Pteroplistes platycleis Bolívar, 1900

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:26164 (Figs 1 A, 2B, D, 3A, B)

Pteroplistes platycleis Bolívar, I. 1900 (1899) 68:802

Type locality. India, Tamil Nadu, Kodaikanal.

Type material. Syntype: India, Tamil Nadu, Kodaikanal, 1 female (MNHN-EO-ENSIF3041), 1 male juvenile (MNHN-EO-ENSIF3416), 1 female juvenile (MNHN-EO-ENSIF3417), ex. coll. Pantel, Décoly rec., MNHN. India Or., 1 male juvenile, n°1.234, MNCN.

Material examined. Female and juveniles housed in MNHN.

Diagnosis. Size relatively small (see measurements). Epistemal suture very convex in middle (Fig. 3 A). Maxillary palpi 3rd, 4th and 5th joints equal in length (Fig. 2 B). Female. FW extending upto 5th tergite. Ovipositor short, about the same size as TIII; very wide over its whole length (Fig. 3 B). Forewing more pigmented towards the base and distal end (Fig. 1 A).

Description. In addition to the characters of the genus. Maxillary palpi: 5th joint slightly concave on the dorsal side; 3rd, 4th and 5th joints equal in length. Anterior tympanum oval in shape; posterior tympanum absent. TIII with 2 inner and 2 outer subapical spurs, small and distal; no dorsal spine between subapical spurs; 9 – 10 inner and 13 outer spines above subapical spurs. Basitarsomeres III with 3 inner and 5 outer dorsal spines, in addition to apical ones.

Male. Unknown.

Female. FW covering only half of abdomen, slightly overlapping in anterior half; HW slightly longer than FW. Venation: anal veins oblique, close and parallel, separate from cubital by a wider area (Fig. 2 D); MA and R strong and parallel over their whole length; on lateral field, R bifurcated into several oblique, parallel veins. Subgenital plate transverse, very short. Ovipositor short and very wide over its whole length (See Fig. 3 B and measurements).

Female genitalia. Not dissected because of type condition.

Coloration. Face brown (Fig. 3 A). A transverse yellowish band at the level of median ocellus; lateral ocelli yellowish, connected by a thin, yellowish Y-shaped line that crosses the brown head dorsum; a short and wide yellow line along the inner margin of each eye. Maxillary palpi yellowish. Cheek light brown, with a yellow dot close to the mandibula and one close to the eye. Scapes yellowish, with brown upper and inner margins (Fig. 3 A). LL brown. DD yellowish with indistinct brown dots in posterior half. FW dorsal field light yellow, darker along anal veins and distally; veins brown (Fig. 1 A). Legs yellowish; FI, FII with a subdistal brown ring; TI, TII somewhat darker; FIII with 3 brown dots on inner side, and brown reticulation dorsally; TIII black brown basally, slightly darker distally.

Measurements (in mm, mean value in parentheses). Female (n=1). Body length= 15mm, pronotum width= 3mm, FW length= 5.5mm, HW length= 5.7mm, TI= 3.5mm, FI= 3.5mm, TII= 4.5mm, FII= 4mm, TIII= 6mm, FIII= 9mm, ovipositor= 6mm.