A New Species of the Genus Propedies Hebard (Acridoidea: Acrididae: Melanoplinae) from Northern Argentina

Abstract

A new species Propedies microsanguineus (Melanoplinae) is here described from the Chaquefia biogeographic province in northern Argentina. P. microsanguineus is considered to belong to the fusiformis species group described for the genus and is closely related to P. sanguineus (Bruner). The genus Propedies Hebard (Melanoplinae) presently includes 40 known species distributed in Brazil (mainly in Mato Grosso, Goias, and Minas Gerais), in the paraguayan subtropical forest and in the eastern portion of the Chaquefia biogeographic region (Cabrera and Willink 1973) of Bolivia and Argentina. Of the 40 described species, 30 occur in Brazil, six in Bolivia, four in Paraguay. Only two species (Propedies bilobus (G.Tos) and Propediesfusiformis (G. Tos)) are known from Argentina. Propedies was included in an unclassified group of South American Melanoplinae together with Pediella Roberts and Parascopas Bruner (Amedegnato 1977). However, Ronderos and SAnchez (1983) showed that Propedies was closely related to Apacris (Dichroplini) based mostly on characters from the external morphology. Ronderos and Sainchez (1983) described 32 new species for Propedies and divided the taxon into four groups: the bipunctatus, geniculatus, fusiformis, and rubripennis groups. Collecting in northern Argentina has resulted in the discovery of a new species for the genus. The objectives of this paper are to describe the new species Propedies microsanguineus and to discuss its relationships with its cogeneric species. Materials and Methods Depositories.-Specimens examined in this study are deposited at the following institutions (the name of the corresponding city identifying the collections in the text): LA PLATA-Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Argentina. PHILADELPHIA-Academy of Natural Sciencies of Philadelphia, USA. Male genitalia.-Specimens were softened with ammonia before dissection of the phallic complex; phallic complexes were then cleared in potassium hydroxide and stored in glycerin. Measurements.-An ocular micrometer in a dissecting microscope was used to take the following measures: total body length from the fastigium apex to the end of hind femur, in lateral view; interocular distance as the shortest distance separating the eyes in dorsal view; width offastigium as the distance across the fastigium just above the eyes; length of fastigium just in front of compound eyes to the apex of it in dorsal view; length of male cerci from the bases to the tip in lateral view; length ofepiproct from the bases to the apex in dorsal view. Illustrations.-The phallic complex and male terminalia were illustrated using an ocular grid. A camera lucida was used for external morphology. Taxonomy PROPEDIES Hebard 1931 The genus has been redescribed and figured by Ronderos and Sanchez (1983). Study of the new species here described does not suggest the need for any modification of its latest redescription. Propedies microsanguineus new species Types.-Male holotype, from ARGENTINA, Provincia de Formosa, Las Lomitas, April 14 1998, M.M. Cigliano, C.E. Lange, in LA PLATA. Paratypes: 7 males, 12 females and 3 late nymphs, same data as holotype, in LA PLATA, and PHILADELPHIA. Etymology.-From (Gr.) microsmall, little + sanguineus, allusive to its closest species, Propepies sanguineus (Bruner) Description.-Small sized (body length male: 11.1-12.3 mm, female: 14.1-15.9 mm) insects with bright green legs; sides of body in males with a definite bright red band from back of eyes onto abdominal tergite VI, in females with conspicuously green band from back of eyes onto pronotum, sides of abdominal tergites I-III with a bright red band. Males (Figs. 1-2a-f): Head with prominent globose eyes. Interocular distance very narrow (fastigium width/ interocular distance = 3). Fastigium short, shallowly grooved. Frons straight. Antennae longer than head plus pronotum. Pronotum subcylindrical with lateral borders slightly divergent caudally; without a median carina; transverse sulci deeply impressed, posterior margin emarginate. Tegmina narrow, with dorsal margin straight and rounded apex, reaching about the second abdominal tergite. Male cerci JOURNAL OF ORTHOPTERA RESEARCH No. 7, DEC. 1998 This content downloaded from 207.46.13.111 on Tue, 09 Aug 2016 04:34:35 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 130 M. M. CIGLIANO AND C. E. LANGE conical, reaching edge of epiproct, apex acute. Epiproct triangular, with basal mid-longitudinal furrow. Furculae slender, parallel and long (cerci length/furculae length: 1.3). Subgenital plate with dorsolateral borders straight and opened dorsally, palium dome-shaped. Phallic complex (Fig. 2a-f): epiphallus with lateral plates short and wide, diverging caudally; anterior projections of lateral plates globe-shaped; posterior projections of lateral plates with blunt apex; ancorae acute. Rami narrow, not expanded caudally. Sheath of penis dorsally triangular, with deep median longitudinal furrow; apical lobes narrow, ventro-lateral lobes barely developed; apical valves of penis ventrally concave, apices acute. Sides of body with a definite bright red band from back of eyes onto abdominal tergite VI. Lateral lobes with a cream-colored area below red band. Vertex brown, antennae brownish red. Pronotal disk brown, bordered by two pale stripes. Venter of thorax and abdomen yellow; front and middle legs green; hind femur green, inner face yellowish green; hind knees with crescent area black. Hind tibiae blueish green. Tegmina brown. Females (Fig. 3): differ from males in the less globed shape eyes, obliquely situated; fastigium without medium furrow; interocular distance wider (fastigium width/ interocular distance: 2.5). Pronotum trapezoidal, with lateral lobes highly diverging caudally; meso and metathorax and the first two uromeres laterally expanded. Ovipositor valves stocky. Vertex and pronotal disk light brown; lateral lobes of pronotum with green upper band and ivory lower area; legs as in males, sides of abdomen with dark red band extending onto abdominal tergite III. Remarks.-Propedies microsanguineus belongs to the fusiformis species group of Propedies (Ronderos and Sanchez1983) -a group with the following characteristics: male cerci parallel, with acute apices; furculae well developed; epiproct triangular with acute apex; tegmina narrow; abdomen without mid dorsal punctuation; palium reduced; epiphallus with oblique lophi, zygoma projected caudally, rami short. Based on characters mostly from the external morphology and characters from the phallic complex (except the shape of sheath of penis and apical valves of penis), P. microsanguineus is closely related to P. sanguineus Bruner (Figs. 2g-i); it can be distinguished from it by characters listed in Table 1.