Aracopsis hugeli Desutter-Grandcolas, 2020

Desutter-Grandcolas, Laure & Faberon, Léo, 2020, Phalangopsidae crickets (Orthoptera, Grylloidea) from the Mitaraka biological survey, French Guiana, Zoosystema 42 (32), pp. 739-797 : 746-750

Aracopsis hugeli Desutter-Grandcolas , n. sp.

( Figs 3-5 ; Table 3)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:155B4850-5A0F-4CD5-A8EE-89F6A81D6E6A

ETYMOLOGY. — Species named after our colleague and friend Sylvain Hugel (CNRS), who collected the specimens in the field.

TYPE LOCALITY. — French Guiana, Mont Tumuc-Humac, Mitaraka.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype by present designation. French Guiana • 1♂; Monts Tumuc-Humac , Massif du Mitaraka, entre C100 et C1000; entre 54.44768 O 2.235494 N et 54.4419 O 2.233664 N; alt. entre 350 m et 415 m; 23.II.-10.III.2015; F. Legendre & S. Hugel leg.; fn SH175, de nuit, sur une souche d’arbre surélevée; MNHN-EO-ENSIF3984 .

Allotype. French Guiana • 1 ♀; Monts Tumuc-Humac , Massif du Mitaraka, entre C1000 et savane roche; entre 54.4419 O 2.23366 N et 54.4346 O 2.238655 N; alt. entre 415 m et 390 m; 23.II.-10. III.2015; F. Legendre & S. Hugel leg.; fn SH221, de nuit, dans un terrrier abandonné; MNHN-EO-ENSIF3985.

Paratypes: 1 male, 3 females. French Guiana • 1 ♂ 1 ♀; Monts Tumuc-Humac , Massif du Mitaraka, entre B100 et un chablis; entre 54.448813 O 2.236462 N et 54.444953 O 2.243543 N; alt. entre 325 m et 360 m; 28.II.2015; F. Legendre & S. Hugel leg.; fn SH283-284, de nuit, sur une souche d’arbre renversée; MNHN-EO-ENSIF 3975, 3977 • 1 ♀; same data as holotype; fn SH176, de nuit, sur une souche d’arbre surélevée; MNHN-EO-ENSIF3976 • 1 ♀; same data as allotype; fn. SH223, de nuit, en mauvais état, dans un terrrier abandonné; MNHN-EO-ENSIF3978 .

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL EXAMINED. — French Guiana • 1 juvenile; Monts Tumuc-Humac, Massif du Mitaraka, entre C100 et C1000; entre 54.44768 O 2.235494 N et 54.4419 O 2.233664 N; alt. entre 350 m et 415 m; 23.II.-10.III.2015; F. Legendre & S. Hugel leg.; fn SH222, de nuit, dans un terrrier abandonné; molecular sample LDG 515, 549; MNHN-EO-ENSIF3986 • 1 juvenile; Monts Tumuc-Humac, Massif du Mitaraka, vers sommet en Cloche; entre 54.4541 O 2.2349 N et 54.4646 O 2.2329 N; alt. entre 370 m et 470 m; 23.II.-10.III.2015; F. Legendre & S. Hugel leg.; fn. SH420, de nuit; MNHN .

DIAGNOSIS. — In addition to the characters of the genus, last three articles of maxillary palpi black; face yellowish with a wide brown band under each eye, the area below median ocellus somewhat darker; pronotum deep black with a faint and irregular longitudinal orange line; hindfemur outer side lightly colored in lower half; tergites very dark brown, almost black with dirty-yellow flecks.

DESCRIPTION

In addition to the characters of the genus.

General morphology

TI inner apical spur longer than the outer. TII apical spurs subequal. TIII apical spurs: median spur longer on outer side ( Fig. 5B, C ), dorsal spur much longer on inner side, going beyond basitarsomere III mid length ( Fig. 5C ). TIII serrulation made of very small teeth, hardly visible among strong and numerous black setae; serrulation lacking between dorsal subapical and apical spurs; on inner side, no spine between isa1 and isa2, and between isa2 and isa3, one or two (mean 1.5) spines between isa3 and isa4, 10-14 spines (mean 12) in males, and 15 spines in females above isa4; on outer side, no spine between osa1 and osa2, no spine in males, zero to two (mean 1) spines in females between osa2 and osa3, two to three (mean 2.8) spines between osa3 and osa4, 9-13 spines (mean 11) in males, and 15-19 (mean 17) spines in females above osa4. Tarsi very long; second tarsomeres not widened; basitarsomeres III very long and thin, without dorsal inner spine except one apical, with one to three (mean two) in males, three to four (mean 3.8) in females outer dorsal spines, in addition to distal one.

Coloration

Face ( Fig. 4B ) yellowish, cheeks darker; a wide longitudinal band beneath each eye; area beneath median ocellus also darker; scapes light orange, antennae dark brown. Pronotum ( Fig. 4A ) black brown to black, with a faint light orange median longitudinal line. TI, TII dirty yellow with brown rings. FI, FII ( Fig. 3C ) dirty yellow with brown rings, and a small, basal brown spot. TIII ( Fig. 3C ) dirty yellow with brown dorsal flecks; ventral margin yellow; spurs yellowish with brown tips. FIII ( Fig. 4C, D ) dirty yellow marked with brown: in distal half, two brown rings; in basal half, two larger flecks, the first one divided on outer side, simple on inner side, the second simple with additional oblique yellow lines; two additional brown spots on inner side at about one third of FIII length. Basitarsomeres brown with yellow base. Tergites black with dirty-yellow spots ( Fig. 3 ).

Male ( Fig. 3B, C )

Metanotum without glandular structure.FWs short, not reaching metanotum distal margin ( Fig. 4A ); venation ( Fig. 5D ) faint, except for a strong M+CuA vein, separating dorsal and lateral fields; file (PCu) extending over half FW width only; harp with three to four widely separated veins; lateral field short and narrow, triangular, without venation; distal margins with short setae, without inflated areas. Stridulatory file with about 40 very small teeth (n =1). FWs black, with slightly yellowish M+CuA vein.Tergites 3 to 6 with paired transverse projections; each projection with a rounded median conical apex ( Fig. 4E ). Supra anal plate as on Fig. 4E . Subgenital plate short and relatively low; distal margin straight.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 4 F-H)

Very small, about half the size of Philippopsis guianae genitalia. Pseudepiphallic sclerite transverse, without separate rami. Posterior part of pseudepiphallus membranous located below the transverse pseudepiphallic sclerite and narrowed before apex; apical lophi membranous, separate by a V-shaped indentation. B-sclerite very reduced. C-sclerite long and acute, not bifurcate apically as in P.guianae . A-sclerite quadrangular, about twice as long as wide. Pseudepiphallic parameres wellsclerotized, their surface granular; each paramere comprising a flat ventral sclerite (PsP1 sensu Souza-Dias et al. 2015) and a slightly concave dorsal sclerite (PsP2 sensu Souza-Dias et al. 2015). Ectophallic fold sclerotized. Ectophallic arc flat and very wide; ectophallic apodemes very short, flat, except for a large dorsal hump at arc level, and not developed ventrally (contra P. guianae ). Endophallic sclerite very long and narrow; apodemes very reduced (dorsal crest and anterior lamella).

Female ( Fig. 3A ) Subgenital plate small, transverse; distal margin bisinuate. Ovipositor small, about half TIII length; dorsal valve apex lanceolate, with many parallel lines, as leaf veins ( Fig. 4I ).

Female genitalia ( Fig. 5 E-G)

Copulatory papilla small, conical with a very thin apex; wellsclerotized, except for its very apex.

Measurements (in mm)

See Table 3.

HABITAT AND ECOLOGY

Aracopsis hugeli Desutter-Grandcolas , n. gen., n. sp. has been found only by night, foraging in the leaf litter. It has been observed several times on the bare ground beneath the stump of a fallen tree ( Fig. 3 , S. Hugel, pers. comm.). As Phalangopsis and Philippopsis , it may hide during the day in cavities at ground level (Desutter-Grandcolas 1992a).

CALLING SONG

The song has been recorded at 23°C in rearing conditions with several individuals of different species singing altogether, which precludes detailed analysis and illustration of the call. The song of Aracopsis hugeli Desutter-Grandcolas , n. gen., n. sp. consists in a series of short buzzing trills emitted at length. Each trill has a mean duration of 3.4 s (min 2.6, max 4.1, n= 7), but longer trills have also been recorded (6.1s and 8.3 s, n = 2); it is made of very short syllables (mean duration: 62 ms, min 48 ms, max 76 ms, n = 30) regularly and rapidly emitted. Dominant and fundamental frequency averages 3.5 kHz, with four additional harmonics of regularly decreasing amplitude.

PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS

Molecular phylogenetic evidence confirm the close relationships of Aracopsis Desutter-Grandcolas , n. gen., Philippopsis and Phalangopsis ( Warren et al. 2019) .

Figures

FIG. 3. — Aracopsis hugeli Desutter-Grandcolas, n. gen, n. sp. in its natural environment in French Guiana: A, female paratype MNHN-EO-ENSIF3976, dorsal view; B, male, front view; C, male, rear view, showing abdominal dorsal glands. Photos: Sylvain Hugel.

FIG. 4. — Aracopsis hugeli Desutter-Grandcolas, n. gen, n. sp.: A, male pronotum and FWs, dorsal view; B, face; C, FIII outer side; D, FIII inner side; E, male abdominal glands; F-H, male genitalia, in dorsal (F), ventral (G) and side (H) views; I, female ovipositor. Photos of male holotype MNHN-EO-ENSIF3984 (A, D-H), female allotype MNHN-EO-ENSIF3985 (C, I) and female paratype MNHN-EO-ENSIF3976 (B). Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIG. 5. — Aracopsis hugeli Desutter-Grandcolas, n. gen, n. sp. morphology: A, last three articles of maxillary palpus in female allotype MNHN-EO-ENSIF3985; B, C, hindtibia outer (B) and inner (C) apical spurs in female allotype MNHN-EO-ENSIF3985; D, forewings in male holotype MNHN-EO-ENSIF3984, note that the file (PCu) is hiden under pronotum; E-G, copulatory papilla of female paratype MNHN-EO-ENSIF3977 in dorsal (E), ventral (F) and side (G) views. Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bars: 1 mm.