Varitrella (Cantotrella) contraria Gorochov, 2025

Gorochov, A. V., 2025, Taxonomy of Podoscirtinae (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). Part 17: some Madagascan genera and Varitrella, Russian Entomological Journal 34 (1), pp. 19-36 : 29-32

Varitrella (Cantotrella) contraria Gorochov , sp.n.

Figs 58–65 , 72–74 .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. Holotype ♂, Philippines, Luzon I., ~ 120 km NNE of Manila City, environs of Paraiso Camp (15º39′33′′ N, 121º16′37′′ E), 500–800 m, forest, on leaf of bush at night, 10–19.II.2023, A. Gorochov, M. Omelko, I. Naumenko ( ZIN). Paratypes: 1 ♂, 6 ♀♀, same data as for holotype, but some females collected on lower parts of tree truncks and even on soil ( ZIN) .

DESCRIPTION. Male (holotype). General appearance similar to that of V. (C.) mindoroensis , but coloration darker and more contrasting: head dorsum dark grey with thin and rather short whitish median line in posterior half, a pair of yellowish stripes running from rostral apex to occiput along dorsomedial edges of eyes, and with light grey rest of rostral dorsum before median ocellus; antennae with light grey each scape having a few rather large dark marks, and with grey rest part having dark grey pedicel as well as rather sparse and small light grey to whitish spots on flagellum; other parts of head light grey with a pair of small dark grey marks between antennal cavities (under rostral apex), two grey longitudinal stripes behind each eye, sparse dark dots under eyes as well as along clypeal suture and on maxillary palpi ( Fig. 58 ); pronotum with dark grey disc having a pair of whitish stripes along its lateral edges, and with intensively grey most part of lateral lobes (but this part with dark stripe along aforementioned whitish stripe and light brownish grey posterior portion having one small dark spot at middle; Fig. 59 ); tegmina dark grey with large white spot near mirror apex, yellowish humeral stripe, yellowish grey to light brown small marks on other parts of dorsal field ( Fig. 60 ), and grey lateral field having dark grey narrow medial (dorsal) part, brownish grey Sc branches and anal edge of this field in its distal two thirds, and yellowish to whitih crossveins in proximal two thirds of lateral field; rest of body light grey with dark grey stripes along ventral keels of each hind femur, rather numerous and small dark to darkish spots on other parts of legs, greyish brown to dark greyish brown abdominal tergites, very dark anal plate (but its semimembranous area slightly lighter; Fig. 62 ), darkish to almost dark grey spots on cerci, and dark grey longitudinal median band on posterior two thirds of genital plate venter ( Fig. 61 ). External structure of body distinguished from that of all congeners, previously described here, by some features: median ocellus well developed but not large, almost semicircular in shape and approximately as wide as space between this ocellus and lateral one (latter ocellus about 1.5 times as long as width of median one); pronotum slightly shorter; tegmina with less longitudinal (wider) mirror ( Fig. 60 ); last abdominal tergites with characteristic angular dorsal projections directed somewhat forwards ( Fig. 62 ); anal plate with moderately large semimembranous area in proximal half ( Fig. 62 ); genital plate with its narrowed portion narrower and apically rounded ( Fig. 61 ). Genitalia most similar to those of V. (C.) saussurei and possibly V. (C.) bakeri from Philippines, but they different in following characters ( Figs 72–74 ): epiphallus clearly higher (especially its distal parts) and with almost angular dorsal convexity in middle part (vs this convexity rounded and very low, practically indistinct); each ectoparamere with rather long anterior arm and low ventral process (vs these arm and process almost undeveloped); rachis with ventroapical lobules somewhat longer and more curved as well as more widely spaced, with dorsoapical lobule almost vertical and transversally lamellar (in profile this lobule very thin, i.e. as in V.? bakeri and clearly thinner than in V. saussurei [ Gorochov, 2003: figs VII, 10, 12]), and with proximal (anterior) sclerotized parts clearly longer; formula with only one very small posteromedian tongue between longer posterolateral ones (vs without it or with a pair of such tongues).

Variations. Second male with darkish (grey) spots on genae under eyes larger, and with almost dark grey apical parts of hind femora.

Female. Coloration and structure of body as in males, but head sometimes almost without dark marks under rostral apex ( Fig. 63 ), dark part of pronotal disc often with light greyish brown spots, lateral pronotal lobes usually slightly lighter and almost without dark stripes ( Fig. 64 ), tegmina without white spot in dorsal field but with somewhat narrower yellowish humeral stripe and lighter lateral field (this field in some females as in Fig. 64 , i.e. light greyish with grey Sc branches, whitish crossveins, almost dark grey some membranes in Sc-R area and a few dots between Sc branches; but in other females, coloration of this field more or less intermediate between this variant and that of above males), structure of dorsal tegminal field as well as of anal plate and of ovipositor very similar to that of female of V. (C.) mindanao sp.n., and genital plate with moderately deep and almost angular posteromedian notch ( Fig. 65 ).

Length in mm. Body: ♂ 19–21, ♀ 18–22; body with wings: ♂ 28–29, ♀ 31–34; pronotum: ♂ 3.4–3.7, ♀ 3.7–4; tegmina: ♂ 19.5–20; ♀ 21–23; hind femora: ♂ 13.5–14, ♀ 14.5–16; ovipositor 15–16.5.

COMPARISON. The new species has the male genitalia most similar to those of V. (C.) saussurei and V. (C.)? bakeri but differs from them in darker and more contrasting coloration as well as in some small characters of the male genitalia listed above. From all the other congeners, the new species is distinguished by the same features of its body coloration, a less longitudinal and/or larger mirror in the male tegmina and some genital characters: the epiphallus is with its dorsoapical processes poorly separated from its apical lobules; the ectoparameres are normal (completely sclerotized) but comparatively short; the rachis has its dorsoapical lobule not hooked in profile.

ETYMOLOGY. This species name is the Latin word “contraria ” (opposite, contrasting) due to the characteristic (contrasting) body coloration.

Figures

Figs 58–71. Varitrella: 58–65 — V. (Cantotrella) contraria sp.n., holotype (58–61) and paratypes (62–65); 66–68 — V. (C.) sympatrica sp.n.; 69–71 — V.? ocellata sp.n. Head of male (58) and of female (63, 69) in front; anterior half of body from above/side and partly in front, male (59) and female (64, 70); male right tegmen (66) and its dorsal field (60); genital plates of male (61, 67) and of female (65, 71) from below; distal part of male abdomen from above/behind (62); male anal plate from above/behind (68). Рис. 58–71. Varitrella: 58–65 — V. (Cantotrella) contraria sp.n., голотип (58–61) и паратипы (62–65); 66–68 — V. (C.) sympatrica sp.n.; 69–71 — V.? ocellata sp.n. Голова самца (58) и самки (63, 69) спереди; переднЯЯ половина тела сверху/сбоку и частично спереди, самец (59) и самка (64, 70); правое надкрылье самца (66) и его дорсальнаЯ плоскость (60); генитальные пластинки самца (61, 67) и самки (65, 71) сниЗу; дистальнаЯ часть брюшка самца сверху/сЗади (62); анальнаЯ пластинка самца сверху/сЗади (68).

Figs 72–84. Varitrella, male: 72–74 — V. (Cantotrella) contraria sp.n.; 75–77 — V. (C.) sympatrica sp.n.; 78–84 — V. (C.) paraiso sp.n. Genitalia from above (72, 75, 78), from below (73, 76, 79) and from side (74, 77, 80); scheme of posterior part of genitalia from side (81) and from below (82); spermatophore from below/behind (83) and from side (84). Abbreviations: a — apodeme of endoparamere; e — ectoparameral sclerotized inner ribbon; en — endoparamere; ep — epiphallus; r — rachis and its apical parts. Рис. 72–84. Varitrella, самец: 72–74 — V. (Cantotrella) contraria sp.n.; 75–77 — V. (C.) sympatrica sp.n.; 78–84 — V. (C.) paraiso sp.n. Гениталии сверху (72, 75, 78), сниЗу (73, 76, 79) и сбоку (74, 77, 80); схема Задней части гениталий сбоку (81) и сниЗу (82); сперматофор сниЗу/сЗади (83) и сбоку (84). ОбоЗначениЯ: a — аподема Эндопарамера; e — ЭктопарамеральнаЯ склеротиЗованнаЯ внутреннЯЯ полоска; en — Эндопарамер; ep — Эпифаллус; r — рахис и его вершинные части.