Aglaothorax oreibates Cole, Weissman, and Lightfoot, 2025

Cole, Jeffrey A., Weissman, David B., Lightfoot, David C., Ueshima, Norihiro & Warchałowska-Śliwa, Elżbieta, 2025, A revision of the shield-backed katydid genus Aglaothorax (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Tettigoniinae: Nedubini), Zootaxa 5667 (1), pp. 1-104 : 81-83

Aglaothorax oreibates Cole, Weissman, and Lightfoot , sp. nov.

Fig. 28 (distribution), Fig. 33 (male and female habitus, calling song, male and female terminalia, karyotype), Plate 6 (male terminalia), Plate 9 (female subgenital plate), Plate 13 (male titillators), Plate 15 (male calling song).

Common name. Ventura Shieldback.

History of recognition. None.

Type material. HOLOTYPE MALE: USA, California, Ventura County, Highway 33, 34.51633N, 119.27758W, 649 m, 11-VII-2018, DB & DW Weissman, S 18-26, R19-17 , T19-11 , D175, SING1000 [DNA extraction], MLNS Catalog # R19-017 [sound archive], 8444746 [specimen barcode], deposited in CAS, Entomology type #20380 . PARATYPES: (n=14) USA, CA, Ventura Co., same data as holotype , CAS, 4♂, 1♀; Harmon Canyon, 948 Scenic Way Drive, Ventura , 34.29458, -119.20121, 219 m, 23-V-2016, JA Cole , AMNH, 1♂; same data except LACM, 3♂, 1♀; same data except , JAC, 1♂; Wheeler Gorge Camp , 34.51824, -119.27108, 1870 m, 11-VII-2018, DB & DW Weissman , CAS, 3♀ .

Measurements. (mm, ♂ n=6, ♀ n=5) Hind femur ♂ 15.45–17.31, ♀ 15.15–18.64, pronotum total length ♂ 9.24– 10.91, ♀ 7.44–9.25, prozona length ♂ 3.85–4.51, ♀ 3.88–5.24, metazona dorsal length ♂ 5.08–6.41, ♀ 3.15–4.01, pronotum constriction width ♂ 2.85–3.57, ♀ 2.85–3.35, metazona dorsal width ♂ 6.51–7.43, ♀ 5.01–6.37, head width ♂ 4.10–4.40, ♀ 4.18–4.83, ovipositor length ♀ 10.75–14.00.

Distribution. Western Transverse Ranges of California.

Habitat. Coastal sage scrub and chaparral, including exurban areas adjacent to natural habitat.

Seasonal occurrence. Scant records show a long season with spring (23-V-2016, JA Cole, LACM) through fall (18-X-2020, A. Abela, LACM) adult activity.

Stridulatory file. (n=2) length 3.8 mm, 98–101 teeth, tooth density 26.2±0.6 (25.8–26.6) teeth/mm.

Song. (n=8) Typical small Aglaothorax song with widely spaced pulse trains produced slowly enough to count. Pulse trains 60±20 ms in length are produced at a rate of 5.14± 0.34 s- 1. Mean peak frequency is 11.91±0.86 kHz. Variable length echemes contain 19–42 (mean 28±7) pulse trains. Silent intervals between echemes are brief and last 12±3 (range 5–16) s.

Karyotype. (n=5) 2n ♂ =24 (22t +XtYt), paratopotype T19-5 (S18-26).

Recognition. Morphology, DNA, geography. Body size averages large for the Diminutiva Group. The heart-shaped male supra-anal plate and apical mesal tooth on the male paraproct processes separate most Morsei Group species. The long titillator arms, characteristic of the Diminutiva Group in general, serve to eliminate A. constrictans and Morsei Group species, which possesses short titillator arms. The gentle lateral curve and narrowed base of the titillators separate this species from A. dactyla , A. diminutiva , and A. poecilonotum , which have strongly curved titillator arms without a basal constriction. The female subgenital plate of A. oreibates has lateral processes that are of moderate length, thick at the base and tapered to a blunt apex. This condition eliminates A. dactyla in which females have longer, narrower, and sharper lateral processes. The lateral processes meet the subgenital plate caudal margin at a curve, unlike the right angle of A. diminutiva . Females may be morphologically indistinguishable from those of A. acrolophitus and A. poecilonotum , but A. oreibates is not known from the north slope of the Transverse Ranges or the Santa Ynez Mountains.

Etymology. Gr. ore a mountain + bates one that walks or haunts.

Notes. The type series were raised from eggs laid by two wild caught females collected on oatmeal trails on 11-VII-2018 from S18-26 and S18-28, and treated as described on p. 6. From 21-VII until 17-VIII, they laid some 15– 20 eggs which were kept at room temperature, in moist soil, until 29-X-2018, and then refrigerated at 3ºC where they remained until 15-III-2019, when they were returned to room temperature. First hatching occurred on 2-IV-2019 with 12 eggs total hatching by 22-IV-2019. The first adults appeared 10-VI-2019.

Material examined. In addition to Type Material above, USA, CA , Ventura Co., Lockwood Valley , 34.732482, -119.042048, 18-X-2020, A Abela, LACM, 1♀ .

Figures

FIGURE 28. Distribution of Diminutiva Group species.

FIGURE 33. A. oreibates male and female habitus, calling song, male and female terminalia, and karyotype. Idiogram shows karyotype 2n♂=24.