Neopedies taimensis Matiotti da Costa, n. sp.

(Figs 1-5, 7 A-B)

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the Estação Ecológica do Taim (Taim Ecological Station) where these grasshoppers were first sampled.

Diagnosis. (i) Distal region of the epiproct with distinct two protuberances and rounded apex; (ii) furculae developed and sclerotized arranged in an inverted V-shape; (iii) pallium lobes very developed and sclerotized; (iv) male cerci subquadragular enlarged in basal and apical region, extremities indented and sclerotized; (v) flat bridge and ancorae larger in size than of the anterior projections; (vi) lophi with median reentrancy very protruding, with distinct undulation in the basal region and sclerotized.

Description. Male Holotype (Figs 1A, 2A, 3A, 3C, 4A, 4B, 4C, 5A, 5B, 7A). Body medium in size (14 mm length). Smooth integument. Micropterous. Head. Small, same level as the pronotum disk. Front oblique and marked. Antennae filiform, with 20 antennomeres surpassing the posterior margin of pronotum. Interocular space narrow (Fig. 3A). Eyes globose, very developed, laterally salient and not exceeding the vertex (Fig. 3C). Face little retreating. Frontal costa with sulci. Occiput smooth (Fig. 3C). Fastigium of the vertex prominent with a uniform decline and not depressed between the eyes, subtriangular, shorter, with apex of vertex slightly rounded (Fig. 3A).

Thorax. Pronotum cylindrical, posteriorly little dilated, without median and lateral carina (Fig. 3A); metazona shorter than prozona; pronotum with sparsely marked transverse sulci; anterior and posterior edges with slight emargination; side lobes with both sides converging (Fig. 3A). Prosternal tubercle acute. Mesosternal lobes not far apart, with rounded inner margin. Tegmen slender and short, spatuliform, with rounded apex, surpassing the first uromer (Figs 1A, 2A). Legs. Median and forelegs robust. Hind tibiae pubescent with 7 outer and 8 inner dorsal spines; genicular lobules with scarse development (Figs 1A, 2A). Abdomen. Tympanum large. Epiproct triangular (Figs 4A, 4C), longer than wider with deep median sulci in apical portion and two conspicuous protuberances in the distal region; furculae highly developed and sclerotized arranged in an inverted V-shape. (Figs 4A, 4C). Pallium internal lobes developed and sclerotized (Fig. 4B). Cerci quadrangular, robust, curved, not exceeding the epiproct apex; enlarged in basal and apical region, extremities indented and sclerotized. (Figs 4A, 4B, 4C). Subgenital plate cupuliform, short, curved up, apex rounded (Fig.4C).

Phallic complex. Cingulum with long apodemes slender and parallel, arch developed (Fig. 5A); aedeagus long with upper and lower valves of the same size, and median longitudinal sulci in the apical valves; sclerites of aedeagus covered by the wide and highly lobulated ectophallic sheath (Fig. 5A). Epiphallus with flat bridge; ancorae larger in size than of the anterior projections; lophi median reentrancy very protruding, with distinct undulation in the basal region and sclerotized (Fig. 5B).

Coloration: Body light brown (Figs 1A, 2A, 7A). Head and pronotum in lateral view bearing a well-marked longitudinal whitish strip slightly outlined in black, and in dorsal view two parallel thin whitish strips that run from the head to the end of abdomen. Antennae brown. Face, genae, basal half of the lateral lobes of the pronotum and meso and metapleura ivory (Fig. 3C). Fastigium with black spots (Fig. 3A). Occiput brown. Face, clypeus, and genae reddish; mandible and labrum light red; labial and maxillary palpi tipped with yellowish (Fig. 3C). Pronotum dorsally with several punctures and brown dark spots (Fig. 3A). Tegmen with brown veins and a narrow white band to the full extent of the dorsal portion of the wing (Figs 1A, 2A, 7A). Pleura with a spot whitish. Legs I, II and III olive green, tarsi I and II olive green and III light brown; tibia III with subtle shade of blue, genicular lunules light brown (Figs 1A, 2A). Thorax ventrally reddish. Lateral abdomen sclerites yellowed from the second segment until to the end of the abdomen. Abdominal tergites light brown in dorsal view, and lateral inferior portion yellowish of third to tenth segment, and brown 3 - 7 segments in superior portion. Dorsally with spots along the entire extension (Fig.1A), and ventrally yellowish.

Female. Larger in size to male, robust (body length 18 mm) (Figs 1B, 2B, 3B, 3D, 4D, 4E, 4F, 7B). Body ventrally reddish. Head, thorax and the first three dorsal segments of the abdomen green (Fig. 2B). Head and lateral lobes of the pronotum with bands of the same color as the male, but bearing greenish spots in posterior edge of the lobes (Figs 1B, 2B); ivory dorsal stripes extend from eyes to abdomen; fastigium more prominent and wider than in males and brown color; eyes more prominent. Interocular space wider (Fig. 3B). Face redder than the male (Fig. 3D). Pronotum dorsally light green, with some brown spots (Fig. 3B). Abdomen dorsally with numerous dark brown spot; lateral of the abdomen with a black spot between 1 - 8 segments. Metapleura with spot green. Ovipositor valves prominent and short in lateral view; cerci short and triangular (Fig. 4D); epiproct triangular without sulci and carinae (Fig. 4E); subgenital plate in ventral view with median projection developed in relation to the sides that are small and posterior edge slightly sclerotized (Fig. 4F). Dorsal valves of the ovipositor robust and serrulated, and apical tooth of the external ventral valve of ovipositor prominent (Fig. 4D) Apex of valves sclerotized (Fig. 4D).

Habitat and Habits. Individuals of Neopedies taimensis n. sp. were collected mainly during the day, being active on bushes and grasses of the edge of the forest in more open places (Fig. 7C) and with lower canopy cover usually between 10 am to 16 pm. The collected specimens were found, predominantly, in Baccharis articulate (Lam.), belonging to family Asteraceae (Fig. 7D). It is native to Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, where it occurs in all physiographic regions (Heiden et al. 2007), and is popularly known as “carqueja-doce”, “carqueja-miúda”, “carquejinha”. The records of the genus Neopedies are between the Araucaria, Chacoan, Monte, Pampean and Parana provinces, but Neopedies taimensis n. sp. is found only in the Pampean province (Morrone 2001; 2006).

Measurements (mm): Males (n = 6): BL = 14.8 (13.8–14.8); PL = 3.2 (2.8–3.2); FL3 = 9.1 (9.1–9.5); TL = 3.0 (2.5–3.0). Females (n = 23): BL = 18.8 (17.7–18.8); PL = 4.0 (3.5–4.0); FL3 = 12.8 (11.2–12.8); TL = 4.0 (3.3–4.0).

Type material. Holotype ♂. BRAZIL: Rio Grande do Sul, municipality of Santa Vitória do Palmar, (32º32’13.65”S, 52º32’6.04”O), 18.iii.2021, Acosta, R. C. and Timm, V. F., leg., 6♂ and 23♀ (MCTP) . Holotype condition: genitalia were extracted and maintained in holotype’s tube.

Chromosomes (Figs 6A–C). Diploid chromosome number of 2n=23, X0 ♂ /24, XX ♀; all chromosomes acrocentrics, grouped in two chromosome pairs large (L 1 –L 2), one pair medium large (ML 3), six medium (M 4 –M9), and two small (S 10 –S 11) (Fig. 6A); the X chromosome belongs to the M group, showing positive heteropycnosis until diplotene phase (Fig. 6B). Metaphase I chiasmata position: L 1, proximal and subterminal; L 2, proximal and terminal; ML 3, proximal and terminal; M 4, intersticial; M 5, subterminal, M 6, intersticial/subterminal; M 7, subterminal/terminal; M 8, terminal; M 9, intersticial; S 10, intersticial; S 11, terminal (Figs 6A, C).

Genus distribution. Brazil (Mato Grosso do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná); Argentina (Chaco, Córdoba, Corrientes, Formosa, Buenos Aries, Tucumán, Salta, Santa Fé, Entre Rios, Catamarca, Misiones, La Pampa, San Luis, Neuquén, Victoria, Rio Negro); Paraguay (Paraguarí, Caaguazy, Central, San Pedro); Uruguay (Soriano, Maldonado, Salto, Colônia, Artigas, Paysandú, Rocha, Rivera, Tacuarembó, Durazno, Lavalleja, Treinta y Tres, Florida (Mesa (1956); Silveira-Guido et al. (1958); Mesa et al. (1982); Ronderos (1991); Lange (1992); Donato (2000); de Wysiecki, Sanchez & Ricci (2000); Lange & de Wysiecki (2005); Carbonell, Cigliano & Lange, (2006); Pocco, Damborsky & Cigliano (2010); Romero, Rosetti & Remis (2014); Monné (2018); et al. 2020; Cigliano et al. 2021) (Table 1, Fig. 8).