Eurhaphidophora apicoexcisa Dawwrueng, Gorochov, Pinkaew & Vitheepradit 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Dawwrueng, Pattarawich
name: Gorochov, Andrei V.
name: Pinkaew, Nantasak
name: Vitheepradit, Akekawat
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Orthoptera
Rhaphidophoridae
Eurhaphidophora
Eurhaphidophora apicoexcisa

description: Eurhaphidophora apicoexcisa Dawwrueng, Gorochov, Pinkaew & Vitheepradit sp. nov.
(Figs. 1A–I, 2A–C, 3A–D, 4A–C)
Types. Holotype —male, Western Thailand, Ratchaburi Province, Suan Pheung District, environs of Khao Krajom, elev. 600–1000 m., 24.XII.2019, coll. K. Jiaranaisakul. Paratypes: 2 males, same locality as for holotype, 22.I.2020, coll. K. Jiaranaisakul; 3 males, 1 female, same locality as for holotype, 23–24.X.2021, coll. P. Dawwrueng.
Description. Male (holotype). Body slightly larger than in other congeners except for E. ampla (similar in body size). Head: rostral tubercles slightly pressed to each other and divided into a pair of halves by narrow and deep median furrow (Fig 1A); lateral ocelli large and almost circular (Fig 1B); median ocellus slightly smaller, oval and placed between scapes (Fig 1C). Pronotum, mesonotum and metanotum with more or less broadly rounded lateral lobes; fore femur with only one inner apical spine, but mid femur with one inner and one outer apical spines (these femoral features characteristic of this subfamily); hind femur with only one shorter and non-articulate inner spine at apex; tibiae and hind basitarsus with following armament – ve, vi, ve, v2a / di, de, di, de, d2a, ve, ve, v2a / d20e–18i (d20e–19i), d2sa, 6a / d5c (d6c), dac; apex of dia of hind tibia is projected slightly beyond apex of dac. Abdomen: seventh and eighth tergites with very short and rounded posteromedian projection on each, but projection on eighth tergite slightly more projecting than that of seventh tergite (Fig 1D); ninth abdominal tergite with much larger posteromedian process and slight transverse wrinkles located from its basal part to middle of this process (Fig 1D); latter process rather long, distinctly widened (especially in distal half), almost straight in profile and strongly flattened (sublamellar) dorsoventrally (Figs 1 D-F); dorsal surface of this process with shallow longitudinal (median) concavity and almost membranous median area behind it (Fig 1D); apical part of this process rounded in dorsal view and with small but rather deep, narrow and roundly angular posteromedian notch (Fig 1D); epiproct long, narrowing from base to apex (Fig 1G), arcuately curved in profile (Fig 1E, H), with a pair of membranous folds along its lateral edges (Fig 1G) and longitudinal median groove on dorsal surface; this groove running from base of epiproct to its apical part and interrupted by weak transverse carina dividing epiproct into larger proximal and smaller (narrower) distal portions (Fig 1G); lateral edges of this carina with a pair of short but somewhat higher longitudinal keels (Figs 1 G-I); distal portion of epiproct gradually narrowing to narrowly rounded apex, strongly curved forward and partly overlapping subgenital plate in ventral view (Figs 1H, I); each paraproct with specialized but not long and rounded dorsomedial projection (Figs 1G, H); subgenital plate short (distinctly transverse) and with straight posterior edge between rather thick but slightly elongate styli (Figs 1H, I); genitalia entirely membranous.
Variations. Hind leg armament and shape of apical notch of posteromedian process on ninth abdominal tergite slightly varying (Fig 2).
Female. General appearance similar to male, but body smaller, posteromedian projections of eighth and ninth abdominal tergites much shorter than in male and simply rounded (Figs 3A–B), epiproct also smaller and simple in shape (triangularly-oval). Subgenital plate transversally triangular and with short subacute spine at apex (Fig 3C); ovipositor slightly curved upwards, with ventral serration in its distal part and with acute apex (Fig 3D).
Coloration. Head brown with dark brown dorsum, rostral tubercles and mandibles, black eyes and short spot under each eye, pale brown genae and each antennal scape (this scape also with brown longitudinal medial carina), whitish ocelli, light brown clypeus and labrum (with brown lateral margins of labrum), and yellowish white palpi having brown marks on basal and apical parts of each segment (Figs 1 A-C). All tergites dark brown with some reddish spots and brown to light brown distal half of posteromedian process of ninth abdominal tergite; all sternites light brown. Legs yellowish white with dark brown distal parts of femora and proximal parts of tibiae, light brown rest of hind femora having brown oblique stripes on dorsal and lateral surfaces as well as grayish oblique stripes on ventrolateral surface, and whitish tarsi (Figs 4 A-C). Epiproct in male pale brown with lighter lateral folds as well as with brown sclerotized carina and apical process (Figs 1G–I); male paraproct pale brown with brown rounded process (Figs 1G, H); in female, epiproct and paraprocts dark brown (Figs 3A–B). Male subgenital plate light brown with yellowish styli having greyish dorsal longitudinal stripe on each (Figs 1 G-I), whereas female subgenital plate whitish (Fig 3C). Cerci brown with light brown areas near bases (Figs 1H, 3A). Ovipositor reddish brown (Fig 3D).
Length (mm) Body: 27.0–31.4 (male), 23.2 (female). Pronotum: 8.8–9.5 (male), 7.6 (female). Fore femur: 10.0–11.3 (male), 8.3 (female). Hind femur: 25.2–28.1 (male), 23.3 (female). Hind tibia: 22.0–25.1 (male), 21.8 (female). Hind basitarsus: 3.5–4.8 (male), 3.1 (female). Ovipositor 15.7.
Comparison. The new species is distinguished from other representatives of this genus by its large-sized body, except for E. ampla, E. bona and E. nataliae which are similar in size. Nevertheless, E. apicoexcisa can be distinguished from E. ampla by the posteromedian process of the ninth abdominal tergite of male directed backwards and with almost straight lateral margins (Figs 1D, E), whereas the latter species (E. ampla) has this process strongly curved downwards and with slightly concave lateral margins (in dorsal view); E. bona has this process slightly bent downwards, rounded in its distal part, and less narrowed in the middle part than in the new species; and E. nataliae has this process bent upwards and with trilobate apical part. Additional differences of the new species from all Thailand congeners are given in a key below.
Male of this new species can be additionally distinguished from those of E. angusta by the posteromedian process of the ninth abdominal tergite not separated from the basal part of this tergite with help of a transversal fold, by the apex of this process broadly rounded and with a small but rather deep notch in dorsal view, and by the epiproct more or less triangular and with long apical process that curved forward; whereas male of the latter species have this process separated from the basal part of the ninth abdominal tergite by a pair of folds, the apex of this process almost truncate (i.e. without any notch in dorsal view), and the epiproct almost rectangular with a distinctly shorter apical process. Female of the new species also can be distinguished from that of E. angusta by the abdomen with a shortly rounded posteromedian projection on both the eighth and ninth abdominal tergites and with subgenital plate shortly triangular; whereas female of the latter species has these abdominal tergites without any distinct projection posteriorly, and its subgenital plate more elongate.
This species can be also distinguished from E. visibilis by the apex of the posteromedian process of the ninth abdominal tergite of male broadly rounded and with a small but rather deep notch in dorsal view, and by the male epiproct more or less triangular and with a long apical process curved forward; whereas male of the latter species has this process distinctly truncated posteriorly and without any apical notch in dorsal view, and the epiproct almost rectangular but with a shortly blunted apical process. Female of this new species can be also distinguished from that of E. visibilis by the abdomen with shortly rounded posteromedian projections on the eighth and ninth abdominal tergites and with a shortly triangular subgenital plate; whereas the female abdomen of the latter species is with angular posteromedian projections on the eighth and ninth abdominal tergites and with a more elongate subgenital plate.
And from all other congeners (E. curvata, E. fossa, E. laosi, E. orlovi, E. rotundata, E. t. tarasovi and E. truncata), the new species may be additionally distinguished by the following features: E. fossa and E. laosi have this process shorter, more widened, and without any notch at the apex in dorsal view; E. curvata and E. orlovi have this process more curved downwards and with more concave lateral margins; E. t. tarasovi has this process distinctly narrower; E. rotundata has this process more rounded (semi-oval); E. truncata has this process distinctly shorter and trapezoidal in the shape. Also, the female of some of these species lacks projections on the eighth and ninth abdominal tergites (E. laosi, E. t. tarasovi) or has a projection only on the ninth abdominal tergite (E. orlovi).
Etymology The new species name is combined from the two Latin words: apico- (a prefix means “apex” or “apical part”) and excisus (a word means “excise” or “cut off”) referring to the posteromedian process of the male ninth tergite having a small excision (notch) at the apex.
description: Published as part of Dawwrueng, Pattarawich, Gorochov, Andrei V., Pinkaew, Nantasak & Vitheepradit, Akekawat, 2023, Review of the genus Eurhaphidophora Gorochov, 1999 (Orthoptera: Ensifera Rhaphidophoridae) from Thailand, with description of a new species, pp. 351-362 in Zootaxa 5278 (2) on pages 353-354, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5278.2.7, http://zenodo.org/record/7906263