Seselphisis, Hugel, 2012

Hugel, Sylvain, 2012, New and little known Phisidini from Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles (Orthoptera, Ensifera, Meconematinae), Zoosystema 34 (3), pp. 525-552 : 528-532

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5252/z2012n3a3
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03C287D4-012A-FFAE-FF5E-F99FD2F8FDF9
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Seselphisis
status	gen. nov.

Treatment

Genus Seselphisis View in CoL n. gen.

( Figs 1-4 View FIG View FIG View FIG View FIG ; Tables 1, 2)

TYPE SPECIES. — Phisis visenda Bolivar, 1912 , by present designation.

DISTRIBUTION. — Indian Ocean, granitic Seychelles.

ETYMOLOGY. — After the Creole name of the Seychelles where the genus occurs.

DIAGNOSIS. — Slender; wings exceeding the hind knees; front coxal process present; mid trochanteral process present; mid dorsal apical spur absent (seldom present in S. visenda n. comb. according to Jin & Kevan 1992, but I have not seen specimens displaying such process); dorsal subbasal process on T2 absent; Pro with deep lateral lobes; prosternum with distinct processes; male epiproct reduced, not specialised; male cerci specialised, with a long process; male paraprocts reduced, not specialised; epiphallus with deeply bifurcated cephalic lobe ( Fig. 1 View FIG ); female SGP without notch or emargination.

DESCRIPTION

Size moderate to large for the tribe (13.5-21.0). Slender.

Thorax

Pro disc weakly arched with a distinct prosulcus; anterior margin concave, posterior margin weakly concave; lateral lobes deep with a distinct rim. Prosternal processes relatively long and sharp; mesosternal processes short, wide and rounded; metasternal processes indistinct, forming a small bulge. Thoracic auditory opening large.

Wings

FW and HW distinctly exceeding the hindknee.

Legs

Slender. Front coxal spine present. F1 spurs 5/5. T1 subapical spurs 7/7. Tympanal area of T1 weakly inflated. Mid trochanter armed with a small spine. F2 ventrally with 4-6/1 (rarely 2) spurs; ventral posterior margin with numerous spinules. T1 subapical spurs 6/6; dorsal subbasal spur absent, dorsal apical spur absent (rarely present in S. visenda n. comb. according to Jin & Kevan 1992). F3 with two ventral carinae distinct distally, each bearing small spines (7-12/1-9). T3 with 11-14/6-10 ventral spines; with 19-25/18-21 dorsal spines.

Male

Male epiproct reduced, semicircular ( Fig. 1A, E View FIG ). Paraprocts not visible from above, not exceeding the epiproct, simple, without process ( Fig. 1A, E View FIG ).

Cerci stout, dorsoventrally flattened distally, with a distinct median process on the basis ( Fig.1A, C, E, G View FIG ). SGP with a distinct emargination, styli distinct ( Fig. 1B, F View FIG ). Epiphallus with deeply bifurcated cephalic lobe, without tubercles ( Fig. 1D, H View FIG ). Phallus with denticle-bearing sclerified plates on dorsal phallomeres.

Female

SGP not notched ( Fig. 3B, D View FIG ). O gradually curved upwards with serrated margins apically ( Fig. 3A, C View FIG ).

Colour

Colour green with yellow (outer) and red (inner) lateral stripes on Pro, followed in males by yellow and red lines on FW posterior margin; with a red spot surrounded by yellow anterior to file vein.

REMARKS

As most of the macropterous Phisidini species described prior to Jin & Kevan masterwork (1992), Seselphisis visenda n. comb. was described under the genus Phisis Stål, 1861 . In their monography, Jin & Kevan (1992) redefined Phisis genus and accordingly proposed to remove Phisis visenda from it. Jin & Kevan (1992) transferred this species to Brachyphisis Chopard, 1957 , a monospecific genus erected for B. viettei Chopard, 1957 , known by a single female from La Réunion. This conservative choice was fully justified by similar non genital characters of both species. The recently described ( Hugel 2010b) male characters of B. viettei clearly indicates that P. visenda is not directly related to Brachyphisis type species. I therefore propose the new genus Seselphisis n. gen. to include the species S. visenda n. comb., and S. praslinensis n.gen., n. sp., a new species from Seychelles.

Seselphisis n. gen. shares with Phisis the prosternum with long processes, the presence of a front coxal process, the wings well developed. Seselphisis n. gen. differs from Phisis by the mid trochanteral spine (absent in Phisis ), the lack of dorsal apical spur on T2 (present in Phisis ), the male epiproct reduced and not specialised ( Fig. 1 View FIG ; rectangular and widened in Phisis ), the male cerci specialised, bearing a process (cylindrical and without process in Phisis ), the male paraprocts reduced (extended and specialised in Phisis ), the male epiphallus with deeply bifurcated cephalic lobe ( Fig. 1 View FIG ; wishbone like and usually laterally flattened in Phisis ).

Seselphisis n. gen. shares with Brachyphisis the front coxal process present, the mid trochanteral process present, the mid dorsal apical spur absent, the male epiproct reduced and not specialised, the male cerci not cylindric. Seselphisis n. gen. differs from Brachyphisis by the lack of dorsal subbasal spur on T2 (present in Brachyphisis ); the male cerci with a long process (no process in Brachyphisis ); the male epiphallus T- or Y-shaped (with a single cephalic lobe in Brachyphisis ); the female SGP without emargination (with a distinct notch in Brachyphisis ).

The two known species of Seselphisis n. gen. are often seen on palm leaves.I observed a similar apparent preference for palm leaves for Rodriguesiophisis Hugel, 2010 ( Hugel 2010b) from Rodrigues. Other striking examples of plant/ensifera associations are documented on Mascarene islands: Grylloidea Laicharting, 1781 ( Hugel 2009a) and Gryllacrididae Blanchard, 1945 ( Hugel et al. 2010; Micheneau et al. 2010).

Seselphisis visenda (Bolivar, 1912) n. comb. ( Figs 1 View FIG A-D; 2A-C; 3A, B; 4A, B; Table 1)

Phisis visenda Bolivar, 1912: 277 View in CoL (original description)

Brachyphisis visenda View in CoL – Jin & Kevan 1992: 30 (redescription).

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Lectotype (designated by Jin & Kevan 1992): ♀ (examined), Mahé, ’08-9, Seychelles exp. 66, Cascade Estate, about 240 m; Seychelles Islands, Percy Sladen trust, expedition, 1913-170; Phisis visenda sp. nov.; Type [handwritten]; BMNH.

Paralectotype (“lectoallotype” designated by Jin & Kevan 1992): ♂ (examined), 114 Mahé ‘08-9 114, Seychelles exp., Morne Seychellois , Seychelles Islands, Percy Sladen trust, expedition, 1913-170, Phisis visenda Bolívar , paratype [handwritten] ; BMNH.

OTHER SPECIMENS EXAMINED. — Seychelles archipelago. Coll. R. I. Sc. N. B., Seychelles, I. Mahé Riv. Gd. St. Louis (Niol), IX-X.1976 (Stat. 6,13,17,22), G. Marlier, 1 ♂, Brachyphisis visenda (Bolívar) , det. X. B.Jin & D. K. Kevan 1990 ( IRSN). — Silhouette [Island], La Passe, 20 m alt., 4°28’58”S, 55°14’43”E, sur palmier 05.VIII.2010, S. Hugel, 1 ♂ (coll. SH; 2010 SEY SH 212). — Silhouette [Island], Jardin Marron, 05.VIII.2010, S. Hugel, 1 ♂ ( MNHN-ENSIF2974 ; 2010 SEY SH 213). — Silhouette [Island], entre Jardin Marron et mont Pot à Eau, 445 m alt., 4°29’14”S, 55°14’05”E, 05.VIII.2010, S. Hugel, 1 ♀ ( MNHN-ENSIF2973 ; 2010 SEY SH 175). — Silhouette [Island], mont Pot à Eau, 05.VIII.2010, S. Hugel, 1 ♂ (coll. SH; 2010 SEY SH 214), 1 ♀ (coll. SH; 2010 SEY SH 215). — Mahé [Island], Morne Blanc, prox. route, 320 m alt., 4°39’S, 55°25’E, en vol, 18.VII.2010, S. Hugel, 1 ♂ (coll. SH; 2010 SEY SH 039). — Mahé [Island], Morne Blanc, haut, 660 m alt., 4°39’37”S, 55°25’54”E, sur palmier 18.VII.2010, S. Hugel, 1♀ (coll.SH; 2010 SEY SH 038). TYPE LOCALITY. — Indian Ocean, Seychelles Islands, Mahé GoogleMaps .

DISTRIBUTION. — Seychelles: Mahé and Silhouette islands. This species occurs in and around native forest areas from the lowlands (20 m) to summits (at least 660 m) in Mahé and Silhouette ( Matyot 1998). One juvenile female collected in La Digue ( Jin & Kevan 1992) might more likely belong to S. praslinensis n. gen., n. sp.

DIAGNOSIS. — This species is close to S. praslinensis n. gen., n. sp., but both species differ by the male terminalia ( Fig. 1 View FIG ). All males examined (n = 7, from distinct localities) are clearly distinguished from all S. praslinensis n. gen., n. sp. males (n = 4, from two localities) by the following stable characters: basal process of cerci short and stout (posterior view), SGP with long styli (i.e. the styli can be physically in contact [ Fig. 1B View FIG , compare with Fig. 1F View FIG ]), SGP with a shallow emargination (less deep than styli length), bifurcated branches of epiphallus long and slender ( Fig. 1D View FIG ), with pointing apices (branches shorter, more stout, with rounded apices in S. praslinensis n. gen., n. sp.). Apparently, females do not display diagnostic characters.

DESCRIPTION

See Jin & Kevan 1992: 30. Complement, in addition to generic characters.

Male

Wings ( Fig. 2 View FIG A-C): left FW with 49-53 (average: 51) lamellar teeth ( Fig. 2C View FIG ). Terminalia: median process of cerci short and thick (posterior or inner lateral views; Fig.1 A, C View FIG ). SGP: with a relatively shallow emargination (c. 0.3 mm; deeper than styli length; Fig. 1B View FIG ); with long styli (≥ 0.4 mm, i.e. styli can physically be in contact; Fig. 1B View FIG ). Epiphallus slender, with long bifurcated branches pointing distally ( Fig. 1D View FIG ).

Measurements

See Table 1.

BIOLOGY. — I observed all the specimens during late night hours, usually resting on large palm leaves. In captivity, this species accepts small moths and trigonidiine crickets.

BIOACOUSTICS ( FIG. 4A, B View FIG ) Males sing by night hours, often on palm trees. Males are sometimes moving while calling. At 27°C, the call of S. visenda n. comb. consists of long irregular echeme-sequences; echeme-sequences are very variable and the reason for this variability appears unclear: it can be made of mono-, di- or trisyllabic echemes, or even sometimes consists of trains of echemes.

Echeme-sequences are lasting 4.1- 31.2 s (average: 13.5 s) and are separated by 63.4-520.6 s (average: 292.0 s). Echemes are lasting 33.8-94.1 ms (average: 43.9 ms) and are separated (between di-, trisyllabic echemes and trains) by 31.7-100.2 ms (average: 70.5 ms). Pauses between di-, trisyllabic echemes and trains are lasting 153.4-4424.4 ms (average: 580.5 ms). Fundamental peaks between 20-25 kHz.