Agroecotettix xiphophorus Hill, 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Hill, JoVonn G.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Orthoptera
Acrididae
Agroecotettix
Agroecotettix xiphophorus

description: Agroecotettix xiphophorus sp. nov.
Figs 2 C, D, 4 C, 5 C, 9 A – J, 25, 26 B
Diagnosis.
Easily differentiated from other species in the genus by the combination of male cerci with branches widely separated and with the ventral branch much longer than the dorsal branch (Figs 2 C, D, 9 A, B), the male aedeagus that has a thickened sheath and valves with somewhat bilobed dorsal margins and broadly rounded ventral margins that have with their distal apices diverging laterally (Figs 4 C, 5 C). Most like A. idic and A. kahloae but is distinguished from those species by the shape of the male cerci, which in A. idic and A. kahloae are smaller with the dorsal and ventral branches of similar length, and by the shape of the male phallic complex (Figs 9 C – G, 23 C – G, 24 C – G).
Male measurements (mm).
(n = 8) Body length 21.8–27.5 (mean = 24.8); pronotum length 5.0–6.7 (mean = 5.9); tegmen length 3.5–4.6 (mean = 4.1); hind femur length 11.7–14.1 (mean = 12.9); cerci length 2.0–2.5 (mean = 2.3); basal width of cercus 0.5–0.7 (mean = 0.6); mid-cercal width 0.3–0.7 (mean = 0.6); cerci ventral arm length 1.2–1.7 (mean = 1.5); cerci ventral arm apex width 0.1 (mean = 0.1) cerci dorsal arm length 0.6–0.9 (mean = 0.8); cerci dorsal arm apex width 0.2–0.4 (mean = 0.3).
Phallus measurements (mm).
(n = 5) Length 0.7–1.0 (mean = 0.8); apex width 0.4–0.5 (mean = 0.5); middle width 0.9–1.0 (mean = 0.9); basal width 0.6–0.7 (mean = 0.7); lateral apex width 0.2–0.4 (mean = 0.3); lateral medial width 0.4–0.6 (mean = 0.5); lateral basal width 0.5–0.9 (mean = 0.7).
Female measurements (mm).
(n = 7) Body length 24.0–31.3 (mean = 27.5); pronotum length 6.7–8.8 (mean = 7.5); tegmen length 4.1–5.3 (mean = 4.7); hind femur length 14.4–16.7 (mean = 15.5) Dorsal ovipositor valve length 1.6–2.5 (mean = 2.0); ventral ovipositor valve length 1.6–2.5 (mean = 2.0).
Holotype.
• 1 ♂, Mexico, Nuevo Leòn, 1.7 mi W Santa Caterina. 8 August 1959, T. J. Cohn, 2380 ft, # 155. Deposited in the Mississippi Entomological Museum.
Specimens examined.
Mexico, Nuevo Leòn: • Monterrey airport, 14 July 1964, T. J. Cohn (2 ♂, 1 ♀) • 5 mi W Monterrey, 16 July 1936, H. R. Roberts, 3000 ft. (2 ♂, 2 ♀) • Villa de Garcia, 28–29 August 1966, J. Mathieu (4 ♂, 3 ♀).
Habitat.
Cohn (1959) lists the habitat at the type locality as a fair patch of roadside weeds, especially a tall sticky composite and blue flowered solanaceous plant with spaced out low trees of Acacia and mesquite.
Distribution.
Found west-central Nuevo Leòn, Mexico (Figs 25, 26 B).
Etymology.
xiphos Greek = sword; phorus Greek = bearing:. reference to the long sword-like ventral projection of the male cerci.
Suggested common name.
Sword-tailed aridland scrub jumper.
description: Published as part of Hill, JoVonn G., 2024, Desert diversification: revision of Agroecotettix Bruner, 1908 (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Melanoplinae) with descriptions of sixteen new species from the United States and Mexico, pp. 177-230 in ZooKeys 1218 on pages 177-230, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1218.133703