Xanthogryllacris punctata, 2018

Ingrisch, Sigfrid, 2018, New taxa and records of Gryllacrididae (Orthoptera, Stenopelmatoidea) from South East Asia and New Guinea with a key to the genera, Zootaxa 4510 (1), pp. 1-278 : 91-92

Xanthogryllacris punctata sp. nov.

Figs. 29 F–H, 30D –F

Material examined. Holotype (male): East Malaysia: Sabah, Tawau district, Tawau Hills , (4°24'N, 117°54'E), 6.ix.2009, leg. A. Floren (tree T53 [7T53])—(Bonn ZFMK).

Discussion. X. punctata sp. nov. is similar to X. lineata sp. nov. with which it shares the strongly outlined ivory white fastigium frontis. It differs from the latter species by the narrow face, dotted tegmina, the hind wings when spread are longer than wide and the dark bands along the cross-veins are distinctly outlined and clearly separated between the rows of cross-veins. The male ninth abdominal tergite of X. punctata is provided at hind margin with a pair of rather short compressed black teeth, their shape being similar to those in X. p. aurantiaca . But in X. punctata these teeth are inserted close to each other and partly overlapping while in X. p. aurantiaca they are well separated. Moreover, X. punctata differs from X. p. aurantiaca and from P. silacea sp. nov., the latter species also found in Sabah, by the absence of pronounced swellings above the apical teeth of the male ninth abdominal tergite.

Description. Medium sized species ( Fig. 29F). Head: Face not particularly large; in frontal view roughly oval; forehead nearly smooth, with sparse impressed dots; fastigium verticis wider than scapus; lateral ocelli between bases of antennae large and elongate, strongly swollen in between a round black spot with rough surface, imitating an ocellus while the true median ocellus is situated below fastigial suture, and its borders hardly perceptible from surrounding coloration ( Fig. 29G). Abdominal tergites two and three with few minute stridulatory pegs not easily visible on strongly setose tergum surface (0, 2–5;>3, 5; n = 1 male; ( Fig. 29H).

Wings little surpassing tip of hind femur ( Fig. 29F). Tegmen widest in mid length: Radius with two branches, dividing behind end of basal third of tegmen, both forked near tip; media anterior fused in basal area with radius and separates just before RS from R, afterwards single-branched; media posterior absent; cubitus anterior forks into two branches at about mid-length of tegmen; cubitus posterior undivided, free throughout; with 4 anal veins, last two with common stem.

Legs: Fore coxa with large spine at fore margin; fore and mid femora unarmed; fore and mid tibiae with four pairs of large ventral spines and one pair of smaller ventral spurs; hind femur with small spines on both ventral margins, with 12–15 external and ca 10 internal spines on ventral margins, increasing in size towards posterior end; hind tibia with spaced spines on both dorsal margins, ventral margins with one pre-apical spine; with 3 apical spurs on both sides.

Coloration. General color light to medium brown (originally conserved in alcohol); vertex and pronotum with indistinct dark ornaments; sternites with dark brown lateral bands; femora with thin dark ventral strokes. Face and genae, upper area of clypeus, labrum, and mandibles dark reddish brown; compound eyes black; lateral ocelli white with a black spot in between, fastigium below ocelli yellowish; antennae with scapus and pedicellus reddish brown, flagellum (directed forward) brown on upper, blackish on lower side; palpi light yellowish. Tegmen yellowish transparent, cross-veins surrounded by dark brown oval spots except in subcostal and anal areas; hind wing yellowish transparent, cross-veins surrounded by dark brown oval spots except along anterior margin.

Male. Ninth abdominal tergite in posterior area strongly curved down; apical margin in middle with a pair of rather short thorn-shaped projections, crossing each other in situ ( Figs. 30 D–F). Tenth abdominal tergite narrow band-shaped. Epiproct small with medial furrow; paraproctes forming angular plates on internal side of bases of cerci; granular and setose. Subgenital plate wider than long with lateral margins convex and little upcurved; apical margin slightly bilobate; styli present. Phallus membranous.

Female unknown.

Measurements (1 male).—body w/wings: 39; body w/o wings: 22; pronotum: 6.5; tegmen: 30; tegmen width: 10.5; hind femur: 21; antenna: male 210 mm.

Etymology. Named for the numerous dark dots that are scattered over the tegmen; from Latin punctum (dot).