Paraoaxaca cohni 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 cohni

description: Paraoaxaca cohni 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 short, finger-like furcula with tips slightly slanted sidewards (Fig. 10A) plus the spherical subgenital plate with a subtriangular tip pointing dorso-anteriorly (Fig. 10C–D); or by the bilobulated lophi of epiphallus (Fig. 14A–B), along with the short dorsal aedeagal valves with dorsally flattened, claw-like apices (Fig. 14C–D). Other differences are shown in Table 2. Overall, male genitalia of cohni sp. nov. is most similar to cuitlateca sp. nov.. Notably, these species are parapatrically distributed (Fig. 6), and have lobulated lophi of epiphallus and short, dorsally flattened dorsal aedeagal valves (Figs. 14–15). However, the shapes of these characters notably differ between species (Table 2). For example, dorsal aedeagal valves are claw-like in cohni sp. nov. (Fig. 14C), while wrench-like in cuitlateca sp. nov. (Fig. 15C). Moreover, unlike any other species in the subgenus, males of cohni sp. nov. exhibit yellow coloration on the dorsomedial and dorsolateral stripes, as well as on the lower surface of their body (Fig. 4E, F).
SPECIES DESCRIPTION. Coloration (Fig. 4E–H) and general morphology (Fig. 7E–H): similar in variation as described for the subgenus, except for the coloration of central and dorsolateral light stripes of the dorsal surface and the lower lateral half of the body that in this species are yellow in males and withe to ivory in females. Male terminalia (Fig. 10A–D): supra-anal plate triangular with rounded apex. Furcula nearly touching dorsally, moderately short (but longer than in P. ottei), finger-like with rounded tips slightly slanted sidewards in dorsal view (Fig. 10A). Cerci conical and straight, tapering gradually towards the apex, nearly as long as the supra-anal plate (Fig. 10A–B). Subgenital plate spherical with a subtriangular tip in the posterior border pointing dorso-anteriorly in dorsal view (Fig. 10C) and with ventral border concave in lateral view (Fig. 10D). Female terminalia (Fig. 10E–F): supra-anal plate triangular. Furcula not developed. Cerci conical, nearly one-half the length of the supra-anal plate (Fig. 10E). Dorsal valves of ovipositor lanceolate with tips curved dorsally (Fig. 10F). Ventral valves of ovipositor with a ventral tooth projecting posteriorly and tips curved ventrally (Fig. 10F). Male genitalia (Fig. 14A–D): epiphallus well sclerotized, bridge slightly curved anteriorly (Fig. 14A); ancorae short, triangular, and curved ventrally (Fig. 14A–B); anterior projections curved inwards with sharp pointy apices (Fig. 14A–B); lophi bilobulated, one lobule is knob-like and internal, while the other is stout and external (Fig. 14A), and with anterior-internal tooth notably developed dorsally (Fig. 14B). Endophallus with dorsal valves short (barely surpassing the sheath of ectophallus), claw-like and dorsally flattened (Fig. 14C–D). Ventral valves conical and nearly as long as the dorsal valves in lateral view of endophallus (Fig. 14D).
EXTERNAL VARIATION (in mm). Males (n = 15): body length: 13.28–16.29 (14.73 ± 1.15), pronotum length: 2.78–3.48 (3.18 ± 0.19), prozona length: 1.77–2.7 (2.17 ± 0.24), metazona length: 0.55–1.08 (0.94 ± 0.14), metazona/prozona ratio: 0.24–0.58 (0.44 ± 0.08), and hind femur length: 8.14–9.39 (8.72 ± 0.38). Females (n = 17): body length: 14.08–19.49 (17.23 ± 1.72), pronotum length: 3.01–4.33 (3.85 ± 0.38), prozona length: 2.01–3.16 (2.63 ± 0.34), metazona length: 0.97–1.48 (1.18 ± 0.16), metazona/prozona ratio: 0.35–0.55 (0.45 ± 0.07), and hind femur length: 8.84–10.72 (9.96 ± 0.64).
TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype male (Fig. 7E, G): México, Michoacán, Carr. 37, 1.03 km al SO de “El Zorrillo”; Selva seca caducifolia, 8-X- 2023, 798 masl, 18.2746º N, -102.27683º W, S. Sanabria-Urbán & J.D. Gómez-Tapia L03.2023 (locality L14), CAFESI (specimen #15). Additional type material: allotype female (Fig. 7F, H) and 21 paratypes (9♂ and 12♀) with same data as holotype, CAFESI; 5 paratypes (2♂ and 3♀) from: Mexico, Michoacan, 7.2 mi. NE. Playa Azul (on HWY. 37) 2.8 mi. NE. La Mira Jct.; 6-XI- 1974, 213 masl, 18.067611º N, - 102.318296º W, T.J. & T. W. Cohn #123 (locality L06), ANSP; 4 paratypes (3♂ and 1♀) from: Mexico, Michoacan, 26 mi. N. La Mira; Oak forest with overgrassed grasses, 8-IX- 1981, 752 masl, 18.301937º N, - 102.273416º W, Otte #59 (locality L09), ANSP.
DISTRIBUTION, HABITAT AND TEMPORAL OCCURRENCE. This species has been found in three geographically close and lowland localities (213–798 masl) in the southeastern portion of Michoacán state, within the Pacific lowlands and the Sierra Madre del Sur biogeographic provinces. This species seems to be parapatrically distributed with cuitlateca sp. nov., which also reach Southwestern Michoacan but at lower elevations (2–212 masl). Notably, individuals of cohni sp. nov. and cuitlateca sp. nov. have been found in virtually the same site (localities L06 and L13), but at different years (1974 and 2023, respectively). Adult specimens of cohni sp. nov. have been collected from September to November in weedy-bushy ruderal habitats and overgrown fields surrounded by tropical deciduous and Oak forests (Fig. 17 C–D).
ETYMOLOGY. The specific epithet is a patronym in honor of Theodore J. Cohn for his great contributions to the taxonomy of Melanoplinae grasshoppers northwestern Mexico and because some of the material revised here was collected by him.
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 518-520, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5486.4.3, http://zenodo.org/record/13210402