Paraoaxaca tlapaneca N, Gómez-Tapia, Mariño-Pérez, Song, Vázquez-Reyes & Sanabria-Urbán, 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Aguilar-Rolda ́ N, César Antonio
name: Gómez-Tapia, José David
name: Mariño-Pérez, Ricardo
name: Song, Hojun
name: Vázquez-Reyes, Leopoldo D.
name: Sanabria-Urbán, Salomón
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Orthoptera
Acrididae
Paraoaxaca
Paraoaxaca tlapaneca

description: Paraoaxaca tlapaneca sp. nov. Aguilar-Roldán, Gómez-Tapia, Mariño-Pérez & Sanabria-Urbán
DIAGNOSIS AND MORPHOLOGICAL AFFINITIES. Males of this species are differentiated from other Paraoaxaca species by their moderately short, subtriangular, and flattened furcula with tips pointing forwards or sidewards (Fig. 12A) along with the subtriangular subgenital plate with a pointy posterior border (Fig. 12C–D); or by the paddle-shaped lophi of epiphallus (Fig. 16A–B), in combination with the long dorsal aedeagal valves with gutter-like tips bended laterally or anteriorly (Fig. 16C–D). Other differences are shown in Table 2. Despite the lophi in tlapaneca sp. nov. approaches the shape seen ottei sp. nov. and the similarities in coloration patterns between these two species and cuitlateca sp. nov. (which exhibit ivory coloration on the dorsomedial and dorsolateral stripes, as well as on the lower surface of their body), the shape and size of endophallic valves of tlapaneca sp. nov. are unique and strongly differentiated among its congeners. Moreover, tlapaneca sp. nov. seems to be allopatrically distributed in the southern portion of subgenus range (Fig. 6).
SPECIES DESCRIPTION. Coloration (Fig. 5E–H) and general morphology (Fig. 8E–H): similar in variation as described for the subgenus, except for the coloration of central and dorsolateral light stripes of the dorsal surface of the body that in this species ranges from white to ivory. Male terminalia (Fig. 12A–D): supra-anal plate subtriangular with rounded posterior border. Furcula nearly touching dorsally, moderately short, subtriangular, and flattened in the base with rounded tips pointing forwards or lightly slanted sidewards in dorsal view (Fig. 12A). Cerci conical and straight, tapering gradually towards the apex, nearly as long as the supra-anal plate (Fig. 12A–B). Subgenital plate with a pointy posterior border pointing dorso-posteriorly dorsal view (Fig. 12C) and with ventral border decidedly developed ventro-posteriorly in lateral view (Fig. 12D). Female terminalia (Fig. 12E–F): supra-anal plate triangular. Furcula not developed. Cerci conical, nearly one-half the length of the supra-anal plate (Fig. 12E). Dorsal valves of ovipositor lanceolate with tips curved dorsally (Fig. 12F). Ventral valves of ovipositor with a ventral tooth projecting posteriorly and tips curved ventrally (Fig. 12F). Male genitalia (Fig. 16A–D): epiphallus well sclerotized, bridge strongly curved anteriorly (Fig. 16A); ancorae short, triangular, and curved ventrally (Fig. 16A–B); anterior projections curved inwards with sharp pointy apices (Fig. 16A–B); lophi prominent, paddle-shaped and developed posteriorly with anterior-internal tooth barely developed dorsally (Fig. 16A–B). Endophallus with long dorsal valves (notably developing beyond the sheath of ectophallus) with gutter-like tips bended laterally or anteriorly in dorsal view (Fig. 16C–D). Ventral valves elongated, slender, and completely wrapped by and as long as the dorsal aedeagal valves (Fig. 16D).
EXTERNAL VARIATION (in mm). Males (n = 16): body length: 10.91–17.55 (15.07 ± 1.32), pronotum length: 2.76–3.91 (2.93 ± 0.27), prozona length: 1.83–2.74 (2.08 ± 0.28), metazona length: 0.69–1.11 (0.87 ± 0.11), metazona/prozona ratio: 0.31–0.53 (0.42 ± 0.06), and hind femur length: 7.74–10.08 (8.37 ± 0.52). Females (n = 16): body length: 15.29–19.57 (18.01 ± 1.14), pronotum length: 3.35–4.51 (3.83 ± 0.28), prozona length: 2–2.97 (2.58 ± 0.24), metazona length: 0.78–1.64 (1.15 ± 0.2), metazona/prozona ratio: 0.31–0.55 (0.44 ± 0.06), and hind femur length: 8.42–11.65 (10.13 ± 0.74).
TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype male (Fig. 8E, G): México, Guerrero, Guamu, Sierra de Atoyac, km 19 Carr Acapulco-Zihuatanejo; Selva seca caducifolia, 13-X-2018, 49 masl, 16.95885º N, -99.91789º W, S. Sanabria-Urbán, R. Palacios & V. H. Jimenéz-Arcos L01.2018 (locality L01), CAFESI (specimen #17). Additional type material: allotype female (Fig. 8F, H) and one male paratype with same data as holotype, CAFESI; 7 paratypes (5♂ and 2♀) from: Mexico, Guerrero, 14 mi. S. Chilpancingo; brushy posture, forest on hillside, 4-IX- 1981, 222 masl, 17.391577º N, - 99.474267º W, Otte, Azuma, Newlin #52 (locality L10), ANSP. 10 paratypes (5♂ and 5♀) from: Mexico, Guerrero, 16 rd. mi. S. Chilpancingo (km. 298 on Hwy.95);, 19-IX-1959, 1158 masl, 17.37341º N, - 99.480445º W, I.J. Cantrall & T. J. Cohn #147 (locality L11), ANSP. 1 male paratype from: Mexico, Guerrero, 19 mi. S. Chilpancingo; Oak and pine, tall grass, 4-IX- 1981, 975 masl, 17.34116º N, - 99.479662º W, Otte, Azuma, Newlin #51 (locality L12), ANSP. 2 female paratypes from: México, Guerrero, Nueva Delhi, barranca frente a iglesia; Bosque mesófilo de montaña, 13-X-2018, 1327 masl, 17.41435º N, - 100.19736º W, S. Sanabria-Urbán, R. Palacios & V. H. Jimenéz-Arcos L04.2018 (locality L02), CAFESI. 4 paratypes (1♂ and 3♀) from: México, Guerrero, Ca. La Siberia; Bosque mesófilo de montaña, 14-X-2018, 1010 masl, 17.3237º N, - 100.25092º W, S. Sanabria-Urbán, R. Palacios & V. H. Jimenéz-Arcos L07.2018 (locality L03), CAFESI. 5 paratypes (2♂ and 3♀) from: México, Guerrero, Carr.196, 2.82 km al Oeste de “El Rincón de las Parotas”, Atoyac; Selva seca Caducifolia y cultivo de Maíz, 21-I- 2024, 271 masl, 17.24425º N, - 100.40161º W, S. Sanabria-Urbán, L.D. Vázquez Reyes & J.D. Gómez-Tapia L03.2024 (locality L17), CAFESI.
DISTRIBUTION, HABITAT AND TEMPORAL OCCURRENCE. This species has been found in seven lowland and midlands localities (49 –1327 masl) up to 97 km apart from each other in southcentral Guerrero, within the Pacific lowlands and the Sierra Madre del Sur biogeographic provinces (Fig. 6). Adult and nymphal individuals (Fig. 5E, G) of tlapaneca sp. nov. have been collected from September to January (between 1959 and 2024) in weedy-bushy ruderal habitats, cultivated fields surrounded by tropical deciduous, cloud and oak forests (Fig. 17 E–F).
ETYMOLOGY. This species is named after the Tlapaneca, also known as Me’phaa, an ancient native people that has inhabited southeastern Guerrero since pre-Columbian times and remains in the Sierra Madre del Sur in Guerrero. The epithet tlapaneca is a feminine noun in apposition.
description: Published as part of Aguilar-Rolda ́ N, César Antonio, Gómez-Tapia, José David, Mariño-Pérez, Ricardo, Song, Hojun, Vázquez-Reyes, Leopoldo D. & Sanabria-Urbán, Salomón, 2024, Studies in Mexican grasshoppers: four new species of the genus Oaxaca Fontana Buzzetti & Mariño-Pérez, 2011 with the erection of the subgenus Paraoaxaca (Caelifera: Acrididae: Melanoplinae), pp. 499-538 in Zootaxa 5486 (4) on pages 521-524, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5486.4.3, http://zenodo.org/record/13210402