Scytocera (Scytocera) musa Tan & Rivera, 2025

Rivera, Rodrin R., Daguplo, Jiandy, Mondejar, Eddie P., Nuñeza, Olga Macas & Tan, Ming Kai, 2025, New species and taxonomic notes of Agraeciini from Mount Malindang (Philippines: Mindanao) (Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae: Agraeciini), Zootaxa 5661 (1), pp. 59-79 : 72-77

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5661.1.2
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:40EC08DD-5072-40DC-8325-5152B393FEB1
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16603766
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/D16A87E8-AE45-B561-FF29-0890FC42AAF1
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Scytocera (Scytocera) musa Tan & Rivera
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Scytocera (Scytocera) musa Tan & Rivera , new species

( Figs 11–15 View FIGURE 11 View FIGURE 12 View FIGURE 13 View FIGURE 14 View FIGURE 15 )

Material examined. • ♀ holotype; PHILIPPINES, Mindanao, Misamis Occidental, Tangub City, Brgy. Hoyohoy at the foothold of the South Peak of Mount Malindang Range ; N8.1559, E123.7009; 20 November 2024, 18h30; on ferns and leaves of a tree species under a dipterocarp forest; coll. R GoogleMaps . R GoogleMaps . Rivera & R . R . Libonfacil ( PNM) .

Paratype. PHILIPPINES • 1♂; same locality as holotype; 4 April 2025, 18h30; on a cogon grass leaves under a dipterocarp forest; coll. R GoogleMaps . R GoogleMaps . Rivera & R . R . Libonfacil ( ZRC) • 1♀; same locality as holotype; 20 November 2024, 18h30; on ferns and leaves of a tree species under a dipterocarp forest; coll. R GoogleMaps . R GoogleMaps . Rivera & R . R . Libonfacil ( PNM) • 3♀; same locality as holotype; 26 March 2025, 18h30; on ferns and leaves of a shrub under a dipterocarp forest; coll. R GoogleMaps . R GoogleMaps . Rivera & R . R . Libonfacil ( ZRC) .

Diagnosis. The new species is characterized by the male epiproct having a large and long extension; the male cercus relatively simple among congeners, curved, and with only a tongue-shaped ventroproximal process; the subgenital plate large and having two long posterior lateral arms curved dorsad and at the apices flattened; the male titillators fused and its basal part broad, inverse U-shaped, but with arms mostly straight; the apex of its titillator in lateral view rounded, in dorsal view truncated and at the middle emarginated; and having lateral sclerites elongate and small; the female tenth abdominal tergite having a prolong apical process forked; its frons completely black.

It is most similar to Scytocera (Scytocera) longicornis Redtenbacher, 1891 from Mindanao by the general coloration (yellow brown with the fastigium, the vertex, and the disc of its prontoum having a dark brown medial band and constricted behind the middle of the disc); but differs by the female tenth abdominal tergite having forked apical process, the female cercus with its apical part distinctly flattened and narrowed, its subgenital plate having lateral lobes slenderer with the apices distinctly more acute; the male tegmen longer, reaching the apex of the abdominal apex (instead of reduced), the shapes of the male tenth abdominal tergite and subgenital plate more elaborated and produced; the frons completely black (instead of orange), and the fore tibia at the middle black (instead of unicolorous orange).

From other Philippine congeners, the new species is similar to Scytocera (Scytocera) niger ( Redtenbacher, 1891) by the general shape of male titillators; but differs by the shape of the apex in lateral view rounded, in dorsal view truncated and at the middle emarginated. It also differs by the distinctly different coloration (pronotum, legs and abdomen not completely black) and the shape of male cercus. The new species also differs from Scytocera zamboangae ( Hebard, 1922) by the frons completely black and the shape of the male cercus.

The new species also differs from Scytocera (Scytocera) sulawesi Gorochov, 2016 from Sulawesi by the frons completely black (instead of a narrower vertical band), dorsum of head with median band completely black, and the shapes of the male cercus and subgenital plate.

Subgenus status. The subgenus of this new species is not entirely clear. The male epiproct similar to the type species Scytocera longicornis Redtenbacher, 1891 having the prolong extension that is absence in other described species (Gorochov, 2016). But the male cercus of the new species does not have large and hook-like ventroproximal process curved medially, instead having a small tongue-shaped process, thereby differing from members from the subgenera Scytocera and Vietnacera Gorochov, 2016 . The female subgenital plate resembles members of the subgenus Vietnacera by the absence of distinct latero-proximal lobules, distinguishing it from subgenus Scytocera .

Etymology. The new species is named after genus name of banana, owing to the male epiproct having its apical part in lateral view resembling a banana.

Description. Habitus as shown in Fig. 11 View FIGURE 11 . Fastigium verticis compressed laterally, in dorsal view conical with fine longitudinal groove, apex acute, not surpassing scapus ( Figs 12A, 12C, 12D View FIGURE 12 ). Frons faintly punctuated ( Fig. 12C View FIGURE 12 ). Eyes dorsally and laterally rounded ( Fig. 12 View FIGURE 12 ). Pronotum wrinkled, disc broadly rounded into paranota, apical area transversely rectangular and faintly shouldered; anterior transverse sulcus at median straight, posterior transverse sulcus faint, faintly curved; anterior margin truncated, but in middle faintly concave; posterior margin truncated ( Figs 12A, 12D View FIGURE 12 ). Paranota with ventral margin strongly sinuous, posterior margin straight, nearly at right angle to ventral margin ( Figs 12B, 12E View FIGURE 12 ). Acoustic spiracle large nearly completely covered by paranota ( Fig. 12B View FIGURE 12 ). Tegmen fully developed, but not reaching apex of abdomen ( Fig. 11B View FIGURE 11 ), mirror area not covered by pronotal disc ( Fig. 12A View FIGURE 12 ), with apex obliquely rounded; hind wing present, but covered by tegmen and not surpassing tegmen ( Fig. 11 View FIGURE 11 ). Prosternum without processes. Mesosternal lobes conical with acute apices; metasternal lobes broadly rounded ( Fig. 12C View FIGURE 12 ). Both tympana on anterior tibia slightly swollen with narrow slit ( Fig. 12C View FIGURE 12 ). Anterior coxa with spine long and straight ( Figs 12B, 12E View FIGURE 12 ). Femora with the following number of spines on ventral margins: anterior femur 5 external, 3 internal; middle femur 5 external, 0 internal; posterior femur 8–9 external, 0 internal. Knee lobes of anterior and middle femora obtuse externally and spinose internally; knee of posterior femur bispinose on both sides, longer than those of anterior and middle femora. Tibiae with the following number of spines on ventral margins: anterior tibia 6 external, 6 internal; middle tibia 8–9 external, 3 internal.

Male ( Figs 13 View FIGURE 13 , 14 View FIGURE 14 ). 1A on left tegmen swollen and straight ( Fig. 13A View FIGURE 13 ). Mirror on left tegmen trapezoid, circa 1.1 times longer than wide ( Fig. 13A View FIGURE 13 ). Stridulatory file on underside of left tegmen straight; about 1.6 mm long; with about 160 teeth fairly regularly spaced throughout ( Fig. 13C View FIGURE 13 ). Mirror on right tegmen cup-shaped, inverted and elongated semi-circular ( Fig. 13B View FIGURE 13 ).

Tenth abdominal tergite enlarged, in dorsal view with posterior margin at middle strongly and transversely emarginated and truncated, in lateral view broadly curved ( Figs 13D, 13E View FIGURE 13 ). Epiproct very large and highly specialized: produced into elongated process well surpassing cercus and subgenital plate; basal third broad, then narrow into narrow long shaft before at apical third curved ventrad into apical process; middle third strongly setose along lateral surfaces, at middle narrowed; apical third in lateral view sinuous, narrowest before forked into two process; this apical process laterally compressed with apex rounded, in lateral view banana-shaped ( Figs 13D–F View FIGURE 13 ). Cercus relatively simple, laterally compressed; basal half broader, at middle strongly curved (nearly at right angle) inwardly, apical half narrowed with rounded apex ( Figs 13D–G View FIGURE 13 ). Subgenital plate large, in ventral view rectangular, with lateral margins barely narrow apically, posterior margin strongly deeply and roundly emarginated to base of apical third ( Fig. 13G View FIGURE 13 ); in lateral view at middle strongly curved dorsad ( Fig. 13E View FIGURE 13 ); at apex forming two lateral compressed process that curved dorsad and reaching middle of epiproct; process at apex tongue-shaped with inner part strongly sclerotized with some denticulation ( Figs 13D–G View FIGURE 13 ).

Titillators elongated and rod-shaped, narrowly separated or partly fused by membranes except at apical end; apical end curved, compressed; apex in lateral view rounded, in dorsal view truncated and emarginated at middle ( Fig. 14 View FIGURE 14 ). Lateral sclerites present, more weakly sclerotized, irregularly shaped ( Fig. 14 View FIGURE 14 ).

Female ( Fig. 15 View FIGURE 15 ). Tenth abdominal tergite transverse, narrow posteriorly, posterior margin at middle truncated, with two lateral apical processes elongated and tapering into subacute ( Fig. 15A View FIGURE 15 ), this apical process dorso-ventrally compressed ( Fig. 15B View FIGURE 15 ). Epiproct tongue-shaped ( Fig. 15A View FIGURE 15 ). Cerci cylindrical, expect apical third dorso-ventrally flattened and tapering into acute apex ( Figs 15A, 15B View FIGURE 15 ). Subgenital plate large, wider than long, at posterior end roundly emarginated, with two lateral processes elongated and tapering into acute apex ( Figs 15C, 15D View FIGURE 15 ) and in lateral view curved dorsad ( Fig. 15B View FIGURE 15 ). Ovipositor long sabre-shaped; margins smooth ( Fig. 15B View FIGURE 15 ).

Coloration. Body yellow to brown ( Fig. 11 View FIGURE 11 ). Head dorsum at middle with longitudinal black, longitudinal groove on fastigium yellow brown ( Figs 12A, 12D View FIGURE 12 ). Scapus black; pedicel basal half black, apical half brown; antennae brown with tint of black ( Fig. 12 View FIGURE 12 ). Face black ( Fig. 12C View FIGURE 12 ). Maxillary palpi cream colored; mandible black, clypeus dorsal half black, ventral half pink, labrum brown ( Fig. 12C View FIGURE 12 ). Eyes black. Pronotum yellow to brown, with median longitudinal black band somewhat elongated hourglass-shaped; anterior margin at middle with small yellow spot (not always present) ( Figs 12A, 12D View FIGURE 12 ). Tegmen with dorsal field with anal margin black, otherwise having veins yellow brown and cells dark, with sparse black spots ( Figs 12A, 12D View FIGURE 12 ); lateral field mostly with cells black and veins yellow ( Figs 12B, 12E View FIGURE 12 ). Spine on anterior coxa yellow ( Fig. 12B View FIGURE 12 ). Legs generally yellow brown with tint of brown; anterior tibia with dorsal half after tympana and before apex black ( Fig. 11 View FIGURE 11 ); ventral spines with apices black. Abdominal tergite and sternites, including abdominal apex, generally yellow brown. Ovipositor yellow brown at base to red brown at apex ( Fig. 15B View FIGURE 15 ).