dcsimg

Description

provided by Zookeys
Male: Body form small (length 4.54 mm from frons to apex of subgenital plate) and compact with coloration highly variegated (Figs 1–2). Vertex largely black, with crescent-shaped pale cream patches circumscribing the anterodorsal margins of the compound eyes. Interocular distance 0.73 mm. Compound eyes broadly subovoid, 0.86 mm high. Lateral ocelli very small, situated very close to the medial margin of the compound eyes. Median ocellus absent. Frons largely pale cream fringed with reddish brown and bearing numerous elaborate folds and lobes; comprising a central nasiform process formed through fusion of the superior and inferior folds, flanked by deep, sinuous furrows themselves bordered by broad ridges and lobes; frontoclypeal lobe present (Fig. 1). Antennae ten segmented, moniliform, inserted directly beneath the compound eyes. Scape twice as long as pedicel; flagellomeres densely pubescent and wider apically than at their base. Scape, pedicel and flagellomeres 1 and 2 pale cream dorsally and black ventrally; flagellomere 3 almost entirely black; flagellomere 4 with triangular-shaped pale cream patch dorsally and black ventrally; flagellomere 5 almost entirely pale cream; remaining flagellomeres entirely black. Pronotum somewhat tectate anteriorly (Fig. 2), 1.77 mm long, broadly rounded posteriorly; black with broad, pale cream lateral and posterior margins and a prominent orange-brown median patch dorsally that is obovate anteriorly and rhombiform posteriorly. Tegmen entirely black, 2.38 mm long. Hind wing remigium entirely black; posterior fan cream. Profemora 1.18 mm long, black to dark brown dorsally and pale brown to cream ventrally. Protibiae claviform and largely black with a pale cream longitudinal stripe. Mesofemora 1.91 mm long, subquadrate in section, black dorsally and pale cream ventrally. Mesotibiae black with a prominent pale cream longitudinal stripe along the dorsolateral margin. Metafemora large and robust, 3.28 mm long, reddish brown medially with broad pale cream bands dorsally and ventrally; geniculae well-developed, dark reddish brown with pale cream apices. Metatibiae 3.14 mm long, pale yellowish brown with prominent darker dorsal carinae; apical metatibial spurs blade-like with prominent apical hooks, more than twice as long as subapical spurs. Metatarsus sublanceolate, 0.66 mm long, marginally shorter than the apical metatibial spurs. Posterior margin of abdominal tergite 10 broadly emarginate with prominently bilobed membranous median region (Fig. 3). Epiproct with large, densely reticulate lateral lobes and emarginate anterior and posterior margins. Cerci fusiform, bearing numerous long and evenly spaced setae. Paraprocts with large, well-sclerotized and strongly hooked uncuses and robust, apically thickened brachia bearing numerous strong ventroapical setae; brachia only marginally longer than cerci (Fig. 3). Subgenital plate broadly rounded with prominent lateroapical depressions either side of the median line; densely pubescent apically (Fig. 4). Phallus with basal plate strongly bilobed apically; cingulum broad and furcate, thickened laterally and bearing elongate, gently curved apodemes; dorsal valves of the endophallus forming flexible lobes armed with numerous denticles; virga filiform with an uncinate basal articulating process (Fig. 5). Female: Unknown.
license
cc-by-3.0
copyright
Sam W. Heads, Steven J. Taylor
bibliographic citation
Heads S, Taylor S (2012) A new species of Ripipteryx from Belize with a key to the species of the Scrofulosa Group (Orthoptera, Ripipterygidae) ZooKeys 169: 1–9
author
Sam W. Heads
author
Steven J. Taylor
original
visit source
partner site
Zookeys