Absonemobius septentrion, Desutter-Grandcolas, Laure & Hugel, Sylvain, 2016

Desutter-Grandcolas, Laure & Hugel, Sylvain, 2016, First occurrence of Nemobiinae crickets in the Lesser Antilles (Orthoptera, Grylloidea, Trigonidiidae), with the descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 4168 (2), pp. 313-326 : 315-317

Absonemobius septentrion , n. sp.

( Fig. 1 )

Type material. Holotype: [Lesser Antilles], Guadeloupe [island], Domaine Duclos ( INRA), 16°12’N 61°40’W, Piste de Jules, 1 male, 8.vii.2010, fn5, jour, litière, L. Desutter-Grandcolas (MNHN-EO-ENSIF3981) . Allotype: Same locality, habitat and collector as the holotype, 1 female, 9.vii.2010, jour, fn6 (MNHN-EO-ENSIF3982) . Paratypes, 5 males, 6 females: Same data as the holotype, 1 male (MNHN-EO-ENSIF3987). Guadeloupe, Petit Bourg, Mamelle Pigeon, montée, 61.734W 16.179N, 680m, 2 males, 20.vii.2011, de jour, fn 2011-GDP-SH017, SH050, S. Hugel ( MNHN) ; same locality, sommet, 61.736W 16.177N, 768m, 1 female, 20.vii.2011, de jour, fn 2011-GDP-SH021, S. Hugel ( MNHN) .

Capesterre, sentier 3ème chute, Carbet, 61.615W 16.045N, 345m, 2 males, 3 females, 30.vii.2011, de jour, fn 2011-GDP-SH102-SH106, S. Hugel (MNHN).

Gourbeyre, Bassin bleu, 61.670W 16.016N, 590m, 1 male, 1 female, fn 2011-GDP-SH006, SH010, 19.vii.2011, de jour, S. Hugel (Coll. SH); same locality, 31.vii.2011, de jour, 1 female, fn 2011-GDP-SH115, S. Hugel ( MNHN) .

Additional material examined. Same locality and collector as the holotype, 9.vii.2010, 2 juveniles. Guadeloupe: Petit Bourg , Mamelle Pigeon, montée , 61,734W 16,179N, 680m, 20.vii.2011, de jour, 1 male (no hind leg), fn 2011-GDP-SH020, S. Hugel; same locality, sommet , 61.736W 16.177N, 768m, 1 female, 20.vii.2011, de jour, fn 2011-GDP-SH022, S. Hugel (uncertain identification). Guadeloupe: Gourbeyre, Bassin bleu , 61.670W 16.016N, 590m, 19.vii.2011, 2 males, 1 female (no hind leg), fn 2011-GDP-SH007, 0 0 8, 0 0 9, de jour, S. Hugel (MNHN).

Type locality. Lesser Antilles , Guadeloupe island, Domaine Duclos, 16°12’N 61°40’W.

Etymology. Species named after the northern location of the type locality within the distribution of the genus. Diagnosis. Within the genus, species characterized by its size and pattern of coloration. Absonemobius septentrion n. sp. resembles A. alatus Otte, 2006 from Costa Rica and A. darienicus ( Hebard, 1928) , n. comb., from Panama, but it shows a less contrasted coloration: head dorsum light brown, DD and anterior angle of LL yellowish, maxillary palpi light yellow with joint 5 distal part dark brown (lightly coloured in A. alatus , uniformly dark in A. darienicus n. comb.), scapes and base of antennae light yellow, abdomen dark brown, legs and cerci light yellow. Size comparable to A. alatus , smaller than A. darienicus n. comb., larger than A. vincenti n. sp. and A. lucensis n. sp. (see measurements below). Additional characters: Male genitalia characterized by a wide, asymmetrical pseudepiphallic sclerite, abruptly narrowed at midlength, with a deep notch on left side; median lobes not separated, but fused into a flat and narrow pseudepiphallic process, raised and concave dorsally; pseudepiphallic parameres only slightly sclerotized, having the shape of vertical plates; ectophallic invagination sclerotized laterally and distally, as usual in Nemobiinae , but prolonged and projecting distally as a short median process below pseudepiphallic sclerite; ectophallic apodemes long, thin and divergent at nearly 120°; dorsal cavity separate from ectophallic invagination by a transverse fold.

Description. In addition to the characters of the genus (see Desutter-Grandcolas 1993):

Coloration. Fig. 1 A–D. Head dorsum light brown with diffuse longitudinal dark lines; face ( Fig. 1 B) light brown, darker under eyes and antennal pits; distal margin of clypeus light yellow. Ocelli light yellow, more or less circled with brown. Eyes grey brown. Scape and base of antennae light yellow; antennae becoming light brown along their length. Maxillary palpi ( Fig. 1 C) light yellow, distal half of joint 5 dark brown. DD ( Fig. 1 A) yellowish brown, margins lighter; LL ( Fig. 1 C) shiny brown, margins lighter and anterior angle yellow. Abdomen, including subgenital plate, black brown. Legs yellowish brown with darker knees, with many brown setae; femora with diffuse lighter spots; TIII spurs light yellowish, the apex darker. Cerci yellow.

Male. Subgenital plate black.

Male genitalia. Fig. 1 E–G. Pseudepiphallic median lobes fused into a flat and narrow process, concave in lateral view. Pseudepiphallic sclerite asymmetrical: in dorsal view, left part longer, with a deep notch between apex and transverse base ( Fig. 1 E, G, arrow); right part shorter without a notch between apex and base. Pseudepiphallic parameres lobe-shaped, higher (in lateral view) than wide (in ventral view); hardly sclerotized. Epi-ectophallic invagination sclerotized and prolonged distad by a narrow projection, located between pseudepiphallic apex and ectophallic fold. Ectophallic apodemes divergent on distal half; proximal part widely apart. Endophallic cavity small, separated from ectophallic invagination by a transverse fold, from which a small membranous ectophallic fold could originate. Endophallic sclerite with paired lateral sclerites, and a short median one.

Female. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 1 H) very transverse, distal margin bisinuate; entirely dark brown. Penultimate sternite black brown; distal margin marked with a wide, hemispherical lighter band. Ovipositor shorter than TIII; dorsal margin of dorsal valves crenulate.

Female genitalia. Not examined.

Measurements (in mm).

Variation. Lighter specimens have a somewhat yellowish spot on the face above epistemal suture; the area between the distal margin of the eyes and the distal margin of the cheeks is also lighter, and the lower margin of pronotum LL may be somewhat yellowish.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Absonemobius septentrion, n. sp., A – D, male holotype, E – G, male paratype MNHN-EO-ENSIF 3987: A, male habitus; B, face; C, head and pronotum, lateral; D, femur III, outer side; E – G, male genitalia, dorsal (E), ventral (F), lateral (G); H, female allotype, subgenital plate. Scales 1 mm. Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Arrows show the distal margin of pseudepiphallic process and the deep notch on the left of pseudepiphallic sclerite.