Ultragryllacris chandra Dawwrueng, Gorochov et Suwannapoom 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Dawwrueng, Pattarawich
name: Gorochov, Andrei V.
name: Suwannapoom, Chatmongkon
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Orthoptera
Gryllacrididae
Ultragryllacris
Ultragryllacris chandra

description: Ultragryllacris chandra Dawwrueng, Gorochov et Suwannapoom, sp. nov. Figs. 5, 18–21, 27–28, 37, 46, 55, 63, 71, 80, 88
Materials examined. Holotype – 1 male (AUP-02027); Thailand, Ratchaburi Prov., Suan Phueng District, Khao Krajom, 650–1000 m., 25 X 2021, coll. P. Dawwrueng (AUP). Paratypes: 2 males, 1 female (AUP-02028–AUP-02030); same locality and date as holotype, coll. K. Wongdee, B. Wongdee and C. Manorom (AUP); 1 male (AUP-02031); Thailand, same locality as holotype, 24 VII 2019, coll. K. Jiaranaisakul (AUP)
Description. Male (holotype). General appearance (including coloration) similar to U. jiaranaisakuli sp. nov. (Fig. 5) but distinguished by anterior surface of head with very large area (from vertex to middle part of clypeus) black and located around large yellowish median ocellus (Fig. 18), lower part of clypeus light brown, other parts of head reddish brown, clearly lighter than in the latter species having dark brown labrum and mandibles; border around antennal cavity and three proximal antennal segments (including scape) black, but next segment reddish brown with blackish distal margin (Fig. 18); rest antennal flagellum reddish brown to light brown (Fig. 5); coloration of thorax, abdomen, tegmina, legs and their spines and spurs similar to U. jiaranaisakuli sp. nov.; hind wings with yellowish brown to brown veins (Fig. 5). Size and structure of body typical of Ultragryllacris, but following characteristic features developed: hind legs with 10 outer and 15 inner spines on ventral keels of femur and 7 similar but somewhat longer dorsal spines on each edge of tibia; wings long, almost reaching distal half of hind tibiae in rest position (Fig. 5); process of 9 th abdominal tergite large, directed backward, with slightly concave but almost parallel lateral sides (i.e. it wide at base and only slightly narrower in subdistal part) (Fig. 37); apical part of this process broadly rounded in dorsal view (Fig. 37) and moderately high in lateral view (Fig. 46); ventral surface of this process with median concavity running from apex to base and slightly widened in middle part (Fig. 55), and with a pair of lobules near 10 th abdominal tergite forming deep transverse fold (distal edge of this fold with a pair of transverse and heavily sclerotized ridges; each of them almost triangular in shape and with very small and poorly distinct tooth (Fig. 55); 10 th abdominal tergite similar to that of U. jiaranaisakuli sp. nov.; subgenital plate short (transverse) and almost rounded distally, with very long styles (Fig. 63).
Variations. Head coloration somewhat varied: some specimens with black area above median ocellus narrow (transverse), with lower half of antennal cavity border and all proximal segments of antenna reddish brown (Fig. 19, 27), and sometimes also with additional small blackish marks above lateral ocelli and on proximal antennal segments (Fig. 20). Armament of hind legs also insignificantly varied.
Female. General appearance as in males: head coloration similar to that of lighter males but without blackish area above median ocellus, with small dark spots near lateral ocelli and three segments of antenna having blackish areas (Fig. 21, 28). Subgenital plate more or less triangular, with almost straight lateral edges, clearly truncate apical part, large membranous area in basal part having transverse and moderately large sclerotized stripe, and barely distinct lateral notches near this basal part (Fig. 80); ovipositor dark brown with lightish basal area, almost straight but barely upcurved in middle part and with narrowly rounded apex (Fig. 71).
Length (in mm). Body: male 29–30.5, female 34.9; body with wings: male 42–46, female 45; pronotum: male 7–7.1; female 7.2; tegmen: male 29.4–33, female 31; hind femur: male 18.2–19, female 17.5; ovipositor 22.6.
Comparison. The new species is very similar to U. jiaranaisakuli sp. nov. in general coloration but differs by the coloration of head (frons and upper part of clypeus are almost completely black with contrast light median ocellus, but in U. jiaranaisakuli sp. nov., they are with light both vertical band under median ocellus and basal area of clypeus). This new species is also distinguished in the abdominal apex of both sexes: male of U. chandra sp. nov. has process of 9 th abdominal tergite completely wide (with subparallel lateral sides), each lobule on its ventral surface with triangular sclerotized ridge and very small and poorly distinct tooth (in U. jiaranaisakuli sp. nov., this process is distinctly narrowing to apical part, and this lobule is with slightly rounded ridge having small but distinct tooth); female of U. chandra sp. nov. is with more or less triangular subgenital plate having almost straight lateral edges, truncate apex and larger sclerotized stripe on basal area, and with ovipositor barely upcurved in middle part (in U. jiaranaisakuli sp. nov., this plate is almost rounded distally and with smaller sclerotized stripe on basal area, and ovipositor is more straight).
Etymology. The name of the new species is the Sanskrit word “Chandra” (to call “the Moon”) due to the presence of bright (light) median ocellus contrasting with large black area on frons (like the Moon contrasting with the dark night sky as background).
description: Published as part of Dawwrueng, Pattarawich, Gorochov, Andrei V. & Suwannapoom, Chatmongkon, 2023, Revision of the genus Ultragryllacris (Orthoptera: Stenopelmatidae: Gryllacridinae), with description of new species, pp. 445-458 in Zootaxa 5389 (4) on pages 456-457, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5389.4.3, http://zenodo.org/record/10417323