Estefaniacris huilensis, Cadena-Castañeda & Cardona-Granda, 2025

Cadena-Castañeda, Oscar J. & Cardona-Granda, Juan Manuel, 2025, Studies on Neotropical grasshoppers: Estefaniacris gen. nov. (Orthoptera: Acrididae), a new Andean genus, Zootaxa 5661 (2), pp. 261-273 : 265-271

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5661.2.7
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:37EC52FB-834C-41D4-B22E-878BE8A17C9E
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16604774
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CE4676-FFFC-814E-56A9-FA990D4E46B3
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Estefaniacris huilensis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Estefaniacris huilensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–5 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 )

Etymology. It refers to the Huila department where the type series was collected.

Type material. Holotype. Male. COLOMBIA, Huila, Acevedo, Parque Nacional Natural Cueva de los Guácharos , 1.615648N, 76.104948W, 1880 m., 11 april 2017, J. M. Cardona-Granda leg. ( CAUD) GoogleMaps . Paratype. Same data as holotype.

Description. Slender body, moderately rugose, covered with long bristles ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ). Head. Fastigium rounded, moderately projecting between the eyes, with well-defined and parallel borders in frontal view ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ). Eyes round, covering most of the upper section of the cephalic capsule, with a small dorsal gap where they nearly touch ( Figs. 2A, C View FIGURE 2 ). Antennae extending beyond half the body length, composed of 21 segments, including the scape and pedicel ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ). Clypeus rectangular, wider than long; labrum rounded ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ); last segment of the maxillary palps rounded, moderately dilated, and compressed dorsoventrally, while the remaining segments are subquadrangular and of similar length. Thorax. Pronotum unmodified, with two main sulci near the midsection of its length ( Fig. 2B View FIGURE 2 ); anterior margin of the pronotal disc undulated and moderately projecting forward; posterior margin concave; metazona with numerous pores, more abundant in this region than in the rest of the pronotum ( Fig. 2C View FIGURE 2 ). Lateral lobes of the pronotum with the anterior margin nearly straight; posterior margin slightly curved inward; ventral margin curving downward from the anterior corner near the midpoint, then smoothly curving upward toward the posterior corner ( Fig. 2B View FIGURE 2 ). Wings. Tegmina lanceolate, moderately narrowed, reaching the base of the second abdominal segment and covering a significant portion of the tympanum; bicolored, with one-half black and the other whitish; venation reticulated and of similar coloration to the background ( Fig. 2D View FIGURE 2 ). Legs. Fore and midfemora moderately robust; fore and mid-tibiae with 4–5 spines on both sides of the ventral surface. Hind femora with conspicuous chevrons; hind tibia dorsally with eight outer and seven inner spines; apex with three inner and two outer spurs. Hind tarsomeres thin and elongated, together nearly half the length of the hind tibia ( Fig. 2E View FIGURE 2 ). Abdomen. Last abdominal segment with a concave extension that projects upward ( Fig. 2F View FIGURE 2 ), featuring a denticulated posterior edge ( Figs. 2G, H View FIGURE 2 ); mid-section of the posterior margin with two digitiform projections of similar length and a small extension on each side of the ascending edge ( Fig. 2F View FIGURE 2 ). Supra-anal plate with lateral margins elevated ( Fig. 2F View FIGURE 2 ), apex angled and curving downward ( Fig. 2H View FIGURE 2 ); dorsal surface with seven black callosities arranged as follows: two conical projections near the proximal margin, with two small equidistant spots between them; further along, near the midpoint, two round spots, followed by a smaller spot positioned between them ( Fig. 2G View FIGURE 2 ). Cerci hook-shaped, tapering toward the apex, curving upward ( Fig. 2F View FIGURE 2 ) and inward ( Fig. 2G View FIGURE 2 ); apex moderately rounded, depressed, and with the distal edge outlined in black ( Fig. 2H View FIGURE 2 ). Subgenital plate with a straight dorsal margin, an angled apex, and a moderately pointed tip ( Fig. 2F View FIGURE 2 ). Phallic complex. The epiphallus is partially membranous and partially sclerotized (epi), with a membranous epiphallic rim and a subtriangular extension in the middle ( Fig. 4A View FIGURE 4 ). Ancora (Anc) is tubercular and underdeveloped ( Fig. 4B View FIGURE 4 ). Lophus (Lo) is hook-shaped, well-sclerotized, and has a pointed apex ( Figs. 4A, B View FIGURE 4 ). The posterior margin of the bridge (Brg) is moderately thickened and elevated in the middle of the lophi, but does not exceed their length ( Fig. 4B View FIGURE 4 ). Lateral plate (Lat Pl) lacks modifications or projections ( Fig. 4A View FIGURE 4 ). Oval sclerites (Ov scl) are unsclerotized, replaced by a membranous fold ( Figs. 4A, B View FIGURE 4 ). The ectophallus (ect) well-developed and well-sclerotized. Arc of the aedeagus (Arc) is nearly straight and narrow ( Fig. 4C View FIGURE 4 ). Zygoma (Zy) is subrectangular ( Fig. 4C View FIGURE 4 ). Apodeme of the cingulum (Ap cin) consists of two thin, almost straight projections in dorsal view ( Fig. 4C View FIGURE 4 ), curving upward in lateral view ( Fig. 4D View FIGURE 4 ). Rami (Rm) are digitiform and surrounded by a membranous fold ( Fig. 4D View FIGURE 4 ). The endophallus (end) is complete and mostly sclerotized. Valves of the endophallus (Val end) are submembranous, covered with multiple microstructures throughout their surface, ovoid in dorsal view ( Fig. 4C View FIGURE 4 ), and subquadrangular in lateral view ( Fig. 4D View FIGURE 4 ). Sheath of the endophallus (Sh end) is rounded, and sac-like, located ventro-apically ( Fig. 4D View FIGURE 4 ), invaginated in the middle, and covered with numerous microstructures ( Fig. 4E View FIGURE 4 ). Apical valves (Aval) are black, falciform, and convergent, connected with an articulation to the basal valves (Bval) ( Fig. 4D View FIGURE 4 ), which progressively curve upward, leading to the endophallic plates (End pl) ( Fig. 4E View FIGURE 4 ). The ejaculatory sac (EjS) is membranous, covering the connection to the Bval, which appear fin-like in lateral view ( Fig. 4D View FIGURE 4 ) and V-shaped in ventral view ( Fig. 4E View FIGURE 4 ). It then connects to the ejaculatory duct (EjD), which is membranous and tubular ( Figs. 4C–E View FIGURE 4 ). Coloration in life ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 ). Antennae reddish-brown. Head, thorax, and abdomen predominantly black, except for the following: eyes deep navy blue with black ovoid spots; a white stripe crosses the face, extending along the lower half of the lateral lobes of the pronotum and reaching the upper margin of the mid-leg coxa. The posterior margin of the metazone features a triangular whitish stripe on each side in dorsal view. Tegmina bicolored: the upper half, when at rest, is whitish, while the lower half is black, matching most of the body. Tympanic membrane white, with its borders subtly outlined in dark brown. Legs olive green, with knees or genicular area light red. Cerci and subgenital plate reddish-green.

Female. Unknown.

Measurements (in mm.). Tl: 12–14, Pr: 3.0–3.5, Teg: 2.0–2.5, Hf: 9.0–10.0, Ht: 8.0–8.5.

Comments. Determined as “unknown grasshopper species” in Cardona-Granda, 2020. The specimens lose almost all their coloration when preserved in alcohol. The two males do not show any conspicuous variations.