Philmontoides commodus Ingrisch 2022, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Ingrisch, Sigfrid
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Orthoptera
Tettigoniidae
Philmontoides
Philmontoides commodus

description: Philmontoides commodus sp. nov.
Figs. 9F, 10C, 10M, 11E, 12G, 15D–E, 16D, 17M–N
Holotype (male): Papua New Guinea: Purosa (20–26 km SE of Okapa), elev. 1800–2020 m (6°43’S, 145°51’E), 28.viii.1964, leg. J. Sedlacek —depository: Bernice B. Bishop Museum, Honolulu (BPBM).
Other specimens studied: Papua New Guinea: Eastern Highlands, 13 km SE of Okapa, elev. 1650–1870 m (6°35’S, 145°43’E), 26.viii.1964, leg. J. & M. Sedlacek — 2 males (BPBM); New Guinea (NE), 18 km SE of Okapa, elev. 1700 m, 26.viii.1964, leg. J. Sedlacek — 1 female (BPBM); Southern Highlands, Aiyurop near Mendi, elev. 1530 m (6°8’S, 143°39’E), 7.x.1958, leg. J.L. Gressitt — 1 female, 1 male (BPBM); New Guinea (NE), Chimbu Province, Mt Karimui, elev. 1500 m (6°30’S, 144°49’E), 21.iv.1977, leg. J.L. Gressitt — 1 female (BPBM).
Diagnosis. P. commodus sp. nov. belongs to the group of species that have widened male cerci with concave internal surface (Fig. 10C). It differs from species with similar cerci as P. affinis (Will.) and P. wau sp. nov. by the rather long, strong, and curved dorsal projection of the cercus and by the shape of the tenth abdominal tergite that is provided at end with a pair of compressed, narrowing and curved apical projections similar to the situation in P. hageni (Dohrn) and related species (Fig. 11E). These projections differ however from those of the latter species in not being downcurved but running at the same level as the dorsal area of the tenth abdominal tergite, are narrowing toward end and little overlapping with their narrow ends instead of ending into wide rounded lobes that are downcurved and ending clearly separated from each other. The shape of the tenth tergite of P. commodus is also similar to that of P. wau sp. nov. But in P. commodus the apical projections are running at the same level as the dorsal area of the tenth tergite and are slightly overlapping at end, while in P. wau they are stouter and strongly curved ventrad toward end. Both species differ also by the shape of the male cerci in that the dorsal internal projection is stout and long in P. commodu s while narrow and short in P. wau. Also, the shapes of the male titillators and the number and density of teeth on the male stridulatory file are different: in P. commodu s the file is provided with narrow but distinct teeth from base to tip while in P. wau teeth are distinct only in little more than basal half of the file, then becoming narrow and indistinct toward end. The female subgenital plate of the new species resembles somewhat the shape of collapsed plates in P. lobatus (N. & R., 2010) but has the subbasal area more widely constricted from both sides thus that the basal lateral projections appear longer; also, the main area of the plate is in anterior area much wider and the lateral margins more strongly constricted than in the latter species, and the pair of impressions of the plate are oval instead of rounded in P. lobatus (Fig. 17M).
Description. Elongate species with tegmen reaching about end of hind femur (Fig. 9F). Pronotum disc with anterior and posterior margins convex, but anterior margin in middle faintly concave, hind margin covering only base of stridulatory area of tegmen, transverse furrows interrupted in middle; lateral lobes not very deep, ventral margin slightly concave, at end forming a rounded angle with posterior area that is projecting laterad and visible from above; hind margin broadly rounded. Prosternal spines long; mesosternal lobes obtuse; metasternal lobes rounded but with an angle or fold. Femora with the following number of spines on ventral margins: (1) 3-6 / 2-9; (2) 5-6 / 1-4; (3) 9-11 / 9-12 (n = 6); hind knee lobes bispinose. Two males have also the knee lobes of anterior femur with a second smaller spine on one or on both sides; 1 female has both prosternal spines of markedly different length.
Male. Stridulatory file with teeth narrower than in other species of the genus and rather dense throughout; greatest teeth before and around mid-length, without step, teeth gradually narrowing toward end, but countable throughout; stridulatory file 1.42–1.70 mm long (mean 1.61 mm) with 50–61 teeth (mean 57 teeth); basal area with large teeth 0.80–0.92 mm (mean 0.84 mm) with 25–30 teeth (mean 27 teeth); area with largest teeth 0.58–0.78 mm (mean 0.69 mm) with 18–23 teeth (mean 19.5 teeth), n = 4 (Fig. 12G). Tenth abdominal tergite with a fine furrow in midline, hemispheric on both sides of furrow; at end extended into a pair of curved conical processes that embrace an oval empty space, open behind (Fig. 11E). Cerci at base cylindrical, this area hidden under projections of tenth tergite; shortly afterward compressed and strongly widened ventro-distad forming a large semi-oval lobe; at transition from cylindrical to compressed area from dorsal margin with a long internal process, that is wide and compressed near base but strongly narrowing thereafter and curved toward end, carrying a small spine from dorsal end of rounded tip; compressed apical area of cercus also with a short spine on dorsal margin shortly before rounded end of lobe (Fig. 11E). Subgenital plate vaulted, angularly excised from base, afterward with medial carina, lateral margins bent dorsad and then laterad; lateral margins convex, at end extended into short rounded lobes that carry small styli. Titillators separate, in basal area curved laterad and vaulted; apical area widened, roughly oval and surrounded by large expansions that carry along rim and distal side of titillator a wide, oblique area with dense long hairs, at proximal side of that area with short and less distinct hairs and scattered large granules; external surface with very fine granulation; also along central area between both titillators with fine granulation; at end of the hairy area with a very small, vaulted cap (Figs 15D–E).
Female. Subgenital plate in posterior area with concave lateral margins, terminating into a pair of triangular lobes with narrow tip; disc with a medial carina; toward base, surface becoming more or less membranous resulting into a pair of large oval depressions with marked rims; in sub-basal area, plate largely excised from both sides, but at very base widening laterally again forming a pair of longitudinally compressed lateral lobes that are in central area membranous, in lateral areas sclerotized with rounded ends (Figs 17M–N).
Coloration. Face of general color, antennal scrobae, internal surface of scapus and fastigium verticis dark brown or black; vertex, occiput and upper area of genae black or dark brown; dorsal surface of pronotum of general color, in posterior area with indication of a dark medial band, lateral lobes black with one or two light spots, margins black but partly of light color; tegmina along anterior and posterior margins of light color, partly with dark spots, in central area dark brown or black with light veinlets; hind femur with black pre-genicular ring.
Measurements (4 males, 4 females).—Body w/wings: male 33–37, female 37–40; body w/o wings: male 23–28, female 24–30; pronotum: male 6.5–7.5, female 7.8–8.2; tegmen: male 25.5–29.0, female 28–31; hind femur: male 20.7–22.0, female 23.5–24.0; antenna: male>70 (broken), female 145; ovipositor: female 14–15 mm.
Etymology. The name of the new species refers to the stridulatory file on underside of the male tegmen that has all teeth distinct and clearly visible over the full length; from Latin commodus —complete.
description: Published as part of Ingrisch, Sigfrid, 2022, Revision of the genus Philmontis Willemse, 1966 and description of a new genus Philmontoides gen. nov. from New Guinea (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae; Conocephalinae), pp. 101-151 in Zootaxa 5182 (2) on pages 148-149, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5182.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7049507