Cymatomera chopardi

Naskrecki, Piotr, 2008, Sylvan katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Pseudophyllinae) of the Guinean Forests of West Africa hotspot: an overview and descriptions of new species, Zootaxa 1712, pp. 1-41 : 4-5

2. Cymatomera chopardi nom. nov.

( Figs. 1 A-E; 7A–B; 11A)

Cymatomera chopardi nom. nov. is a replacement name for Cymatomera modesta Chopard, 1954 , which is a junior primary homonym of Cymatomera modesta Brunner von Wattenvyl, 1895 (now considered a junior synonym of Cymatomera denticollis Schaum, 1853 from East Africa and Madagascar.) C. chopardi had been known only from the female holotype collected in Guinea, but a male specimen was recently collected in Ghana (attracted to a mercury vapor light.) These insects are excellent bark mimics, with strongly dorso-ventrally flattened body, and legs with wide, lateral lobes; their appendages are strongly hirsute, which helps eliminate shadow when the insect rests on a branch. The male is described below.

Description of male

General. — Body of medium size, slender; strongly flattened dorso-ventrally (fig. 11A). Head. — Antennae as long as body; antennal scapus with short apical spine. Fastigium of vertex triangular; grooved dorsally, surpassing antennal sockets. Frons slightly concave; strongly oblique. Eyes oval, distinctly protruding (fig. 1B).

Thorax. — Humeral sinus of pronotum absent; lateral lobe wider than high; marginal fold of pronotum poorly developed, with small tubercles along lower edge of lateral lobe; pronotum surface covered with sparsely distributed callosities. Anterior margin of pronotum flat, with a pair of small tubercles; metazona flat, unarmed; posterior edge of metazona broadly angular (fig.1A). Prosternum unarmed; sternum flat.

Legs. — Legs robust, strongly flattened laterally. Front tibia unarmed dorsally; tympanum bilaterally closed, with narrow, forward facing slits; front femur strongly laterally compressed; dorsal edge straight, ventral edge with sinuous lobes; genicular lobes of front femur unarmed. Mid tibia unarmed dorsally; with distinct, sinuous lobes on dorsal margin; mid femur with dorsal edge broadly sinuous, ventral edge with distinct sinuous lobes; genicular lobes of mid femur unarmed. Dorsal spines of hind tibia reduced to minute, semicircular protuberances; hind femur with dorsal edge unmodified, ventral edge with sinuous lobes; genicular lobes of hind femur unarmed.

Wings. — Wings broad, in repose held horizontally against substrate; tegmen distinctly surpassing apex of abdomen; anterior margin rounded; apical third broadly rounded; left stridulatory area coriaceous, without mirror; right stridulatory area without distinct, clearly developed mirror; vein Rs branching off in proximal third of tegmen; veins Sc and R close together, parallel along their entire length; veins Rs, M, and Cu straight, running parallel to each other along entire length of tegmen. Stridulatory file flat, weakly bent along its entire length (fig. 1E), 3.2 mm long, 0.185 mm wide, with 165 teeth. Hind wing as long as tegmen.

Abdomen. — Supraanal plate rectangular, slightly wider than long. Cercus bent in apical fourth, with small apical tooth (fig. 1C). Subgenital plate elongate, narrowly trapezoidal; with deep, narrowly triangular incision. Styli flattened, spatulate, slightly divergent (fig. 1G).

Coloration. — Coloration gray, lichen-like; face black; eyes with distinct vertical stripes; occiput without markings; antennae with dark annulations; pronotum without markings; tegmen gray, with indistinct darker markings; hind wing slightly fumose, with distinct checkered pattern; hind legs gray, with indistinct darker markings; abdominal sterna black; subgenital plate black.

Measurements (1 male). — body w/wings: 39; body w/o wings: 24; pronotum: 4.5; tegmen: 29; hind femur: 10 mm.

Material examined. — Ghana: Eastern Region, Ajenjua Bepo Forest Reserve, elev. 300–320 m (6°22'2.3''N, 1°1'58''W), 26–30.viii.2006, leg. P. Naskrecki, V. Awotwe-Pratt and M. Bakowski (Camp 1)— 1 male ( MCZ); Guinea: Nimba, Base IFAN, vii–xii. 1951, leg. M. Lamotte and R. Roy— 1 female (holotype) ( MNHN).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Cymatomera chopardi nom. nov., male: A. head and pronotum, lateral view; B. ditto, dorsal view; C. cerci and subgenital plate, dorsal view; D. subgenital plate, ventral view; E. stridulatory file; Mormotus (?) erecticstylus (Karsch): F. apex of male abdomen, lateral view; G. male cerci, posterior view; H. male subgenital plate; I. female subgenital plate.