Paramekongiella muliensis Mao et Huang, 2025

Yu, Hong-Lei, Huang, Zhi-Pang, Wang, Xun, Li, Fang-Ting & Mao, Ben-Yong, 2025, Taxonomy of the Paramekongiella (Orthoptera: Pyrgomorphidae) with description of a new species, Zootaxa 5569 (3), pp. 509-520 : 514-519

Paramekongiella muliensis Mao et Huang , sp. nov. ( Figs 4–7 )

Chinese common name: ÌƤIJȒḿDz

Materials. Holotype: male, CHINA: Muli County, Sichuan Province, 23 Sep. 2023, alt. 3245 m, leg. Zhilong Yin. Paratypes: 6 males, 2 females, leg. Zhilong Yin, Zhuangzhuang Du, Hong Song and Chengmei Fan, other data same as holotype ; 1 male, 2 females, CHINA: Jiulong County, Sichuan Province, 23 Sep. 2023, alt. 2405 m, leg. as holotype ; 1 male, CHINA: Muli County, Sichuan Province, 25 Jul. 2021, alt. 4028 m, leg. Zhipang Huang.

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to P. zhongdianensis Huang, 1990 , but differs from the latter in: abdomial tergites being smooth and 2 nd –8 th segments brown except hind margin yellowish green (in the latter, abdomial tergites with coarse granular and being green); male cerci long and thin in contrary to short and thick; male fastigium anterior margin triangular and lateral margin near base straight in dorsal view (in P. zhongdianensis , male fastigium anterior margin curved and lateral margin near base slightly concave in dorsal view).

Etymology. The new species name indicates the one of type locality being Muli, a county in western Sichuan Province.

Description. Body medium to large sized, long rhombus in both sexes, female stouter.

Head. Head distinctly shorter than pronotum. Fastigium short and broad, with median longitudinal sulcus, anterior margin triangular (male) or curved (female), width in front of eyes about 1.3–1.4 (mean 1.4, n=5, male) or 1.2–1.4 (mean 1.3, n=4, female) (the same below) times larger than length. Head with dorsal median carina indistinct in male or distinct in female. Face observably sloping in lateral view, frontal ridge with thin longitudinal sulcus, which deeper above medium ocellus, progressively shallower under medium ocellus, obsolete near clypeus, lateral margin nearly parallel. Genae with a row of oblique granules behind eyes. Antennae filiform, exceeding (male) or not reaching (female) posterior margin of pronotum, median segment about 1.6–2.5 (1.9, male) or 1.6–2.3 (2.1, female) times as long as wide. Eyes oval, longitudinal diameter 1.1–1.8 (1.3, male) or 1.2–1.5 (1.3, female) times larger than horizontal diameter.

Thorax. Pronotum with dense punctures and granules, anterior margin straight, posterior margin nearly straight, slightly concave in the middle; medium carina obvious, lateral carina weak; median and posterior transverse sulci slightly cutting off median carina, posterior sulcus obvious (male) or weak (female) behind the middle; prozona 1.8–3.1 (2.3, male) or 1.8–2.1 (2.0, female) times as long as metazona; lateral lobe with posterior margin slightly concave, posterior inferior corner nearly right angled. Prosternum roundly protuberant, apex blunt. Nota and pleura of mesothorax and metathorax with dense granules and punctures. Mesosternal interspace square, 0.9–1.3 (1.2, male) or 1.7–2.4 (2.0, female) times as wide as long, and significantly larger than width of mesosternal lobe, metasternum lobes widely separated. Tegmina and alae absent. Hind femora with lower basal lobe longer than upper one, upper carina smooth, outer side with irregular oblique carinae, 4.6–5.2 (4.9, male) or 4.9–5.6 (5.4, female) times as long as wide, lower knee lobes with apex roundly sharpened. Hind tibiae spine thin and short, with internal and external apical spines, 8–10 in male or 8 in female external and 10 internal spines. Arolium reaching half of claw.

Abdomen. Tympanal opening small and clear, oval, its diameter larger than that of stoma before tympanal organ, tympanum membranous. Abdomen tergites smooth excepting first segment; median carina inconspicuous.

Male. Tenth abdominal tergite slightly concave in middle, without furculae. Epiproct triangular, cerci short conical, stubby, apex blunt, not reaching apex of epiproct. Epiphallus with long dorso-lateral appendices sclerites, bridge with anterior margin nearly straight and slightly concaved retrad, posterior margin arch-shaped; ancorae absent; lophi short, distally hooked. Phallic complex vase-shaped in dorsal view; apical valves of penis and cingular valves slightly exserting in dorsal view, apex sharpened in posterior view; cingular valves located on the outside of penis.

Female. Epiproct triangle, cerci conical, apex blunt, not reaching apex of epiproct. Ventral basisvalvular sclerite elongational, dorsal valves of ovipositor smooth along outer margins, subgenital plate near square, posterior margin straight.

Coloration. The following notes according to fresh specimens.Adult: body dark green; eyes gray-blue, granules of genae after eyes green (male) or blue-green (female); antennae brown-black, each segment with light ring. Fore and middle legs grayish-green except tarsus brown. Hind femora with knee lobe black; hind tibiae green.Abdominal tergites with 1 st segment green, hind margin yellowish green; 2 nd –8 th segments brown except hind margin yellowish green. Nymph: body colour various: grey, brown and tan in 1 st nymph; grey, brown, greyish, grey-green, yellowish, and tan in 2 nd nymph; grey-green, yellowish, yellow-green in 3 rd nymph; grey, yellowish, dark grey, yellow-green, greenish in 4 th nymph; in 5 th nymph, colours unitary with green, grey-green; adults blue-green or dark green.

Measurements (mm). Body length (from anterior margin of fastigium to abdomenal extremity): male 34.0– 39.5, female 41.0–44.0. Pronotum length: male 6.0–7.0, female 8.2–9.0. Hind femora length: male 18.0–19.0, female 18.5–21.0.

Distribution. China: Sichuan.

Biology. P. muliensis Mao et Huang sp. nov. is mainly distributed in Muli County and Jiulong County in Sichuan Province. The species is adapted to live in alpine low scrub at elevations of 2400–4100 m, its diet is more diverse, preferring to feed on plants of Polygonaceae , Asteraceae , Fabaceae and Scrophulariaceae in the laboratory.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Live adult habitus and habitat of Paramekongiella muliensis Mao et Huang sp. nov. A. Habitat in Muli, Guanji. B. Male lateral view. C. Female dorsal view. D. Copulation. Photo A by Zhilong Yin. Photo C by Nan Li.

FIGURE 5. Paramekongiella muliensis Mao et Huang sp. nov. A–B. Male and female habitus, in dorsal and lateral views; C–D. Male and female head and pronotum, in dorsal view. E–F. Male and female tympanal organ; G–H. Male terminalia, in dorsal and lateral views; I. Female ovipositor, in lateral view; J–K. Holotype and paratype labels. Scale bars: A–B = 5 mm, C–I = 1 mm. Photo B by Guo Li.

FIGURE 6. Paramekongiella muliensis Mao et Huang sp. nov. A–B. Epiphallus in dorsal and lateral views; C–E. Phallic complex in lateral, apical and dorsal views. Scale bars: 1 mm. Abbreviations. ap = apical valve of penis; br = bridge, cv = cingular valve; lo = lophi; as = appendices sclerite.

FIGURE 7. Different instar nymphs and adult of Paramekongiella muliensis Mao et Huang sp. nov. A. 1st nymph; B. 2nd nymph; C. 3rd nymph; D. 4th nymph; E. 5th nymph; F. Female adult. Photo E by Zhilong Yin.