Metallacantha Engelking, Ghirotto, Fianco, Sobral, Silva-Neto & Mendes, 2025

Ghirotto, Victor M., Engelking, Phillip W., Fianco, Marcos, Martins, Samuel M., Sobral, Rafael, da Silva-Neto, Alberto M. & de Mello Mendes, Diego M., 2025, The Sertão Leaf Katydid - a new genus of Pterochrozinae Walker, 1870 (Insecta, Orthoptera) from the Caatinga in Northeastern Brazil, European Journal of Taxonomy 1007, pp. 279-310 : 282-284

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2025.1007.3013
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B081AB75-1339-421C-AB48-A784F51C8740
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16945474
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D3C27E-FFB0-FFA0-763A-806F1E2B2C8D
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Metallacantha Engelking, Ghirotto, Fianco, Sobral, Silva-Neto & Mendes
status	gen. nov.

Treatment

Metallacantha Engelking, Ghirotto, Fianco, Sobral, Silva-Neto & Mendes gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:88E46209-AE25-45A7-BD2F-5C1E0CAA6078

Figs 1–21 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig , table 1 View Table 1

Type species

Metallacantha aculeata Engelking, Ghirotto, Fianco, Sobral, Silva-Neto & Mendes gen. et sp. nov. by present designation.

Species included

Metallacantha aculeata Engelking, Ghirotto, Fianco, Sobral, Silva-Neto & Mendes gen. et sp. nov.

Diagnosis

The new genus can be differentiated in both seXes from all other known Pterochrozinae by the broad pronotum that is wider than long; the very reduced hind wings not extending more than two tergites in length; the very robust, large legs in relation to the body (the whole third leg being 1.9–2.1× longer than the body); the large, widened and dorsoventrally flattened spines on hind tibiae; the conical spines on the dorsal surface of hind femora. For females, the wide and short subgenital plate that is wider than long also readily differs the new genus from the females of all other Pterochrozinae .

Furthermore, other characteristics that can help differentiate the new genus, but are not eXclusive of it, are the short tegmina that do not or barely surpass the end of the abdomen (shared with Asbolomma and Tanusiella ); a white band running through the lateral region of the head, the middle of the eyes, the lateral edge of the pronotum, lateral region of the thorax, and dorsal edge of the tegmina (shared with Paracycloptera ); the unspotted hind wing (shared with Celidophylla , Cycloptera , Mimetica , Paracycloptera , Typophyllum , and Roxelana ); hind femora with two ventral rows of conical spines ( Metallacantha gen. nov. presents rows both in the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the hind femora, while other genera, such as Paracycloptera , bear only ventral rows); fore wings with R and M veins not conjoined in lateral view, running parallel and very closely apart, side by side (shared with several other genera such as Paracycloptera ).

Etymology

Taken in reference to the large and wide spines with a metallic iridescent shine present on the metatibiae that readily distinguishes the new genus from other Pterochrozinae genera. The name is derived from the Latin words “metallicus” (= metallic) and “acanthus” (= spines). The gender is feminine.

Description

COLORATION ( Figs 17–19 View Fig View Fig View Fig ). Generally green, with a lateral whitish stripe.

HEAD ( Fig 11 View Fig ). Fastigium of verteX laterally flattened, eyes globular. Frons, clypeus, and genae slightly rugose. Frons straight, junction with genae divided by a vertical and straight keel, in frontal view. Antennae around 5–6× longer than anterior femur.

THORAX ( Figs 2–3A View Fig View Fig , 5–6A View Fig View Fig , 10 View Fig , 11B–C View Fig , 12 View Fig , 15A, C–E View Fig ). Robust, slightly tapering from the posterior area towards the anterior margin. Pronotal disc ( Figs 3A View Fig , 11B View Fig , 15C View Fig ) anteriorly and laterally gently round, metazona moderately elevated; pronotum slightly tapering towards anterior region. Basisterna bearing two spines paramedial each, gradually increasing in size from pro to metabasisternum ( Figs 5C View Fig , 12B View Fig , 15E View Fig ).

WINGS ( Figs 2 View Fig , 6 View Fig , 10 View Fig , 12A, C View Fig , 16 View Fig ). Distally acuminated with apex round and gently inwardly curved in the anterior edge; posterior margin suboval, anterior margin slightly sinuous near apex. Bearing relatively small, irregularly shaped cells. Vein C weak. Veins Sc and R strong, extending towards the tip; both parallel and very close to each other. Vein M contiguous with MP, strong and curved, and MA weaker and sinuous. Membranous wing hyaline, triangular, reduced, unspotted. Male stridulatory area ( Fig. 3B–E View Fig ). Triangular, file with delicate stridulatory teeth similar to a zipper strip, with up to hundreds of wide, sharp, and minute teeth; mirror elliptical to almost round, asymmetric at the sides; scraper straight and sharp.

LEGS ( Figs 2 View Fig , 5 View Fig , 7A View Fig , 10 View Fig , 13 View Fig , 15A, F–H View Fig ). Robust and large in relation to the body, with hind legs around twice the length of the body. Tympanum shown as a narrow slit. All femora bearing rows of conical or triangular porrect spines, two dorsally and two ventrally. Pro- and meta-tibiae bearing few spines. Hind legs very thick. Metatibiae extremely thorny ( Fig. 13A–E View Fig ). Dorsally with an anterior row of seven slightly porrect, large, laterally flattened, widened triangular spines with blackish and iridescent ventral surfaces – the proximal three very large, the central one medium to small, and the distal three small and narrower, close to each other and near apex. Dorsally, with a further posterior row of around seven spines, the first four large, somewhat triangular, thorny, thin, long, and slightly sinuous. Ventrally with single row of several spines on the anterior edge, all except the last thin, long, and inwardly curving, those near apeXes slightly porrect; first three smaller, gradually increasing in size towards distal portion; the largest spines are those near the center of the tibiae.

ABDOMEN ( Figs 4 View Fig , 7B View Fig , 14 View Fig , 15I–K View Fig ). Large, wide. Tergum X with posterior margin expanded and rounded. Subgenital plate wide, with posterior margin round in the male and indented in the female. Cerci conical, somewhat widened, strongly tapering. Male styli absent. Female ovipositor laterally flattened, long, curved, apeX widened in lateral and finely serrated in dorsal and ventral edges.

Distribution ( Fig. 1 View Fig )

This genus is most likely endemic to the southeast portion of the xeric Caatinga biome and contact areas, known so far from some scattered areas in Bahia state, Brazil. Specimens were only found in one of the southern subregions of the Caatinga, the Southern Sertanejo Depression. Photographic records from iNaturalist were also used to complement the information on its distribution.