Heminicsara incrassata Tan, Ingrisch & Robillard, 2021

Tan, Ming Kai, Ingrisch, Sigfrid, Rahmadi, Cahyo & Robillard, Tony, 2021, A new species of Heminicsara (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Agraeciini) from West Papua (New Guinea), Zootaxa 4991 (1), pp. 161-168 : 162-167

Heminicsara incrassata Tan, Ingrisch & Robillard , sp. nov.

Material examined. Holotype: INDONESIA • ♂; Nouvelle-Guinée [New Guinea], Lobo [village in the Bay of Kaimana], S3.7033056, E134.071444 ( LOBO6 ), 221 m. a.s.l., forêt proche [forest near] PK8/ route Lobo-Kaimana, crête [ridge] prox. camp, forêt primaire [primary forest], 21–30.X.2014, jour [day], on Pandanus, T. Robillard leg., LEN2014-TR346 ( MZB.Orth.21846).

Paratype. INDONESIA • 1♂; Nouvelle-Guinée [New Guinea], Lobo [village in the Bay of Kaimana], S3.764667, E134.100111 ( LOBO1 ), 23 m .a.s.l., forêt littorale sur pente, autour du camp [littoral forest on slope, around the camp], sur tronc (height = 2.5 m) [on tree trunk]; 21–30.X.2014, nuit [night], T. Robillard leg., LEN2014-TR66 (MNHN-EO-ENSIF11334) .

Type locality. Indonesia, West Papua: Kalimana Regency, Lobo (a coastal village in the Bay of Kaimana)

Etymology. The species name refers to the enlarged and thickened tenth abdominal tergite, the character most distinctive of this species (from Latin, incrassata = thickened).

Diagnosis. This new species is different from other species of the Axylus genus group by the combination of these characters: colouration generally pale green, mottled dark; face dark between the eyes, frons grey-brown; pronotum disc with two transverse lateral spots at anterior third and an X-shaped dark pattern behind anterior third, male tenth abdominal tergite forming a large shield-shaped plate with two long apical lobes pointing ventrad, male cercus conical with a strongly curved inner-basal process and titillators fused and elongated.

This new species is similar to fully-winged species Heminicsara bilobata Ingrisch, 2015 from north-central New Guinea, Heminicsara mamberamo Ingrisch, 2015 from Mamberamo in West Papua and Heminicsara sica Ingrisch, 2015 from East Sepik in Papua New Guinea by the slightly prolonged tenth abdominal tergite, but it differs by the presence of two long apical lobes pointing ventrally. It also differs from these congeners by face and pronotum colouration, titillators being fused and elongated (instead of separated) and male cercus with only one internal basal process, which is strongly curved (instead of long with apical spines) and male cercus without distal internal process. It also differs from H. bilobata and H. mamberamo by the fused titillators (instead of separated or free). It is also similar to H. sica by the fused titillators but differs by the male cercus missing a semi-circular bulge at apex, and the male subgenital plate being missing long, laterally compressed projections curved dorsad and fused with styli.

This new species has a somewhat similar colouration as long-winged Heminicsara despecta Naskrecki & Ingrisch, 2015 from Muller Range in Papua New Guinea and Heminicsara schlaginhaufeni ( Karny, 1912) occurring along the northern coast of New Guinea but differs by less black mottled patterns, the male abdominal apex (including tenth abdominal tergite and cercus) and titillators.

This new species also differs from fully winged species (with only females known) by dark patterns on the pronotal lateral lobe limited to the anterior and posterior ends (instead of being connected or only present at posterior end) and FW anterior part of costal area distinctly narrow and widening posteriorly: Heminicsara cingima Ingrisch, 2015 from central mountain range of New Guinea, Heminicsara coriformis Ingrisch, 2015 from Nabire, Heminicsara excisa ( Karny, 1926) , Heminicsara scutula Ingrisch, 2015 from Central Province of Papua New Guinea, Heminicsara siwi Ingrisch, 2015 from Arfak Mountains, Heminicsara tabtab Ingrisch, 2015 and Heminicsara wanuma Ingrisch, 2015 from Adelbert Range in Papua New Guinea. It is similar to H. coriformis provided in the pre-subcostal area with network of white veinlets but differs from it by larger eyes. It also differs from H. excisa by the absence of vertical black band widening ventrally on the face.

Description. Fully-winged, medium-sized species with habitus typical of the genus, as shown in Fig. 1 . Fastigium verticis conical, fairly stout, not surpassing scapus, apex obtuse ( Fig. 2A ). Frons flat, oblique, nearly smooth in the middle and very weakly rugose on the lateral parts; without lateral carinae ( Fig. 2B ). Maxillary palps elongated and slender; apical segment longest with apex truncated, subapical segment slightly longer than third segment. Eyes oval, weakly protruding ( Figs. 2A, 2B ); median ocellus reduced, indicated only by light oval spot ( Fig. 2B ); lateral ocelli between fastigium of vertex and scapus, small and oblong ( Fig. 2A ). Pronotum smooth, lateral lobe slightly more rugose; disc distinctly longer than wide, broadly rounded into paranota ( Figs. 2A, 2C ); anterior margin very faintly emarginated in middle; posterior area not raised, projecting posteriorly and covering stridulatory file and base of mirror, margin rounded ( Fig. 2A ). Lateral lobe about 3.2 times as long as high; ventral margin very faintly concave, ventro-posterior angle slightly projecting, posterior margin broadly rounded ( Fig. 2C ). Thoracic auditory spiracle completely covered by paranota ( Fig. 2C ). Prosternum with two fairly long spines ( Fig. 2D ). Mesosternal and metasternal lobes conical with blunt apices; median plate less broad than meso- and meta-sterna ( Fig. 2D ). Anterior coxa with a long dorsal spine pointing anteriorly, apex acute ( Fig. 2A ). Anterior tibia with both tympana slit-shaped but covered by slightly swollen conchate protective covering ( Fig. 2B ). Femora with the following number of robust spines on ventral margins: anterior femur 7 external (slightly smaller than internal ones), 7 internal of increasing size distally; middle femur 7 external, 3 small internal at base; posterior femur 11 external of increasing size distally, 6 barely visible small internal (all anterior of the most basal external spines). All knee lobes long spinose externally and internally, except for external knee lobe of middle femora. Tibiae with the following number of spines on ventral margins: anterior tibia 9 external, 9 internal; middle tibia 10 external, 9 internal.

Male. Tegmen macropterous, surpassing hind femora, apex rounded ( Fig. 1 ). Mirror fully developed, somewhat triangular, 1.2 times wider than long, anterior margin wider than posterior margin ( Fig. 3A ). Stridulatory file straight; about 2.2 mm long; with teeth evenly distributed; with circa 78 teeth ( Fig. 3B ). Hind wings concealed un- der tegmina ( Fig. 1 ). Tenth abdominal tergite highly modified, forms a large shield-shaped plate; setose, especially in the medial area; apical half bent ventrally; apical margin producing two elongated lobes in the middle, pointing ventrad, apex oblique, rounded between the two apical lobes; apical lobe carinate along external margin with apex subacute ( Figs. 3C–E ). Epiproct concealed under the prolongation of tenth abdominal tergite. Cercus elongate and conical with apex rounded; ventro-inner margin with a stout and strongly curved basal lobe with apex rounded and pointing ventrally ( Fig. 3F ). Subgenital plate rectangular, slightly longer than broad, posterior margin narrowly and angularly excised in middle, lateral lobes stout; styli cylindrical, long, apex obtuse ( Fig. 3G ). Phallus with fused titillators ( Figs. 3H, 3I ). Titillator slender and elongated; dorso-lateral margins carinate and diverging posteriorly into laminate lobules pointing dorsad ( Fig. 3H ); posterior end truncated ( Fig. 3I ).

Female. Unknown.

Colouration. Pale green (yellow when preserved and discoloured) with mottled dark patterns ( Fig. 1 ). Head dorsum pale green with some faint grey-brown strips, fastigium verticis grey-brown ( Fig. 2A ). Scapus dark brown and pedicel yellow brown ( Fig. 2B ); antennal segments red brown to dark brown ( Fig. 2A ). Face dark between the eyes, frons grey-brown. Clypeus black in dorsal parts, yellow brown on ventral half; maxillary palpus and labrum pale yellow; mandible black ( Fig. 2B ). Pronotum generally pale green. Dorsal disc with anterior part with lateral transverse black spots, anterior third dark brown in middle, between the lateral spots; posterior of the anterior third with X-shaped dark pattern, posterior arms of X-shaped pattern larger and extending to dorsal part of lateral lobe ( Fig. 2B ). Lateral lobe of pronotum green to yellow green ( Fig. 2C ). Tegmen generally with cells black; veins white ( Figs. 1B , 2C , 3A ). Coxae pale yellow. Femora pale green with a faint dark dorsal band at apical end just before knees (most obvious in posterior femora); knees yellow green; spines brown with black apices ( Figs. 1A , 2C ). Anterior tibia yellow brown, with dark spots between and posterior of tympana ( Fig. 2B ). Abdominal tergites, sternites and apex pale green ( Figs. 1 , 2D , 3D–E ).

Measurements (mm). Holotype BL = 27.0, PL = 6.0, PW = 7.0, TL = 28.2, FIIIL = 17.8, FIIIW = 4.6, TIIIL = 17.0; paratype BL = 28.5, PL = 9.9, PW = 7.2, TL = 27.9, FIIIL = 18.7, FIIIW = 4.6 TIIIL = 17.3 (slightly deformed).

Habitats. The two known specimens were collected in primary forest, one on a Pandanus tree, one on a tree trunk at about 2.5 m high.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Heminicsara incrassata sp. nov. habitus in dorsal (A) and lateral (B) views. Scale bar: 10 mm.

FIGURE 2. Heminicsara incrassata sp. nov. head and pronotum in dorsal view (A), head and anterior legs in anterior view (B), body in lateral view (C), thorax in ventral view (D). Scale bar: 10 mm.

FIGURE 3. Heminicsara incrassata sp. nov. base of tegmen in dorsal view (A), stridulatory file in ventral view (B), abdominal apex without titillators in lateral (C) and posterior (D) views, abdominal apex with titillators in lateral view (E), cercus in dorsal view (F), subgenital plate in ventral view (G), titillators in lateral (H) and dorsal (I) views. Scale bars: 1 mm (A, C–G), 0.5 mm (B, H, I).