Phymonotus jacintotopos: A new genus and species of shield-backed katydid (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Tettigoniinae: Nedubini) from the San Jacinto Mountains of California, USA

Abstract

We describe the monotypic shield-backed katydid genus Phymonotus and species jacintotopos from the San Jacinto Mountains of southern California, USA. Phymonotus is unique in having an unusually enlarged dome-like pronotum, a distinctive song, and seven additional distinctive morphological features. We believe that Phymonotus is a Pleistocene relic taxon, now endemic to geographically isolated high elevation conifer forests of the San Jacinto Mountains. Nearest relatives Agalothorax and Neduba taxa occur in lower elevation environments throughout the surrounding region. Phymonotus is a member of the katydid tribe Nedubini which has a Gondwanan distribution with additional taxa in Australia and South America (Chile and Argentina). Western North American Nedubini apparently result from a South American dispersal event. We also describe characters newly used for the description and diagnosis of Phymonotus, the dorsal and ventral lobes of the titillators, and the dorsal sclerites of the titillators. We report evidence that Phymonotus males may produce thoracic glandular secretions that are offered to mating females.