, 2 females ( PN collection); Guanacaste Prov., Estac. Murciélago, 8 km SO de Cuajinquil, elev. 100 m, 6 - 24 January 1994 (coll. F. Quesada) - 1 male ( INBio); Palo Verde N. P., Palo Verde Biological Station, 5 February 1994 (coll. P. Naskrecki) - 3 males ( PN collection); Heredia Prov., Puerto Viejo, La Selva Biological Station, elev. 50 - 150 m, 10° 26' N, 84° 1' W, 1 - 4 April 1994 (coll. P. Naskrecki) - 1 female ( PN collection); same locality, elev. 50 - 150 m, 10° 26' N, 84° 1' W, 13 April - 10 May 1998 (coll. P. Naskrecki) - 1 male, 1 female ( INBio, PN collection); Limón Prov., Aurora Farm, Estrella Valley, elev. 30.48 m, 11 September 1923 - 1 female ( ANSP); Siquirres, 3 August 2003 (coll. M.A. Carriker, Jr.) - 1 male ( ANSP); Puntarenas Prov., 4 km NW of San Vito de Java (jct. of road and Río Java), elev. 910 m, 20 January 1967 (coll. I.J. Cantrall) - 1 male ( UMMZ); Estac. Aguias, Río Agujas, Frente a la Estac., elev. 300 m, 1 - 7 December 1997 (coll. A. Azofeifa) - 2 males ( INBio); Est Esquinas, Península de Osa, elev. 0 m, 15 January 1993 (coll. F. Quesada) - 1 male ( INBio); Estación Altamira, ACLA, PILA, elev. 1450 m, 1 - 28 January 1996 (coll. R. Vilalobos) - 1 male ( INBio); Finca Cafrosa, Estac. Las Mellizas, P.N. Amistad, elev. 1300 m, 15 April 1989 (coll. M. Ramirez and G. Mora) - 1 male ( INBio); Península de Osa, Estac. Esquinas, A.C. Osa , elev. 200 m, 15 January 1994 (coll. M. Segura) - 1 male ( INBio); Puntarenas, 1 - 28 February 1907 (coll. P. Biolley) - 1 female ( ANSP); Rancho Quemado Península de Osa, elev. 200 m, 15 October 1990 (coll. F. Quesada) - 1 male ( INBio); Valle de Coto Brus, Las Cruces, Wilson Botanical Gardens, elev. 700 - 1000 m, 1 - 6 December 1995 (coll. P. Naskrecki) - 2 males, 1 female ( PN collection); COLOM- BIA: Boca Murindo, Choco, 9 November 1918 (coll. M.A. Carriker, Jr.) - 1 female ( ANSP); CUBA: Havana, - 1 male ( ANSP); GUATEMALA: Petén Poptún, 15 April 1956 (coll. Hubbell-Cantrall) - 1 male ( UMMZ); PANAMA: Canal Zone, Barro Colorado Island, 2 January 1967 (coll. I.J. Cantrall) - 1 male ( UMMZ); Colón, 1 - 20 August 1963 (coll. J.L. Lawrence) - 1 female ( UMMZ).

Figures

FIG. 1. Costa Rican Conocephalus spp. A. C. saltator - habitus; B-F: male pronotum, dorsal view. B. C. saltator, C. C. angustifrons, D. C. ictus, E. C. cinereus, F. C. magdalenae.

FIG. 2. Costa Rican Conocephalus spp. A. C. cinereus - habitus; B-F: ovipositors. B. C. magdalenae, C. C. cinereus, D. C. ictus, E. C. angustifrons, F. C. saltator; G-K: titillators. G. C. magdalenae, H. C. cinereus, I. C. ictus, J. C. angustifrons, K. C. saltator

FIG. 37. Costa Rican species of Conocephalinae s. l. A. Erioloides longipennis - female ovipositing, B. Erioloides longinoi - male, C. Eriolus penicillus - female, D. Conocephalus cinereus - male, macropterous form, E. Neoconocephalus triops - male, brown form, F. Sphyrometopa atlantica - male, inset - nymph.

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. 39. Cerci and stridulatory files of species of Conocephalus. A-H. male left cerci, dorsal views: A. C. saltator, B. C. angustifrons, C. C. magdalenae, D. C. fasciatus, E. C. ictus, F. C. cinereus, G. C. spinosus, H. C. cf. spinosus; I-J. male stridulatory files: I. C. saltator, J. C. angustifrons.

FIG. 40. Stridulatory files of species of Conocephalus. A. C. magdalenae, B. C. ictus, C. C. cinereus, D. C. fasciatus.

FIG. 52. Oscillograms of male airborne calls of Costa Rican species of Conocephalus. A. C. saltator, B. ditto, 0.5 s fragment, C. C. angustifrons, D. ditto, 0.5 s fragment, E. C. cinereus, F. ditto, 0.5 s fragment, continuous part, G. ditto, 0.5 s fragment, slow part.

MAPS 1 - 6. Distribution of species of Conocephalinae s. l. in Costa Rica. 1. Conocephalus angustifrons, C. cinereus, 2. Conocephalus saltator, C. ictus, 3. Conocephalus magdalenae, Orchelimum fraternum, Lipotactomimus rowelli, 4. Lirometopum coronatum, Acantheremus colwelli, 5. Copiphora rhinoceros, C. cochleata, C. brevicauda costaricensis, 6. Copiphora hastata, C. cultricornis, C. ottei.