Xerapelpa Kasalo & Skejo, 2025

Damien, Niko Kasalo, Laure, Damien Brouste, Christophe, Laure Desutter-Grandcolas, Domagoj, Christophe Hervé, Josip, Domagoj Bogić & Skejo, Josip, 2025, Atlas of New Caledonian Tetrigidae with preliminary suprageneric classification of Batrachideinae, Zoosystema 47 (18), pp. 327-397 : 357

Genus Xerapelpa Kasalo & Skejo , n. gen.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:DB6D8030-7004-494A-A8E6-DC81059B3D0A

TYPE SPECIES. — Xerapelpa monteithi Kasalo & Skejo , n. sp.

COMPOSITION. — Xerapelpa monteithi Kasalo & Skejo , n. sp., Xerapelpa franjevici Kasalo & Skejo , n. sp.

DISTRIBUTION. — Known only from New Caledonia.

ETYMOLOGY. — The name is an anagram of “ Peraxelpa ” and is of feminine gender.

DIAGNOSIS. — Frontal costa bifurcation a little above ventral margin of eyes. Antennal segments 3-6 expanded at apices. Pronotum with small or barely perceptible round hump anteriorly. Entire body and legs tuberculated and spined. Third segment of hind tarsus a little or strongly expanded.

DESCRIPTION

Frontal costa bifurcation a little above ventral margin of eyes. Scutellum widening ventrad, as wide as antennal groove at widest part. Paired ocelli below ventral margin of eyes. Antennal grooves below ventral margin of eyes by two antennal groove widths. Antennae filiform.Vertex nearly twice as wide as eye in frontal view. In anterior view, base of vertex below dorsal margin of eyes; vertex crown-like due to moderately elevated carinae. In dorsal view, anterior margin of vertex nearly reaching anterior margin of eyes; slightly narrowing anteriorly; two anterior protrusions visible. Medial carina visible in anterior third between eyes, projected anteriorly. Lateral carinae V-shaped, visible in anterior quarter between eyes; a little projected anteriorly. Anterior margin of pronotum straight. Prozonal carinae parallel. Median carina distinct and elevated throughout its length. Lateral lobes projecting outwards, serrated, slightly bilobate. Ventral sinus blunt. Tegminal sinus absent. Infrascapular area wide above middle femur, slightly narrowing towards pronotal apex. Humeral angles sharp, serrated. Posthumeral spots absent. Pronotal apex wide, rounded. Tegmina and wings absent. Anterior femur serrated with many strong teeth on all margins. Anterior tibia expanded throughout its length with teeth in proximal half. First segment of anterior tarsus half as long as second segment (minus claws), three pulvilli visible. Middle femur serrated with many strong teeth on all margins. Middle tibia expanded throughout its length, with four strong teeth. Hind femur robust with many sideways protrusions; ventral and dorsal margins serrated; large antegenicular and small genicular tooth. Hind tibia straight and smooth with small teeth in distal two thirds. First tarsal segment as long as third. Distal pulvillus as long as preceding two combined, all sharp and barely distinct.

REMARK

This genus, due to its strong similarities with Notredamia , is placed alongside it in the Potua genus group. These two genera also share some notable similarities with the members of Echopraxiini Kasalo & Skejo, 2024 and may be closer to them than to Potua . Due to the difficulty of the Potua genus group, we refrain from taxonomic acts that would reflect this. For more information see Kasalo & Skejo (2024).