Heteracris lecoqi Yetchom-Fondjo & Kekeunou, 2021

Wandji, Alain Christel, Yetchom-Fondjo, Jeanne Agrippine, Kekeunou, Sévilor, Kenne, Martin, Missoup, Alain Didier, Tindo, Maurice, Simeu-Noutchom, Alain, Mbadjoun-Nzike, Marcelle, Xu, Sheng-Quan, Djomnang-Nkwala, Alfiery Laurel & Fomena, Abraham, 2021, Description of Heteracris lecoqi Yetchom-Fondjo & Kekeunou sp. nov. and Heteracris hannai Wandji & Kekeunou sp. nov. and redescription of Heteracris guineensis (Krauss, 1890) (Orthoptera: Acrididae) with comments on its ecology in the Southern part of Cameroon, Zootaxa 4915 (1), pp. 95-106 : 98-100

Heteracris lecoqi Yetchom-Fondjo & Kekeunou sp. nov.

Material examined:

Holotype: 1 male, Cameroon, Littoral region, type locality: Mbongué, 4°21’25”N, 9°35’22’’E; fallows, 05 Feb 2015. Coll. Yetchom-Fondjo & Kekeunou; sweep net; deposited in the Zoology Research Unit, Laboratory of Biology and Physiology of Animal Organisms , University of Douala , Cameroon (ZRULBPAOUDC).

Paratype: 1 male, Cameroon, Littoral region, type locality: Solé 4°36’00’’N, 9°48’00’’E; fallows, 05 Mar 2018. Coll. Yetchom-Fondjo & Kekeunou; sweep net; deposited in the Zoology Research Unit, Laboratory of Biology and Physiology of Animal Organisms , University of Douala , Cameroon (ZRULBPAOUDC).

Etymology: named in honor of Dr. Michel Lecoq who has contributed to the knowledge of Afrotropical grasshoppers.

Diagnosis: basal part in male cercus longer, apex flattened and obtuse, curved downwards; lophus strongly curved anteriorly; interlophal space with V-shape structure; external margins of lateral plates flexuous; apodemes of cingulum thin, arched and convergent, forming an almost V-shaped structure; cingulum valves in lateral view slightly longer than the apical valves of penis; rami of cingulum in ventral view fused anteriorly, endophallic sclerites partly free; posterior tibiae darkish, with a clear basal ring and bluish apical half; hind wings hyalines, with tips infumate.

Description: male: 22.01 ± 2.01 mm (n = 2 individuals), integument slightly rugose; head slightly conical and oblique; fastigial foveolea present; medium eyes; fastigium of vertex short, with truncated apex, median carinulae absent; antenna filiform, longer than head and pronotum together; pronotum weakly tectiform, with lateral and median carinae crossed by three sulcus; metazona shorter than prozona with anobtuse posterior margin; longitudinal median strip of the pronotum darkish and wider than the adjacent light strip; tegmina and wings with rounded apex; tympanum present; prosternal process cylindrical, flattened at the base and forming with the prothoracic presternite a collar-like; mesosternal interspace open, longer than wide; male supra-anal plate conical, with a transverse ridge on the middle area; male cercus with longer basal part and flattened, obtuse and downcurved apical part (fig. 2d); subgenital plate short and conical; epiphallus short, compressed, with a wide bridge; ancorae well developed, curved and with acute apex; lophus large, lobiform and strongly curved upwards; interlophal space forming a Vshaped structure, with a proximal protuberance (fig. 3IIb); external margins of lateral plates flexuous. Ectophallus and endophllus robust (fig. 3IIe, 3IIh and 3IIk), zygoma wide; rami of cingulum well developed, in ventral view fused anteriorly and leaving free a part of endophallic sclerites; apodemes of cingulum thin, arched and convergent, almost V-shaped structure; basal and apical valves of penis connected by a sclerotized flexion; apical valves of penis with strongly curved upwards; valves of cingulum slightly longer than the apical valves of penis; apical valves elongated and weakly sclerotized.

Coloration (fig. 2c): body generally light brown; posterior margin of eyes yellow highlighted; presence of two black bands in the medio-internal area of posterior femurs; external area with two brown-black median spots, sometimes weakly pronounced; posterior tibiae darkish in basal half, with a clear basal ring, and bluish in apical half; hind wing hyaline, with tips infumate.

Female unknown.

Ecology: only two adults of Heteracris lecoqi sp. nov. were captured respectively in February and March in fallows in the Littoral ever-green forest zone of Cameroon.