Amphibologryllacris butmasi, Hugel, 2009
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5252/z2009n3a10 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/F305FD2C-C203-E82D-FD24-1A57BB5BFB1E |
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treatment provided by |
Marcus |
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scientific name |
Amphibologryllacris butmasi |
| status |
sp. nov. |
Amphibologryllacris butmasi View in CoL n. sp. ( Figs 1B, C View FIG ; 2A, C, E, G View FIG ; 3A, B View FIG , E-G; 4A)
TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype: Vanuatu. Sanma Province, Espiritu Santo Isl., Butmas , forêt sur plateau de Tankara, 15°21’56”S, 166°59’04”E, 600 m alt., nuit, Exped. Santo 2006, 13.X.2006, coll. S. Hugel, ♂ (SH-030) (MNHN-ENSIF2178). GoogleMaps
Allotype: same locality and collector as holotype, nuit, 14.X.2006, ♀ (SH-026) (MNHN-ENSIF2185).
Paratypes: same locality and collector as holotype, nuit, 13.X.2006, 3 ♂♂ (SH-029, SH-033, SH-034) (MNHN-ENSIF2180, 2183, 2184). — Same locality, 16.X.2006, coll. T. Robillard, 1 ♂ (SH-027) ( MNHN- ENSIF2179).
Butmas E village, bord de chemin, Exped. Santo 2006, 16.X.2006, coll. S. Hugel, 2 ♂♂ (SH-031, SH-032) (MNHN-ENSIF2181, 2182). — Butmas, forêt sur plateau de Tankara, 15°21’56”S, 166°59’E, 600 m alt., nuit, Exped. Santo 2006, 16.X.2006, coll. T. Robillard, 1 ♀ (SH-028) (MNHN-ENSIF2186).
TYPE LOCALITY. — Vanuatu, Espiritu Santo Is., plateau of Tankara, near the village of Butmas.
DISTRIBUTION. — Vanuatu, Sanma Province, Espiritu Santo Isl., Butmas, Tankara plateau.
ETYMOLOGY. — After Butmas, the type locality.
HABITAT AND LIFE HISTORY TRAITS. — Some specimens of A. butmasi n. sp. have been observed during night hours rushing on branches and foliage (1-4 m) while exploring the surroundings with their tremendously long antennas.
DIAGNOSIS. — Compared to other Amphibologryllacris species. Size rather small for the genus: FIII: 10.2-11.8 mm, FW: 15.1-18.0 mm. Head: with very distinct black pattern (unlike A. ferruginea and A. cyaneoterminata lacking black pattern). Median and lateral ocelli clearly distinct ( Fig. 2E View FIG ), pink. Median ocellus wide, only slightly less wide than fastigium frontis ( Fig. 2E View FIG ; unlike A. oceanica having a small ocellus and A. cyaneoterminata with no visible ocellus in the ♀ holotype).
FW ( Fig. 4A View FIG ): M neither fused with Rs (unlike A. ferruginea , Fig. 4C View FIG ) nor with Cu (unlike A. painei , Fig. 4D View FIG ); M usually simple, Cu usually with 3 branches (2 bifurcations).
Legs: TI and TII not darkened, neither at mid length (unlike A. oceanica ) nor near the knee (unlike in A. dubia and A. cyaneoterminata ).
Male appendices cerciferae long, lying head-to-tail, side by side (processes short in A. ferruginea and, according to Karny [1935], similar to A. ferruginea in A. painei ). Male SGP with a distinct emargination ( Fig. 2G View FIG ; no emargination in A. ferruginea and A. painei ). Female sternite preceding the SGP (VII) forming a protrusion with an oval apex ( Figs 2A View FIG ; 3B View FIG ; sometimes bulging but not protruding in A. dubia , A. ferruginea and A. cyaneoterminata , Fig. 5 View FIG ).
Amphibologryllacris butmasi n. sp. is extremely close to A. macrocera and differs by (see Figs 2 View FIG ; 3E View FIG ): its shorter size (e.g., [see also Tables 1 and 2], FIII: 10.2-11.8 mm vs. 12.2-14.9 mm in A. macrocera ; FW: 15.1-18.0 mm vs. 17.5-21.7 mm in A. macrocera ; ovipositor 9.3-10.4 mm vs. 11.8-13.7 mm in A. macrocera ); FW with 2 or 3 precostal veins ( Fig. 4A View FIG ; usually 4 or 5 precostal veins in A. macrocera , Fig. 4B View FIG ); pronotum discus posterior sulcus well distinct, metazona bulging; male SGP with a distinct emargination ( Fig. 2G View FIG ; shallower emargination in A. macrocera : Fig. 2H View FIG ), styli shorter (length: 1.08 ± 0.02 mm vs. 1.35 ± 0.02 mm in A. macrocera ) and thicker than in A. macrocera . Amphibologryllacris butmasi n. sp. differs also from A. macrocera by its general darker coloration: head always with distinct black pattern, pronotum always encircled by a black margin; pronotum discus anterior sulcus and prozona darkened; sulci darkened on lateral lobes; FW always with numerous well smoked cells, femora always with black ventrally; abdominal tergites always black.
MEASUREMENTS. — See Table 2.
DESCRIPTION
In addition to generic characters. Body length: size small for the genus. Head ( Fig. 2E View FIG ): as broad or slightly broader than the thorax; fastigium frontis distinctly wider than scapus; face maximal width (in frontal view, below the eyes) 3.8 times (min: 3.5; max: 4.0; holotype: 4.0; allotype: 3.9) as wide as fastigium frontis (measured above median ocellus); median and lateral ocelli clearly distinct, median ocellus oval, wide as half of the fastigium frontis width. Thorax: pronotum: maximal width 1.1 times (min: 1.1; max: 1.2; holotype: 1.1; allotype 1.1) wider than maximal length; anterior margin convex (in dorsal view), arched; posterior margin strait (in dorsal view), almost horizontal; anterior sulcus deep on lateral lobes and well distinct on discus; posterior sulcus well distinct on discus; both sulci converging on lateral lobes; prozona elevated; metazona narrower than pronotum prozona, bulging; lateral lobe/discus angle sub acute (frontal view). Sternum ( Fig. 1B, C View FIG ; see Amphibologryllacris diagnosis): spines on mesosternum lateral lobes short with blunt apex, spines on metasternum inconspicuous, blunt. FW ( Fig. 4A View FIG ): with 2 or 3 precostal veins; R divided in 4 veins (3 bifurcations), rarely 5 veins (4 bifurcations); M simple (not divided); M sometimes (3/9) contacting punctually Rs, rarely contacting punctually Cu; Cu usually divided in 3 veins (2 bifurcations), rarely divided in 2 secondary veins (usually on one FW only, n = 2/9); 6 A veins, rarely 5 (1/9). HW exceeding slightly FW. TI and TII with usual spur formula (4 pairs of subapical + 1 pair of apical spurs ventrally, and one single apical spur on TII dorsally); subapical spurs of usual length (longer than tibia width). FIII 3.3 times as long as wide (range: 3.0-3.6 holotype: 3.1; allotype: 3.1); FIII ( Fig. 2C View FIG ) with 12-16 ventral inner spines (holotype: 13-14; allotype: 14-16); FIII with 7-12 spines (usually 9-11; holotype: 9-11; allotype: 9); TIII with 5-7 dorsal inner spines (holotype: 6-7; allotype: 6); with 6-7 ventral outer spines (holotype 6-7; allotype: 7).
Colour
Coloration more stable than in A. macrocera , although somewhat variable. Head: face with black patterns: paired spots on the face, the clypeus and around the median ocellus; continuous stripe above the clypeus; stripe on the antennal socket ventral margin; whole socket black; circular stripe surrounding the eyes posteriorly and converging in front of the occiput, without covering the occiput, median part of the occiput often with a black triangle pointing anteriorad. Ocelli pinkish. Scapus not darkened, except sometimes a lateral macula. Pronotum usually (16/ 19 specimens) strongly darkened, with black sulci and depressions; the fine margin surrounding the whole pronotum always black; prozona always darkened/black. FW with pale yellowish veins; with most cells smoked (except precostal area). HW smoked (except around transverse veinlets), rarely weakly (1/ 9 specimen). Legs always with black on femora ventral margin. Abdominal tergites always black.
SEXUAL DIMORPHISM
Apart from primary sexual characters, males smaller than females (TIII length 10.3 ± 0.2 mm, n = 7 vs. 11.1 ± 0.2 mm, n = 2).
Male
Terminalia ( Fig. 3A, B, F View FIG ) of Brunner’s type A ( Brunner von Wattenwyl 1888). T VIII not modified compared to preceding tergites. T IX not extended; end of tergite bent backwards/ downwards, with a minute median emargination on posterior margin. Appendices cerciferae ( Fig. 3F, G View FIG ) base enclaved between T IX lateral lobes and tergite end; appendices cerciferae with a process forming a long coiled spur with an acute apex, the spur bent basally; on dead specimens, both appendices cerciferae processes lying head-to-tail, side by side; the length and the angle of process bent variable within the species without discrete classes; SGP with a distinct emargination ( Fig. 3G View FIG ); styli short and thick.
Female
Sternite before SGP (VII): bearing a long process on anterior margin, directed backwards ( Figs 2A View FIG ; 3B View FIG ); reaching usually SGP base (depending on stuffing); process base weakly sclerotized, flat; process apex ladle-shaped with the concavity directed ventrally (the curvature depends on the preservation), the dorsal part strongly sclerotized.
STATUS OF AMPHIBOLOGRYLLACRIS BUTMASI N. SP.
Amphibologryllacris butmasi n. sp. specimens of the type series are displaying weak but clear differences with all A. macrocera examined specimens. Importantly, most of these differences are size or colour characters, and few are discrete characters (and these might be linked to size reduction).
As discrete characters are available and as for most of the non discrete characters, intermediate forms (i.e. between A. macrocera and A. butmasi n. sp.) are lacking ( Fig. 3E View FIG ), I decide to describe the specimens collected in Butmas as a new species.
Nevertheless, as most A. macrocera specimens have been collected at a low altitude (> 50 m) with distinct climatic conditions, it can not be entirely excluded that what I consider here as being a distinct species would represent an ecotype, involving allometric morphological changes.
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.