Pseudoscopas itapuensis Costa, Acosta, Timm & Zefa, 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Costa, Maria Kátia Matiotti Da
name: Acosta, Riuler Corrêa
name: Timm, Vítor Falchi
name: Zefa, Edison
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Orthoptera
Acrididae
Pseudoscopas
Pseudoscopas itapuensis

description: Pseudoscopas itapuensis sp. nov. Matiotti da Costa, 2024
(Figs 3A–B; 4A–4L; 5A–B)
Type locality. Parque Estadual de Itapuã, Viamão, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (30°20’48.58”S, 51° 1’33.14”W) (Fig. 9A–D).
Depository. Holotype and paratype of Pseudoscopas itapuensis sp. nov. (01 male and 04 females). Museu de Ciências e Tecnologia da PUCRS (MCTP).
Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the Parque Estadual de Itapuã, where these grasshoppers were first sampled.
Diagnosis. (i) epiproct subtriangular with sulci well marked longitudinally in the median region, and with four protuberances; (ii) cerci short, sclerotized apex bordered by three inner projections; cerci toothed on the inner part; (iii) lophi of the epiphallus rounded and sclerotized; (iv) anterior projections and anchorae of epiphallus of the same size; (v) furculae sclerotized and separated in two lobes.
Description. Male Holotype (Figs 3A–B; 4A–G). Body medium in size (15 mm length). Micropterous. Head. Prominent and ovoid eyes. Fastigium subtriangular, short with wide deep marked sulci (Fig. 3B). Front subvertical. Antennae filiform, with 18 antennomeres. Interocular space narrow (Fig. 3B). Thorax. Pronotum with horizontal disc, without saliences between three transverse sulci, slightly wider than the head and prothorax together; presence of the median carinae with prominence; anterior and posterior edge without emargination (Fig. 3B). Tegmina short, lobuliform, lateral, surpassing the first uromere (Figs 3A, 4A, 5A). Abdomen. carinated dorsally (Figs 3A, 4A), tympanum present, subgenital plate short and acutely at the apex (Figs 4D–E). Cerci triangular with apex bordered by three inner projections; cerci toothed on the inner part. Furculae well developed, sclerotized and separated into two large, inverted V-shaped saliences; epiproct subtriangular with sulcus, depressions bearing four saliences in the median region. Pallium with small and salient lobes (Figs 4D, 4F). Phallic complex. Cingulum with long apodemes, arch developed; gonopore with a rectangular ventral projection (Fig. 4F); aedeagus long with upper and lower valves of the same size; sclerites of aedeagus covered by the wide ectophallic sheath (Fig. 4F). Epiphallus with plan bridge and with median reentrancy; anchorae of the same size than of the anterior projections; prominent, rounded and sclerotized; with internal conical protuberance (Fig. 4G).
Coloration
Body brown (Figs 3A, 4A, 5A). Head mostly brown-light with a black pair of retro-ocular bands that take part of the genae and continue in the dorsal half of the pronotum lateral; lobes, tegmina, pleural and sides of the abdomen of the ivory coloration. Antennae brown. Fastigium brown (Fig. 4B). Dorsally brown spots in pronotum and narrow ivory-colored dorsal band across the entire length of the head and pronotum (Fig. 4B). Lateral lobes of the pronotum with an ivory band (Figs 3A, 5A). Tegmen brown, with a narrow ivory band surrounding the dorsal portion of the wing (Figs 3A, 4A, 5A). Genicular lunules black. Legs I, II and II green, with tarsus tip, arolium and claws red color; genicular lobe black; tibiae III blue green (Figs 3A, 4A, 5A). Lateral segments of the abdomen with dark black spots.
Female. Larger in size to male, robust (body length 18 mm) (Figs 3B, 4H, 5B). Head dorsal brown (Figs 4I–J); fastigium more prominent and wider than in males and with brown spots; eyes more prominent lateral (Figs 4H–I); retro-ocular bands that take part of the genae and continue in the dorsal half of the pronotum lateral lobes brownish. Interocular space wider (Figs 4H–I). Pronotum dorsally light brown, with several punctures. Dorsally brown spots in pronotum and thicker ivory-colored dorsal band across the entire length of the head and pronotum (Fig. 2I). Lateral lobes of the pronotum with an ivory band, from upper to lower portion more salient (Fig. 3B). Legs I and II green, with tarsus reddish, tibiae III blue green (Figs 3B, 4H). Ovipositor valves short in lateral view and margins slightly serrated (Fig. 4K); dorsal valve of the ovipositor robust and apical tooth of the external ventral valve of ovipositor little prominent. Hind edge of the female subgenital plate forming two large lobes on both sides and without sclerotization (Fig. 4L). Cerci short, conical, not reaching the epiproct tip (Fig. 4K). Epiproct subtriangular with median sulcus well marked, interrupted transversely in the median region.
Habitat and Habits. Individuals of P. itapuaensis sp. nov. were collected between 1 and 4 pm in the edge of forest with many pteridophytes and even Brachiaria (Poaceae) (Fig. 5C). Males were found mainly on stems of small plants, up to 50 cm above the ground. Females, on the other hand, were found mainly close to the ground.
Measurements (mm): Male (n = 1): BL = 15.1; PL = 0.3; FL3 = 0.7; TL = 0.3. Female (n = 4): BL = 18.2 (17.1–18.2); PL = 0.5 (0.4–0.5); FL3 = 0.9 (0.8–0.9); TL = 0.4 (0.3– 0.4).
Type material. Holotype ♂ and 4 Paratypes ♀ (MCTP). BRAZIL: Rio Grande do Sul, municipality of Viamão, Parque Estadual de Itapuã, 20.x.2022, Acosta, R. C. leg. Holotype condition: genitalia were extracted and maintained in holotype’s tube.
description: Published as part of Costa, Maria Kátia Matiotti Da, Acosta, Riuler Corrêa, Timm, Vítor Falchi & Zefa, Edison, 2025, Three new species of grasshoppers Dichroplini (Orthoptera: Acrididae Melanoplinae) from State of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil, pp. 279-293 in Zootaxa 5613 (2) on pages 282-287, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5613.2.4, http://zenodo.org/record/15216519