Amblycorypha monticola Forrest & Holbrook sp. nov.

Figs 2, 7, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15; Table 1

Material examined. —

Holotype: USA • ♂; North Carolina, Buncombe Co., Beetree Gap; 35.7001°N, 82.3989°W; 21 Aug. 2006; T. G. Forrest leg.; Auc-M 01-2006; DNA (MS-086); REC (NA); UNCA to be transferred to FSCA . Allotype: USA • ♀; North Carolina, Buncombe Co., Beetree Gap; 35.7001°N, 82.3989°W; 21 Aug. 2006; T. G. Forrest leg.; Auc-F 01-2006; DNA (NA); REC (NA); UNCA to be transferred to FSCA . Paratypes: (61 ♂, 33 ♀) USA • 1 ♂; North Carolina, Buncombe Co., Beetree Gap; 35.7001°N, 82.3989°W; 6 Aug. 2002; T. G. Forrest leg.; UNCA to be transferred to FSCA • 2 ♂; North Carolina, Buncombe Co., Beetree Gap; 35.7001°N, 82.3989°W; 12 Aug. 2002; T. G. Forrest leg.; UNCA to be transferred to FSCA • 2 ♂; North Carolina, Graham Co., Nantahala Nat. For.; 35.3878°N, 83.9112°W; 7 Sep. 2002; T. G. Forrest leg.; UNCA to be transferred to FSCA • 2 ♀, 1 ♂; North Carolina, Buncombe Co., Cane Gap; 35.8099°N, 82.3480°W; 12 Aug. 2003; T. G. Forrest leg.; UNCA to be transferred to FSCA • 2 ♀; North Carolina, Buncombe Co., Beetree Gap; 35.7001°N, 82.3989°W; 13 Aug. 2003; K. B. Rice leg.; UNCA to be transferred to FSCA • 1 ♀, 3 ♂; North Carolina, Buncombe Co., Beetree Gap; 35.7001°N, 82.3989°W; 16 Sep. 2003; T. G. Forrest leg.; UNCA to be transferred to FSCA • 7 ♀, 5 ♂; North Carolina, Buncombe Co., Beetree Gap; 35.7001°N, 82.3989°W; 22 Jul. 2004; T. G. Forrest and J. A. Hamel leg.; UNCA to be transferred to FSCA • 3 ♀, 9 ♂; North Carolina, Graham Co., Nantahala Nat. For.; 35.3694°N, 83.9168°W; 12 Aug. 2004; T. G. Forrest and J. A. Hamel leg.; UNCA to be transferred to FSCA • 1 ♀, 6 ♂; North Carolina, Haywood Co., Purchase Knob; 35.5862°N, 83.0737°W; 17 Aug. 2004; T. G. Forrest, J. A. Hamel and C. T. Holbrook leg.; UNCA to be transferred to FSCA • 1 ♀, 2 ♂; North Carolina, Haywood Co., Balsam Gap; 35.4404°N, 83.0777°W; 22 Aug. 2004; T. G. Forrest, J. A. Hamel and C. T. Holbrook leg.; UNCA to be transferred to FSCA • 1 ♂; North Carolina, Haywood Co., Spot Knob; 35.3250°N, 82.9638°W; 22 Aug. 2004; T. G. Forrest, J. A. Hamel and C. T. Holbrook leg.; UNCA to be transferred to FSCA • 3 ♀, 6 ♂; North Carolina, Haywood Co., Cold Springs Creek; 35.7644°N, 82.9766°W; 2 Sep. 2004; T. G. Forrest, J. A. Hamel and C. T. Holbrook leg.; UNCA to be transferred to FSCA • 7 ♀, 5 ♂; North Carolina, Buncombe Co., Beetree Gap; 35.7001°N, 82.3989°W; 21 Aug. 2006; T. G. Forrest leg.; UNCA to be transferred to FSCA • 1 ♀, 3 ♂; North Carolina, Haywood Co., Purchase Knob; 35.5862°N, 83.0737°W; 14 Sep. 2006; T. G. Forrest leg.; UNCA to be transferred to FSCA • 2 ♀; North Carolina, Graham Co., Nantahala Nat. For.; 35.3596°N, 83.9149°W; 23 Sep. 2006; T. G. Forrest leg.; UNCA to be transferred to FSCA • 1 ♀, 3 ♂; North Carolina, Madison Co, Max Patch; 35.7968°N, 82.9619°W; 10 Oct. 2006; T. G. Forrest leg.; UNCA to be transferred to FSCA • 6 ♀; North Carolina, Buncombe Co., Beetree Gap; 35.7001°N, 82.3989°W; 5 Jul. 2007; K. A. M. Dagg leg.; UNCA to be transferred to FSCA • 9 ♂; North Carolina, Buncombe Co., Beetree Gap; 35.7001°N, 82.3989°W; 5 Jul. 2007; K. A. M. Dagg leg.; UNCA to be transferred to FSCA • 1 ♀, 6 ♂; North Carolina, Buncombe Co., Beetree Gap; 35.7001°N, 82.3989°W; 26 Aug. 2012; T. G. Forrest and L. D. Block leg.; UNCA to be transferred to FSCA • 2 ♀, 1 ♂; North Carolina, Madison Co., Bluff Mountain; 35.8514°N, 82.8947°W; 3 Jun. 2017; T. G. Forrest leg.; UNCA to be transferred to FSCA .

Size measurements (mm). —

Holotype: PrnL: 5.3, PrnW: 3.9, TegL: 24.7, TegW: 8.5, HwEx: 4.2, FemL: 23.2, TibL: 24.0 mm. Allotype: PrnL: 6.1, PrnW: 4.0, TegL: 23.8, TegW: 8.1, HwEx: 3.1, FemL: 23.1, TibL: 23.7, OviL: 9.8 (Fig. 2).

Etymology. —

This species is named for its ecology, which includes mostly high-elevation oak-hickory forests in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains. The specific epithet is derived from Latin monti-: mountain and - cola: dweller.

Common name. —

Montane Round-winged Katydid

Differential diagnosis. —

Morphologically, A. monticola is cryptic with A. alexanderi and A. rotundifolia, two species whose populations are typically found near those of A. monticola . A. monticola are most easily distinguished from all members of the rotundifolia complex by their unique calling song. Males produce syllables at faster rates, 45 / s at 25 ° C, than any other species in the complex. While calling, 4–7 syllables are grouped into rhythmic echemes, a structure not found in other species’ songs. Echemes are constantly produced at slow rates of 1.6 / s at 25 ° C. Males then transition to faster echemes reaching peak rates of 3.1 / s at 25 ° C followed by echemes separated by one or two ticks. Populations of A. monticola tend to be at elevations above ~ 1000 m, whereas other species in the complex are more likely to be found at lower elevations.

Description. —

Color is usually green. Lateral lobe of the pronotum with shallow humeral sinus and the metasternal lobes are transverse (see characteristics of the rotundifolia complex, Walker et al. 2003). Morphological measurements (x ̄ ± SE in mm, N) of females average PrnL: 6.0 ± 0.04, 34; PrnW: 4.1 ± 0.03, 34; TegL: 25.1 ± 0.18, 33; TegW: 8.2 ± 0.07, 34; FemL: 24.2 ± 0.18, 32; TibL: 24.9 ± 0.23, 32; OviL: 10.0 ± 0.08, 34. Male measurements averaged PrnL: 5.3 ± 0.03, 61; PrnW: 3.9 ± 0.02, 61; TegL: 25.2 ± 0.13, 61; TegW: 8.4 ± 0.08, 61; FemL: 23.0 ± 0.14, 57; TibL: 24.2 ± 0.18, 56 (Table 1).

Calling songs of A. monticola are emitted as regularly timed echemes consisting of 4–7 syllables. Echemes are constantly produced at ~ 1.6 / s at 25 ° C, which transitions to a faster series of echemes emitted at 3.1 / s at 25 ° C. In later portions of the fast series, ticks are emitted between the echemes. Within the echemes, the syllable rates are 45 / s at 25 ° C and are the same whether echemes are sung slow or fast.