Neoconocephalus gaucho Piza 1969
Creators: name: Antunes, André Fonseca
name: Souza-Dias, Pedro G. B.
name: Takiya, Daniela Maeda
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Orthoptera
Tettigoniidae
Neoconocephalus
Neoconocephalus gaucho

description: Neoconocephalus gaucho Piza, 1969
(Figs. 7, 17)
Neoconocephalus gaucho Piza, 1969. Piza Jr. (1969): 39 [Description]; Paschoal & Barros (1977): 241 [Catalog]; Chamorro-Rengifo & Braun (2010): 43 [Catalog].
Neoconocephalus creusae Piza, 1970. Piza Jr. (1970): 127 [Description]; Paschoal & Barros (1977): 241 [Catalog]; Chamorro-Rengifo & Braun (2010): 43 [Catalog]. syn. nov. (Fig. 7J–P)
Type locality. Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Diagnosis. Thinner appearance (Figs. 7A, B, J, K); head conical in frontal view (Figs. 7E, N); fastigium of vertex conical in frontal view, two times longer than scapus length, base two times wider than scapus width (Figs. 7C, D, E, L, M, N); and lateral lobe of pronotum slightly longer than wide (Figs. 7C, L)
Redescription. Head: Conical in frontal view (Figs. 7E, N); fastigium of vertex conical in frontal view, two times longer than scapus length, base two times wider than scapus width, tooth weakly projected in the basal portion of fastigium (Figs. 7C, D, E, L, M, N); fastigium of frons little projected, rounded (Figs. 7E, N). Thorax: Pronotum anterior margin almost straight and posterior margin almost convex (Figs. 7D, J); lateral lobe slightly longer than wide, anterior margin of lateral lobe almost straight followed by a smooth curve with lower margin almost straight, margin of humeral sinus rounded, invagination of humeral sinus weakly concave (Figs. 7C, L). Wings: Tegmen with basal and apical region equally wide (Figs. 7B, K). Legs: Foreleg femur with six pairs of ventral spines, genicular lobe little developed, triangular and with acute apex, tympanum with three distinct regions: proximal one circular and closed, median one with a pair of open longitudinal slits, and apical one closed; midleg genicular lobe triangular with inner side with acuminate apex and outer side little developed and with rounded apex, tibia with six pairs of spines; hindleg femur with 11 pairs of small ventral spines, genicular lobe little developed and slightly curved, tibia dorsally with 22 internal spines and 21 external spines, in addition to two pairs of spurs, ventrally with approximately nine pairs of small alternating spines. Color: Type and additional specimen (holotype of N. creusae) light brown; black maculae on ventral surface of tarsi.
Description of male. Tegmen: Stridulatory area with two distinct slightly elevated transverse regions, anterior one long and posterior one almost half of tegmen length (Fig. 7F). Cercus: Dorsal lobe with spine measuring at least more than half the length of lobe, ventral lobe two times of dorsal lobe (Fig. 7G, H).
Description of female. Subgenital plate: Posterior margin concave and with pair of small triangular projections (Fig. 7O). Ovipositor: almost reaching tegmen apex (Fig. 7K).
Measurements: Male holotype: BdL 29.7(32.0); FL 1.5; PdL 8.1(8.0); TegL 36.0(36.0); FlegL 6.0; HlegL 15.9(16.0). Females (n=2): BdL 29.0–31.1; FL 2.2–2.3; PdL 6.8–7.0; TegL 41–5–42.1; FlegL 6.0–6.2; HlegL 17.1– 17.3; OvL 22.1–22.4.
Distribution. Brazil: Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo [new record] states.
Taxonomic notes. This species is most similar with N. americanus (Karny, 1907), N. globifrons (Karny, 1907), N. restrictus (Walker, 1869), and N. testaceus (Redtenbacher, 1891). Nevertheless, N. gaucho can be distinguished from N. americanus and N. globifrons by the fastigium of vertex basal tooth weakly projected (Fig. 7C, L) (well projected in N. americanus and N. globifrons), from N. restrictus by the pronotum lateral lobe with border not demarcated (Fig. 7C, L) and tegmen apex almost oblique (Fig. 7B, K) (pronotum lateral lobe with border strongly demarcated and tegmen apex almost straight in N. restrictus) and from N. testaceus by its fastigium apex 1/3 of fastigium base width (Fig. 7D, E, M, N) and invagination of humeral sinus weakly concave (Fig. 7C, KL (fastigium apex 2/3 of fastigium base width and invagination of humeral sinus deeply concave in N. testaceus).
The female holotype of N. creusae syn. nov. is herein considered conspecific to N. gaucho, mainly by the size of fastigium of vertex base width (Fig. 7D, M); fastigium of vertex length (Fig. 7D, M); and wings with basal and apical region equally wide (Fig. 7B, K). Additionally, a female of N. gaucho collected at the type locality, deposited at MELQ was also studied, and based on the study of this specimen, the similarity of N. gaucho with the female holotype of N. creusae syn. nov. became even clearer.
Type material. Neoconocephalus gaucho: male holotype “Sta. Maria, R. S, D. Link leg.; 12.2.68” [MELQ]. Neoconocephalus creusae syn. nov.: female holotype “ A. Zamith; Araçatuba; 1-1970” [MELQ].
Additional material. Females: One female “Sta. Maria; 16.III.72; A. Lang leg.” “ Alótipo não descrito” [MELQ].
description: Published as part of Antunes, André Fonseca, Souza-Dias, Pedro G. B. & Takiya, Daniela Maeda, 2025, Comments on Neoconocephalus Karny, 1907 (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae, Conocephalinae) species described by Salvador de Toledo Piza Jr.: The first contribution to the knowledge of South American species, pp. 363-393 in Zootaxa 5584 (3) on page 375, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5584.3.4, http://zenodo.org/record/14853407