Lophotettix unicristatus Hancock, 1909

Figures 5 A–D

Lophotettix unicristatus Hancock, 1909; pg. 390 [general note about the specimen sampled in Colombia], female holotype (OUM). Bruner, 1910 [annexed description of male from Guiana written by Hancock]. Hancock, 1914 [ Gladiotettix unicristatus is synonymous to Lophotettix unicristatus]. Hebard, 1923 [recorded specimen]. Günther, 1938 [potential synonym of L. hancocki]. Barranco, 2010, Fig. 3 [holotype image]. Cuespán, Westerduijn & Cadena-Castañeda, 2014 [recorded specimen]. Cadena-Castañeda & Cardona-Granda, 2015 [recorded specimen].

Diagnosis: Pronotum slightly subquadrate (Fig. 5A); anterior margin of median carina concave, provide with one protuberance, slightly hook-like over the head (Fig. 5A); median carina continuous, with three curves (Fig. 5B, dorsal view); infrascapular area broader than L. hancocki; femur robust and with small lappets throughout on dorsal and external margins.

Redescription (Female holotype, Fig. 5): Body surface rugose. Head. Lateral view (Fig. 5A): head and compound eyes inserted below the median carina crest; protuberant and globose eyes with straight base; vertex and fastigium not visible between eyes; antennal groove situated below the margin of compound eyes; facial carinae arched. Frontal view (Fig. 5C): fastigium of vertex straight; eyes laterally arranged on the head but not pedunculated; frontal costa conspicuous, the bifurcation and facial carina visible; both superior ocelli between facial carinae; antennal grooves placed beside the facial carinae; both antennae missing. Dorsal view (Fig. 5B): vertex between eyes wider than eyes in horizontal and vertical diameter; supraocular lobe inconspicuous; rectangularly shaped head. Pronotum. Macropronotal, rugose, pronotum slightly subquadrate. Lateral view (Fig. 5A): anterior margin of median carina concave, provide with one protuberance, slightly hook-like over the head; median carina crest projection begins to decline after surpassing apex of tegmina and then becomes thinner; prozonal carina and extralateral carina inconspicuous; ventral and tegminal sinuses present; lateral lobe almost truncated with a pointed protuberance and slightly directed laterally; infrascapular area broader than L. hancocki and shorter than fore tibiae; wings slightly shorter than pronotum. Frontal view (Fig. 5C): lateral lobes of pronotum slightly projected and directed sideward. Dorsal view (Fig. 5B): median carina continuous and strongly elevated; lateral lobes with pointed protuberance. Sternomentum. Inconspicuous. Wings. (Fig. 5A): tegmina and wings visible; wing shorter than pronotum; tegmina ovoid and elongated, with rounded apex; tegmina without venation but with small punctuations. Legs. Fore legs (Fig. 5A, B): dorsal margin and ventral margin of femur with undulated carinae. Middle legs (Fig. 5A, B): dorsal margin and ventral margin of femur with undulated carinae and without dorso-apical blunt spine. Hind legs (Fig. 5A, B): femur robust and with small lappets throughout, on its dorsal and external margin of femur, right tarsi missing; antegenicular tooth robust. Abdomen. Not visible on the type, completely covered by the pronotum.

Measurements (all in mm). Body length from the tip of the frontal carinae to the end of the pronotum 6.68; pronotum length 6.18; pronotum height (from the lowest part of the lateral lobes to the highest part of the dorsum in lateral view) 3.00; pronotum width (dorsal view) 2.26; hind femur length 3.01; hind tibia length 2.53.

Sampling data (on Hancock (1909)): “One specimen collected by Bates in Colombia, South America; from the W.W. Saunders’s collection, presented by Mrs. F.W. Hope to the University Museum, Oxford.”

Original coloration description: “(…) color fusco-ferruginous, legs somewhat interspersed with lighter ferruginous, apical half of the tarsal articles fuscous.”

Current coloration: Similar to the original description but body darker.

Comments: This species is based on a single female specimen and the author did not designate the holotype in the original description. However, following the article 73.1.2 of ICZN that specimen is the holotype fixed by monotypy. Recently, two records (30-IX-2016 and 27-X-2017) from this species were made in Ecuador on FLICKR by independent scientist and photographer Andreas Kay.