Theudoria Stål, 1874

Gorochov, A. V., 2018, Systematics of the American Katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae). Communication 8, Proceedings of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences 322 (4), pp. 398-456 : 437-438

Genus Theudoria Stål, 1874

Note. According OSF, this genus contains three species and three species synonyms. These species are morphologically very similar to those of Homotoicha Brunner-Wattenwyl, 1891 which is considered in this site as a separate genus with four generic synonyms, 12 species and nine species synonyms. Moreover, the two species of Theudoria sensu OSF are more similar in their main characters to some species of Homotoicha sensu OSF than to Theudoria type species. Some of the other species, included in this site in Homotoicha , clearly belong to different genera (see notes about Ligocatinus Rehn, 1901 , gen. dist., Enthephippion Bruner, 1915 and Euthyrrhachis Brunner-Wattenwyl, 1878 below).

But majority of the species, included in Theudoria and Homotoicha in OSF, belongs to the same genus which is characterized by the similar structure of head, tegmina, legs, abdominal tergites and sternites, epiproct, paraprocts, and especially male genital plate ( Figs 208, 209, 215, 216, 219, 220 ). This plate is rather long and narrow in the distal half, and with a deep and narrow posteromedian notch as well as a

pair of distinct elongate styles in the apical part. The

male genitalia and ovipositor are also very similar in

these species: genitalia are completely membranous,

and ovipositor is moderately short and with very

small denticles on its dorsal and ventral edges only

( Figs 210, 221 ). This genus is here divided into three

subgenera (see a key to subgenera of the genus Theu-

doria below).

1. Pronotum rather long, with obliquely truncated posteroventral part of each lateral lobe as well as with rather deep and narrow each humeral notch ( Fig. 206 ); male cercus usually with two rather long branches diverged in its proximal half ( Figs 208, 209 )............................................ subgenus Ctenophorema Piza, 1967 , stat. nov. (= Polyurena Piza, 1967 , syn. nov.) [Composition (in original binomen): C. balneare Piza, 1967 – type species of Ctenophorema ( Brazil: state Minas Gerais); Homotoicha laminata Brunner-Wattenwyl, 1891 ( Brazil: state Rio Grande do Sul), synonymized with previous species by Cadena-Castañeda (2015a); Scudderia bivittata Piza, 1976 ( Brazil: state São Paulo), synonymized with Th. laminata by Cadena-Castañeda (2015a), but this synonymy is erroneous because their females have very different genital plates (small in Th. laminata , very large in Th. bivittata ); P. hexacercata Piza, 1967 – type species of Polyurena ( Brazil: state Minas Gerais); Homotoicha fuscopunctata Caudell, 1906 ( Paraguay), synonymized with latter species by Cadena-Castañeda (2015a); Theudoria pyrrhocnemis Brunner-Wattenwyl, 1878 ( Brazil: state Bahia); Homotoicha precaria Piza, 1950 ( Brazil: state São Paulo), synonymized with Th. pyrrhocnemis by Cadena-Castañeda (2015a); Theudoria jahyrae Piza, 1977 ( Brazil: state Goiás); possibly Homotoicha orlandoi Cadena-Castañeda, 2015 ( Colombia).]

– Pronotum rather short; its lateral lobe more or less as long as high, having more rounded posteroventral part and rather diverse humeral notch ( Fig. 212, 217 ); male cercus unbranched ( Figs 215, 216, 219, 220 ) or with two short branches diverged in its distal half......... 2

2. Pronotum with moderately shallow humeral notches ( Fig. 217 ); male cercus unbranched and with large hook at distal part Figs 219, 220 )......................... subgenus Theudoria s. str. (= Hebardius Piza, 1980 ) [Composition (in original binomen): Phaneroptera melanocnemis Stål, 1861 – type species of Theudoria ( Argentina: Buenos Aires) ( Figs 217–222 ); Herbardius rubrovittatus Piza, 1980 – type species of Hebardius ( Brazil: state São Paulo), synonymized with previous species by Cadena-Castañeda (2015a); possibly Theudoria nigrolineata Brunner-Wattenwyl, 1891 ( Argentina: Buenos Aires), erroneously synonymized with Th. pyrrhocnemis by Cadena-Castañeda (2015a) but possibly synonym of Th. melanocnemis .]

– Pronotum with moderately deep humeral notches ( Fig.

212); male cercus unbranched and without large hook

at distal part ( Figs 215, 216 ), or this cercus with two

short distal branches......................... subge-

nus Homotoicha Brunner-Wattenwyl, 1891 , stat. nov.

[Composition (in original binomen): H. diversa Brunner-

Wattenwyl, 1891 – type species of Homotoicha ( Brazil:

state Santa Catharina) ( Figs 212–216 ); Ceraia similis

Caudell, 1906 ( Paraguay); Turpilia paraguayensis Rehn ,

1907 ( Paraguay), synonymized with Th. similis by

Hebard (1927); Theudoria catalao Piza, 1977 ( Brazil:

state Goiás), synonymized with Th. similis by Cadena-

Castañeda (2015a); C. tresmariae Piza, 1980 ( Brazil:

state Mato Grosso), synonymized with Th. similis by

Cadena-Castañeda (2015a); possibly Scudderia minor

Brunner-Wattenwyl, 1878 ( Brazil) and H. subdistincta

Brunner-Wattenwyl, 1891 ( Venezuela).]

It is necessary to indicate that the type species of Homotoicha and Theudoria have a very characteristic feature in the structure of their male cercus: the truncated cercal apex in Th. (H.) diversa comb. nov. is with a round concavity bordered by long setae and having one spine near its dorsal edge (Fig. 127); in Th. (Th.) melanocnemis , this spine is modified into a much larger hook, and the above-mentioned concavity bordered by setae is located at the base of this hook on the ventral cercal surface (Fig. 126). Moreover, a similar structure (round apical concavity of lateral cercal branch bordered by setae but with central position of spine) is developed in the male cercus of Th. (C.) pyrrhocnemis (Fig. 128) which is very similar to the type species of Ctenophorema in the shape of its pronotal lateral lobe. This character additionally supports inclusion of these subgenera in one genus.

Figures

Figs 206–222. Theudoria Stål: 206–211 – Th. (Ctenophorema) pyrrhocnemis surinam subsp. nov.; 212–216 – Th. (Homotoicha) diversa (Br.-W.) from Brazil (Minas Gerais); 217–222 – Th. (Theudoria) melanocnemis Stål from Uruguay (Montevideo). Head with pronotum from side (206, 212, 217); male stridulatory apparatus of both tegmina (207, 218), of left tegmen (213) and of right tegmen (214); male abdominal apex from above (208, 215, 219) and from below (209, 216, 220); ovipositor from side (210, 221); female genital plate from below (211, 222).