Meloimorpha cincticornis Walker, 1870

Wang, Ning, Xie, Can-Hong, Zhang, Tao & Ma, Li-Bin, 2025, New distribution records for Phalangopsinae, Indozacla Gorochov, 2018, and Meloimorpha cincticornis Walker, 1870 in China, along with a report on a new species Indozacla dorsiglaber Ma & Wang sp. nov. (Orthoptera: Phalangopsidae), Zootaxa 5653 (4), pp. 553-562 : 556-557

Meloimorpha cincticornis Walker, 1870

Chinese name: ṳssḛDz

( Figs. 1A , 3 )

Meloimorpha cincticornis Walker, 1870: 469 ; Gorochov, 1986: 854

Homoeogryllus cincticornis, Chopard, 1933: 171 ; Vasanth, 1993: 101

Material examined. CHINA. 2♂, Yunnan, Lushui Co., Luzhang Town ; 25.83°N, 98.71°E; 16.ix.2023; T. Zhang leg. ; XZ-2304-044/045 ( SNNU).

Description

Body size medium for Meloimorpha ( Fig. 3A ).

Head. Vertex broad, with a distinct transverse groove. Eyes extremely prominent, ovoid; ocellus absent. The frontal rostrum narrow, distinctly protruding from the face, and about 1/3 as wide as the antennal scape. Antennal scape wider taper, flagellum alternately yellow and black. Anteclypeus oval, slightly concave ventrally; postclypeus expanded in the middle, narrower on both sides. The end section of the maxillary palpus obliquely truncated, slightly longer than the third segment. Pronotum. Pronotal disc transversely broad, anterior margin slightly narrower than the posterior margin, with distinct transverse and longitudinal grooves. Forewings. Forewings longer than abdomen; seven oblique veins, the innermost one connecting Cup vein and diagonal vein; three chord veins, connected to the mirror by a transverse vein. The mirror shaped as rectangular with two internal dividing veins. Legs. Anterior tibiae with inner and outer tympanum, both ovoid and almost equal in size. Dorsal spurs of the posterior tibia numbered 3: 3 (inner: outer); the outside armed with six spines between the first and second dorsal spurs; and three spines between the second and third dorsal spurs. The inside possessing two spines between the first and second dorsal spurs and one spine between the second and third dorsal spurs. Apical spurs numbered three on both sides, with the ventral one being the shortest of the outer apical spurs and the middle one being the longest of the inner ones.

Male genitalia. The middle lobe narrowed with a ridge in the middle of the posterior margin; the anterior margin of the epiphallus with a small notch, notch in the posterior margin large, almost elliptical. The lateral lobe of the epiphallus broad and posterior margin with a small protuberance covered with densely long setae. Ectoparamere curved; anteriorly broader and wrapped by epiphallus, terminal end pointed ( Fig. 3B–D ).

Female. Unknown.

Coloration. Body black. Anteclypeus yellow-brown. The antennal scape and pedicel black, and the other parts alternately yellow and black.

Measurements. Male (n = 2). BL 13.00–13.20, HL 1.37–1.35, HW 2.41–2.45, PL 2.23–2.27, PW 3.77–3.65, FWL 14.32–14.25, HFL 13.09–13.00.

Remarks. Five species (subspecies) of Meloimorpha have been recorded worldwide, mainly in South and East Asia. There is only one species in China, comprising two subspecies M. japonica japonica and M. japonica yunnanensis , both of which are small with white antennae and brownish-yellow forewings. Here, we describe M. cincticornis which is larger, with alternating brown and black antennae and a deep black body. In addition, this species has a narrower middle lobe and a more elongated posterior marginal protuberance on the epiphallus. This is the first time that this species has been found in China.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus in life.A: M. cincticornis ♂ (Yunnan). B: M. japonica ♂ (Zhejiang). C and D: I. dorsiglaber Ma & Wang sp. nov. paratypes (Tibet).

FIGURE 3. Body and genitalia of M. cincticornis. A. male; B. dorsal view; C. lateral view; D. ventral view; Scale bar: 5 mm.