Sphingonotus

Husemann, Martin, Ray, Jesse & Hochkirch, Axel, 2011, A revision of the subgenus Parasphingonotus Benediktov & Husemann, 2009 (Orthoptera: Oedipodinae: Sphingonotini), Zootaxa 2916, pp. 51-61 : 55-57

Sphingonotus Parasphingonotus radioserratus Johnsen, 1985

Material examined. Type material: Holotype: 1 male, TUNISIA, Gafsa, 0 1 Aug. 1951, leg. O. Persson, det. P. Johnson, Depository: ZML, Allotype: 1 Ƥ female, TUNISIA, Gafsa, 0 1 Aug. 1951, leg. O. Persson, det. P. Johnson, Depository: ZML, Paratypes: 2 females, 1 male, TUNISIA, Gafsa, 0 1 Aug. 1951, leg. O. Persson, det. P. Johnson, Depository: ZML

Additional material examined. MOROCCO: 2 males, 1 Ƥ, Tarda, 10 km W of Errachidia (31.48 N, 4.36 W), 20 May 2008, leg. M. Husemann, Depository: NHM, 2 males, 2 females, Tarda, 10 km W of Errachidia (31.48 N, 4.36 W), 20 May 2008, leg. M. Husemann, Depository: M. Husemann, private collection.

Distribution. Tunisia ( Johnsen 1985), Morocco.

Male. General facies: Habitat as typical for Sphingonotus , but relatively slender; medium size: length from vertex to end of fore wings 23–24.5 mm (N=7).

Color: Color pattern fairly distinct: body light brownish to sand-colored, abdomen sometimes whitish; head of the same color with slightly darker eyes; antennae alternating dark and light brown; pronotum variable: similar color as body or with dark and light x-shaped markings. Outer median area of hind femora light brown; upper carina often with dark spot about 1/3 of the length of the hind femora away from the knee; inner side of hind femora light brown with dark knee and two dark spots, one at the position of the dark spot, one at the beginning of the second third ( Fig. 7 ). Hind tibiae whitish to slightly yellowish with dark spines.

Head: Antennae filiform, longer than head and pronotum together. Frontal ridge slightly concave with lateral carinae, ridges almost parallel, fastigium of vertex concave, lateral carinulae slightly elevated, median carinula missing. Fastigial foveolae small, elongate triangular.

Thorax: Pronotum almost as wide as long; pronotal disk smooth with 3 complete sulci, median carina slightly elevated in front of first sulcus. Hind margin rectangular to obtuse angular or rounded; lateral carinae slightly developed in metazona; metazona approximately twice as long as prozona (0.39–0.53, N=7).

Wings: Fore wings with two incomplete dark bands, both starting at the front margin and reaching up to intercalary vein, moderately densely reticulated, relatively narrow: 6.7–7.2 (N=7) as long as wide. Intercalary vein almost straight and parallel to the radius, smooth; radius serrated. Hind wings slightly bluish to hyaline with central narrow dark band which does not reach the posterior and interior margins.

Femora: Hind femora 3.5–4.7 (N=7) times longer than wide; spurs of tibia of normal length for the genus; arolium small (1/3 to 1/2 of length of claws).

Abdomen: Tympanum typical for the genus, as high as long, less than 50% of opening covered by ventral lobe. Epiproct elongate and trilobate, almost reaches the tip of the cerci, lateral margins elevated, basally with several small tubercles, apically with horseshoe-shaped ridge. Cerci slightly longer than epiproct, slightly conical with blunt rounded tip.

Inner genitalia: Epiphallic lophi large and bipartite, internal part bell-shaped, external part oval; ancorae in- and down-curved, pointed; epiphallic bridge of medium width; anterior projections short, spoon-shaped; posterior projections short, pointed.

Female. The females are mostly similar to males but differ in the following characters:

Body more stout; body size: 28.4–31.3 mm (N=5); antennae only slightly longer than head and pronotum together; cerci conical with pointed tip. Ovipositor displays some variation; relatively short, valves strongly curved, with rounded or pointed tips, both valves approximately of similar length, lower valve with distinct rounded tooth. Lower valve from seen below with basal plates of oval shape, internal site proximally with little rounded appendix ( Fig. 5 ), the plate covers slightly more than half of the valve; proximal part of valves of medium width, laterally elevated. Subgenital plate with two lobes of almost rectangular shape.

Figures

FIGURE 5. View of the lower valve of the ovipositor and the subgenital plate from below: a) a former paratype of S. airensis from Niger, b) a paratype from S. P. femoralis from Somalia, c) an allotype from S. P. radioserratus from Tunisia, and d) a paratype of S. P. turkanae from Ethiopia.

FIGURE 7. Inner side of hind femora of a) S. femoralis, b) S. radioserratus, c) S. turkanae.