Diponthus Stål, 1861

Pocco, Martina E., Lange, Carlos E. & Cigliano, María Marta, 2023, Relationships and taxonomy of the genus Diponthus Stål (Orthoptera: Acridoidea Romaleidae), Zootaxa 5336 (1), pp. 33-81 : 42-43

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5336.1.2
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F31F6A72-21B8-455D-8E64-3CE59613599C
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8270867
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D4221B-6D0F-D427-2DC2-41BCFE9BBEEC
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Diponthus Stål, 1861
status

Treatment

Genus Diponthus Stål, 1861 View in CoL View at ENA

( Figs. 1a, c, d, g, h, k–m, q, r View FIGURE 1 , and 13 View FIGURE 13 )

Acridium (Diponthus) Stål, 1861 [1860]: 328.

Eynisacris Walker, 1870: 638 View in CoL (Type species by monotypy: Eynisacris extranea Walker View in CoL ); Kirby, 1910: 381.

Diponthus Stål, 1873: 30 View in CoL ; Stål, 1875: 23; Pictet and Saussure, 1887:338; Giglio-Tos, 1898: 43; Bruner, 1900: 63; Bruner, 1906:

656; Bruner, 1910: 304; Kirby, 1910: 381; Robers, 1941: 240; Rehn and Grant, 1959:233; Uvarov and Dirsh, 1961: 153; Amédégnato, 1974: 198; Otte, 1995: 43; Yin et al. 1996: 236; Carbonell, 2010; Pocco et al. 2014; Pocco, 2015; Pocco et al., 2018; Carbonell et al., 2023; Cigliano et al., 2023. Type species. Acridium nigroconspersum Stål , subsequently designated by Kirby (1910)

Diagnosis. Medium to large size, robust and long-winged/macropterous (most species) ( Figs. 1a View FIGURE 1 , and 2 View FIGURE 2 ) or short-winged/brachypterous insects ( Fig. 3k, l View FIGURE 3 ). Colorful insects, body with color-patterns of bands and spots ( Fig. 1a View FIGURE 1 ), sometimes dark-mottled. Frontal costa wide. Distal margin of lateral lobe of pronotum rounded; posterior border of pronotal disk angulate. Prosternal tubercle prominent and laterally compressed, straight or directed backwards. Male cerci tapering towards the apex, with distal end slightly curved downwards ( Fig. 1d View FIGURE 1 ). Phallic complex: dorsal valves thin with distal end curved downwards ( Fig. 1k View FIGURE 1 ); cingulum plate-like with a central notch ( Fig. 1h, q View FIGURE 1 ); rami projected forwards and upwards ( Fig. 1q View FIGURE 1 ); arch of cingulum developed ( Fig. 1l View FIGURE 1 ); zygoma of cingulum complete ( Fig. 1l, q View FIGURE 1 ).

Redescription. Medium to large size (males: 19–46 mm; females: 25–59 mm), robust and long-winged/ macropterous ( Fig. 1a View FIGURE 1 ); or short-winged/brachypterous insects ( Fig. 3k, l View FIGURE 3 ). Integument rugose, smooth on areas of head, legs and abdomen.Antennae filiform. Eyes of medium to small size, with oval to subcircular shape. Fastigium wide, declivent ( Fig. 1a View FIGURE 1 ); fastigio-facial angle rounded; frons slightly oblique to slightly convex in lateral view ( Fig. 1a View FIGURE 1 ). Pronotum: metazona slightly longer than prozona in most species ( Fig. 1c View FIGURE 1 ); mid-dorsal carina low, from obsolete to slightly marked, cut by one to four transverse sulci; integument of lateral lobes of prozona generally smooth. Prosternal tubercle straight or directed backwards. Tegmina in general hyaline with veins delimiting cells with shape and color pattern of specific value, mainly in the median proximal area. Hind wings with bristles on the transverse veins between first cubital (Cu1) and first anal (A1) veins ( Fig. 1r View FIGURE 1 ). Male subgenital plate short ( Fig. 1d View FIGURE 1 ), with rounded apex. Male epiproct with tubercles; furculae well developed and large. Male cerci tapering towards the apex, with distal end slightly curved downwards ( Fig. 1d View FIGURE 1 ). Phallic complex ( Fig. 1g, h, k–m, q View FIGURE 1 ): endophallic plates of endophallus large and apical valves (dorsal and ventral) short; dorsal valves thin with distal end curved downwards, apex not sclerotized; arch of cingulum developed, rami projected forwards and upwards, articulated with a distal segment constituting the valves of cingulum, whose base rests on the ventral valves of aedeagus; cingulum plate-like with central notch; zygoma complete (not incised); ventral ectophallic sclerite well developed and strongly sclerotized, latero-ventrally covering the posterior portion of aedeagus. Epiphallus small in relation to the endophallus, with large oval sclerites, and well developed lateral plates. Ovipositor valves of females short and robust. Colorful insects, body with color-patterns of bands and spots, sometimes dark-mottled ( Fig. 1a View FIGURE 1 ).

Habitat. Species of Diponthus are normally found in grasslands, shrubby vegetation, and in the ecotone zone of low forests consisting of grasses and dicots.

Distribution. Argentina (centre and North), Bolivia (South), Paraguay (southeast), Brazil (southwest) and Uruguay ( Fig. 13 View FIGURE 13 ).

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Arthropoda
Class	Insecta
Order	Orthoptera
Family	Romaleidae