Pterotettigini Cadena-Castañeda, 2025

Cadena-Castañeda, Oscar J., Quintana-Arias, Ronald Fernando, Infante, Ivette Coque, Silva, Daniela Santos Martins & Tavares, Gustavo Costa, 2025, Studies on pygmy grasshoppers: On the current Metrodorinae sensu lato classification (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae) with emphasis on American and Malagasy taxa, Zootaxa 5597 (1), pp. 1-265 : 224-230

Tribe Pterotettigini Cadena-Castañeda , trib. nov.

Type genus: Pterotettix Bolívar , 1887.

Description. Body robust, depresssed dorso-ventrally ( Figs. 156 , 158 , 160 ), small to long size (5–17 mm). Head little exserted. In frontal view, face quadrangular, noticeably taller than wide; upper margin of the vertex at the same level as the lateral carinae; fastigium rounded; medial carina not elevated; lateral carinae moderately elevated ( Figs. 156C , 157C , 160B ) (lateral carinae moderately to markedly elevated and with horns only in Tetticerus stat. resurr. ( Figs. 158C , 159C )), slightly exceeding the eye level, slightly more elevated than the medial carina; vertex 1.5 to 2 times as wide as an eye. Scutellum narrow; frontal costa mid-sized, reaching a third (or a little more) of the height of the frons, with bifurcation in the middle of the eyes. Eyes rounded, with lower margin slightly straight, small-sized, slightly protruding above the vertex and to the sides, occupying a quarter or a fifth of the cephalic capsule. Lateral ocelli placed between the upper margin of the eyes, near the medium length of the fascial carinae; medial ocellus situated close to the lower margin of the scutellum. Antennae groves located lower than the lower margin of the eyes, about half the length of the fascial carinae; antennae usually mid-sized, as long as the mid femora or longer, with 13 or 14 segments. Palpi with all segments flattened ( Figs. 156C , 157C , 158C , 159C , 160B ). In lateral view, front almost straight; medial carinae not protruding beyond the eyes, slightly tapering; anterior margin of the vertex moderately concave, and dorsum without fossulae ( Figs. 156A , 158A , 159A , 160A ). In dorsal view, vertex wide, medial carina present, protruding very little, without projecting towards the front ( Figs. 156B , 157B , 158B , 159B , 160C ). Thorax. Pronotum robust and granulated, exceeding the tip of the abdomen; pronotal disc, with a straight or rounded anterior margin and a pointed posterior apex, covering the last abdominal segments ( Figs. 156B , 157B , 158B , 159B , 160C ). Pronotal disc with conspicuous elevations and undulations of the midline of the pronotum in lateral view ( Figs. 156A , 158A , 159A , 160A ). Lateral lobes of pronotum quadrangular in lateral view, lower margin projecting laterally, obliquely truncated ( Figs. 156B , 157B , 158B , 159B ), rarely acute (thorn-shaped in Ocytettix ( Fig. 160C )); humeral angle rounded and narrow; infrascapular area wide, more conspicuous in wingless taxa, and reaching close to the apex in lateral view ( Figs. 156A , 158A , 159A , 160A ). Wings, if present, with tegmina short and ovoid and hind wings reaching the apex of the pronotum (only Tetticerus stat. resurr. and Pterotettix are winged) ( Figs. 156A , 158A , 159A ). Legs. Fore and middle femur carinated; dorsal and ventral margins undulated; hind femur with antegenicular and genicular teeth developed; outer face mostly with lappets ( Figs. 156A , 158A , 159A , 160A ). Abdomen. Male: eighth and ninth segments moderately constricted. Subgenital plate cupuliform, sometimes lanceolate, and as long as or longer than the last abdominal sternite; apex of the subgenital plate rounded or angled, and with the pointed apex. Female: epiproct mostly lanceolate and with a medial groove. Subgenital plate variable in shape, mainly triangular, and with a small distal projection. Ovipositor valves with normal development (not thin as in other Malagasy taxa), inferior valves not covered by the lateral edges of the subgenital plate ( Figs. 157A , 159A , 160A ).

Genera included. Pterotettix Bolívar, 1887, Tetticerus Hancock, 1900 , stat. resurr., and Ocytettix Hancock, 1907 .

Distribution. Madagascar (Map 14).

Remarks. This tribe includes three genera with five species, superficially resembling the Discotettigini ( Scelimeninae ) from Southeast Asia. A key to genera is given below.

MAP 14. Distribution of Pterotettigini trib. nov. and Charagotettix species.

Figures

FIGURE 156. Pterotettix andrei Bolívar, 1887. Male Lectotype. A. Habitus in lateral view. B. Habitus in dorsal view. C. Frons. D. Labels. Photos: M. París (MNCN).

FIGURE 157. Pterotettix belphegor (Serville, 1838). Syntype female of Pterotettix humilis Günther, 1939 syn. nov. A. Habitus in lateral view. B. Habitus in dorsal view. C. Frons. D. Labels. Photos: S. Ingrisch.

FIGURE 158. Tetticerus bigibbosus Hancock, 1900 comb. rev. Male paratype.A. Habitus in lateral view. B. Habitus in dorsal view. C. Frons. D. Labels. Photos: J. Tumbrinck.

FIGURE 159. Tetticerus bigibbosus Hancock, 1900 comb. rev. Female paratype. A. Habitus in lateral view. B. Habitus in dorsal view. C. Frons. D. Labels. Photos: J. Tumbrinck.

FIGURE 160. Ocytettix latihumerus Hancock, 1907. Female holotype. A. Habitus in lateral view. B. Habitus in dorsal view. C. Frons. D. Labels. Photos: R. Douglas.