Neoconocephalus incertus
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 incertus

description: Neoconocephalus incertus (Piza, 1958)
(Figs. 10, 11, 12, 13, 17)
Homorocoryphus incertus Piza, 1958. Piza Jr. (1958): 57 [Description]; Paschoal & Barros (1977): 241 [Catalog]; Chamorro-Rengifo & Braun (2010): 43 [Catalog, transferred to Neoconocephalus Karny, 1907].
Homorocoryphus ferreirai Piza, 1971. Piza Jr. (1971): 1 [Description]; Paschoal & Barros (1977): 241 [Catalog]; Chamorro-Rengifo & Braun (2010): 43 [Catalog, transferred to Neoconocephalus Karny, 1907]. syn. nov. (Fig. 11)
Neoconocephalus lavrensis Piza, 1971. Piza Jr. (1971): 49 [Description]; Paschoal & Barros (1977): 241 [Catalog]; Chamorro-Rengifo & Braun (2010): 43 [Catalog]. syn. nov. (Fig. 11)
Neoconocephalus paravicinus Piza, 1973. Piza Jr. (1973): 181 [Description]; Paschoal & Barros (1977): 181 [Catalog]; Chamorro-Rengifo & Braun (2010): 43 [Catalog]. syn. nov. (Fig. 12)
Homorocoryphus riparius Piza, 1983. Piza Jr. (1983): 110 [Description]; Otte (1997): 69 [Catalog, transferred to Ruspolia Schulthess, 1898]; Chamorro-Rengifo & Braun (2010): 43 [Catalog, transferred to Neoconocephalus Karny, 1907]. syn. nov. (Fig. 12)
Neoconocephalus xiphophorus Piza, 1975. Piza Jr. (1975): 353 [Description]; Chamorro-Rengifo & Braun (2010): 63 [Catalog]. syn. nov. (Fig. 13)
Type locality. Piracicaba and Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
Diagnosis. Head conical in frontal view (Figs. 10E, N, 11E, N, 12E, L, 13E); fastigium of vertex semicircular, two and half times longer than scapus length, base two times wider than scapus width (Figs. 10E, N, 11E, N, 12E, L, 13E); and lateral lobe of pronotum anterior margin slightly longer than wide, with anterior margin followed by a smooth curvature with lower margin straight (Figs. 10C, L, 11C, L, 12C, J, 13C).
Redescription. Head: Conical in frontal view (Figs. 10E, N, 11E, N, 12E, L, 13E); fastigium of vertex semicircular in frontal view, two times longer than scapus length, base two and half times wider than scapus width, tooth not projected at basal portion of fastigium; (Figs. 10C, D, E, L, M, N, 11C, D, E, L, M, N, 12C, D, E, J, K, L, 13C, D, E); fastigium of frons projected, rounded (Figs. 10E, N, 11E, N, 12E, L, 13E). Thorax: Pronotum anterior margin almost straight and posterior margin convex (Figs. 10D, M, 11D, M, 12D, K, 13D); lateral lobe slightly longer than wide, anterior margin of lateral lobe almost straight, followed by a smooth curvature with lower margin almost straight, margin of humeral sinus rounded, invagination of humeral sinus concave (Figs. 10C, L, 11C, L, 12C, J, 13C). Wings: Tegmen with basal and apical region equally wide (Figs. 10B, K, 11B, K, 12B, I, 13B). Legs: Foreleg femur with a small ventral spine, genicular lobe triangular, tympanum with three distinct regions: proximal one circular and closed, median one with a pair of open longitudinal slits, and apical one small and partially open, tibia with six pairs of ventral spines; midleg femur with four ventral spines, genicular lobe with inner side with rounded apex and outer side with acute apex, tibia with seven pairs of ventral spines; hindleg femur ventrally with 11 inner spines and eight outer spines, genicular lobe with apex weakly prominent, tibia dorsally with 20 inner spines and 21 outer spines, ventrally with approximately eight pairs of ventral spines. Color: Syntypes brown, additional type specimens (holotype of N. ferreirai, holotype of N. lavrensis, holotype of N. paravicinus, holotype of N. riparius, and paratype of N. xiphophorus) dark brown to light green and additional specimens light green; red tinge on mandibles, black on ventral surface of femur, sometimes black spots on tegmen.
Description of male. Tegmen: Stridulatory area with two distinct slightly elevated transverse regions, anterior one long and posterior one small and oval (Figs. 10F, 11F, O). Cercus: Dorsal lobe with spine measuring at least more than half the length, ventral lobe two times longer than dorsal lobe (Figs. 10G, H, 11G, H, P, Q).
Description of female. Subgenital plate: Posterior margin weakly concave with pair of triangular projections (Figs. 10O, 12F, M, 13F). Ovipositor: Approaching tegmen apex or slightly extending beyond tegmen apex (Figs. 10K, 12B, I, 13B).
Measurements: Male syntype: BdL 32.1(26.0); FL 1.6(1.5); PdL 8.2(8.5); TegL 42.0(37.5); FlegL 7.1; HlegL 25.1(23.5). Female syntypes (n=2): BdL 30.6–31.4(33.0); FL 1.7–1.8(2.0); PdL 8.8–9.0(9.0); TegL 44.3–44.7(50.0); FlegL 6.1–6.3; HlegL 24.7–26.1(29.5); OvL 32.6–33.1(32.5). Males (n=2): BdL 29.9–33.7; FL 1.5–1.6; PdL 8.1– 8.5; TegL 40.9–46.2; FlegL 7.2–7.4; HlegL 23.4–26.1. Females (n=4) BdL 26.9–29.1; FL 1.6–2.0; PdL 7.0–7.6; TegL 37.2–43.1; FlegL 6.6–6.8; HlegL 21.9–25.3; OvL 26.1–34.2.
Distribution. Brazil: Mato Grosso do Sul [new record], Minas Gerais [new record], Pará [new record] and São Paulo states.
Taxonomic notes. This species is most similar with N. longicauda (Karny, 1907) and N. triops (Linnaeus, 1758). However, this species can be distinguished from N. longicauda by the stridulatory area measuring half of tegmen width and with two elevated transverse regions connected (Figs. 10F, 11F, O) (stridulatory area measuring almost whole tegmen width and two elevated transverse regions not connected in N. longicauda) and from N. triops by the space between fastigium of vertex and fastigium of frons measuring less than one-fifth of scapus length (Figs. 10C, L, 11C, L, 12C, J, 13C) and fastigium of vertex basal tooth not prominent (Figs. 10C, L, 11C, L, 12C, J, 13C) (space between fastigium of vertex and fastigium of frons larger than one third of scapus length and fastigium of vertex basal tooth projected in N. triops).
Six male and six female syntypes of N. incertus are mentioned in the original description (Piza Jr. 1958), of those only five males and four females were found in the collection and studied.All specimens are very similar and herein considered conspecific, thus we found no need to formally designate a lectotype. Furthermore, male holotypes of N. ferreirai syn. nov. and N. lavrensis syn. nov., and the female holotypes of N. paravicinus syn. nov., N. riparius syn. nov., and female paratype of N. xiphophorus syn. nov. are herein considered conspecific to N. incertus. All type specimens share similar fastigium of vertex base width, similar fastigium of vertex length, fastigium of frons projected and rounded (Figs. 10E, N, 11E, N, 12E, L, 13E), pronotum lateral lobe slightly longer than wide (Figs. 10C, L, 11C, L, 12C, J, 13C); and the male specimens, tegmen stridulatory area with two distinct slightly elevated transverse regions, anterior one long and posterior one small and oval (Fig. 10F, 11F, O). Female type specimens of N. paravicinus syn. nov., N. riparius syn. nov., and N. xiphophorus syn. nov. have differences in body color, as well as, in the presence and position of black spots on the tegmen and extension of the ovipositor (Fig. 10K, 12B, I, 13B), however these characteristics also vary among N. incertus syntypes. In addition to intraspecific variations, the condition in which such females were collected can also influence the size of the abdomen, which may be related to reproductive conditions, amount of food ingested, presence of parasites and mostly, specimen preservation may have led to a reduction of the size of the abdomen.
The morphological study of N. xiphophorus syn. nov. was based on the female paratype, because the female holotype was not found in MELQ. However, based on the photographs of the female holotype available at OSF database (Cigliano et al. 2023), it was possible to compare both type specimens and consider them conspecific.
Type material. Neoconocephalus incertus: five male and three female syntypes “Pirac; 2/51” [MELQ]. Female syntype “Campinas” [MELQ]. Neoconocephalus ferreirai syn. nov.: male holotype “Campo Grande M.G (sic!) num quartel” “Hamilton Ferreira leg. 1969” [MELQ]. Neoconocephalus lavrensis syn. nov.: male holotype, “Lavras— M.G.; Brasil; Penido” [MELQ]. Neoconocephalus paravicinus syn. nov.: female holotype “Lavras” “27” [MELQ]. Neoconocephalus riparius syn. nov.: female holotype “Jacaré—Rio Trombetas—PA; 20 a 22.IX.965; Exp. DZ. MG. leg” [MELQ]. Neoconocephalus xiphophorus syn. nov.: female paratype “Amilton Ferreira leg; Rio Claro” [MELQ].
Additional material. Females: One female “ BRASIL,PA, Belterra, Fazenda Treviso; 3°8’56.7”S / 54°50’25,2”W; 01–11.XII.2018; Souza-Dias, Monné equipe legs.” [MNRJ-ENT6-32463].
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 pages 379-385, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5584.3.4, http://zenodo.org/record/14853407