Neoconocephalus vittatus (Piza, 1973)

Neoconocephalus vittatus (Piza, 1973) View in CoL

( Figs. 15 View FIGURE 15 , 16 View FIGURE 16 , 17 View FIGURE 17 )

Homorocoryphus vittatus Piza, 1973 View in CoL . Piza Jr. (1973): 1 [Description]; Paschoal & Barros (1977): 241 [Catalog]; Chamorro-Rengifo & Braun (2010): 43 [Catalog, transferred to Neoconocephalus Karny, 1907 View in CoL ].

Neoconocephalus spitzi Piza, 1983 View in CoL . Piza Jr (1983): 112 [Description]; Chamorro-Rengifo & Braun (2010): 43 [Catalog]. syn. nov. ( Fig. 15A–I View FIGURE 15 )

Type locality. Santa Rita do Passa Quatro , São Paulo, Brazil .

Diagnosis. Head conical ( Figs. 15E, N View FIGURE 15 , 16E View FIGURE 16 ); fastigium of vertex semicircular in frontal view, slightly longer than scapus length, base three and half times wider than scapus width ( Figs. 15E, N View FIGURE 15 , 16E View FIGURE 16 ); lateral lobe of the pronotum longer than wider ( Figs. 15C, L View FIGURE 15 , 16C View FIGURE 16 ).

Redescription. Head: Conical in frontal view ( Figs. 15E, N View FIGURE 15 , 16E View FIGURE 16 ); fastigium of vertex semicircular in frontal view, slightly longer than scapus length, base three and a half times wider than scapus width, tooth weakly projected at basal portion of fastigium ( Figs. 15C, D, E, L, M, N View FIGURE 15 , 16C, D, E View FIGURE 16 ); fastigium of frons rounded ( Figs. 15E, N View FIGURE 15 , 16E, N View FIGURE 16 ). Thorax: Pronotum anterior margin almost straight and posterior margin convex ( Figs. 15D, M View FIGURE 15 , 16D View FIGURE 16 ); lateral lobe longer than wide, anterior margin of lateral lobe almost straight, followed by a curve with lower margin almost straight, margin of humeral sinus rounded, invagination of humeral sinus deeply concave ( Figs. 15C, L View FIGURE 15 , 16C View FIGURE 16 ). Wings: Tegmen with basal and apical region equally wide ( Figs. 15B, K View FIGURE 15 , 16B View FIGURE 16 ). Legs: Foreleg genicular lobe triangular, tympanum with two distinct regions: proximal one with a pair of open longitudinal slits and apical one with a small closed slit, tibia with six pairs of ventral spines; midleg genicular lobe triangular, tibia with seven pairs of ventral spines; hindleg femur ventrally with two inner spines and eight outer spines, tibia dorsally with 27 inner spines and 22 outer spines, tibia ventrally with 11 pairs of spines. Color : Type specimens, additional type (holotype of N. spitzi ) and additional material mostly dark brown or brown; pronotum with light and dark longitudinal stripes; sometimes tegmen with black spots.

Description of male. Tegmen: Stridulatory area well marked and long ( Figs. 15F View FIGURE 15 , 16F View FIGURE 16 ). Cercus : dorsal lobe with measuring half than length of lobe, ventral lobe two times longer than dorsal lobe ( Figs. 15G, H View FIGURE 15 , 16G, H View FIGURE 16 ).

Description of female. Subgenital plate: Posterior margin in an open V-shaped with two triangular projections ( Figs. 15O View FIGURE 15 ). Ovipositor: Almost reaching the tegmen apex ( Figs. 15K View FIGURE 15 ).

Measurements: Female holotype: BdL 25.2(25.0); FL 1.2; PdL 5.9(6.0); TegL 36.6(37.0); FlegL 5.1; HlegL 18.7(19.0); OvL 21.2(20.0). Female (n=7): BdL 23.9–26.0; FL 1.2–1.4; PdL 5.4–5.9; TegL 36.1–38.7; FlegL 5.0– 5.4; HlegL 16.7–18.5; OvL 20.7–22.3. Male (n=5): BdL 21.9–24.9; FL 1.2–1.3; PdL 6.0–6.2; TegL 33.5–35.8; FlegL 5.2–5.7; HlegL 17.9–19.0.

Distribution. Brazil: Bahia [new record], Espírito Santo [new record], Minas Gerais [new record], Paraná [new record] and São Paulo states.

Taxonomic notes. This species is most similar to N. parvus ( Redtenbacher, 1891) and N. vicinus ( Karny, 1907) . However, N. vittatus can be distinguished from N. parvus by the space between fastigium of vertex and fastigium of frons measuring less than one third of scapus length ( Fig. 15C, L View FIGURE 15 , 16C View FIGURE 16 ) (longer than one third of scapus length in N. parvus ) and from N. vicinus by the pronotum lateral lobe with an evident curve between anterior and lower margin ( Fig. 15C, L View FIGURE 15 , 16C View FIGURE 16 ) (lateral lobe anterior margin without separation from the lower margin in N. vicinus ).

The male holotype of N. spitzi syn. nov. is herein considered conspecific to N. vittatus . The specimens have a very evident characteristic in comparison to other Neoconocephalus species, which is the strongly truncated apex of the fastigium of the vertex, in dorsal view ( Fig. 15D, M View FIGURE 15 , 16D View FIGURE 16 ). In addition, other characteristics reinforce the proposed synonymy, such as fastigium of frons rounded ( Fig. 15E, N View FIGURE 15 , 16E View FIGURE 16 ), pronotum lateral lobe longer than wide ( Fig. 15C, N View FIGURE 15 , 16C View FIGURE 16 ), and tegmen with basal and apical region equally wide ( Fig. 15B, K View FIGURE 15 , 16B View FIGURE 16 ). The coloration is not used as characteristic to support the synonymy in Neoconocephalus species, but N. vittatus and N. spitzi syn. nov. have a unique pattern of coloration, with paired bright longitudinal stripes with contrastingly dark inner borders overhead and thorax ( Fig. 15C, D, L, M View FIGURE 15 , 16C, D View FIGURE 16 ).

Type material. Neoconocephalus vittatus : female holotype “ Santa Rita do Passa Quatro; Amilton Ferreira leg.; xii-1969 ” [ MELQ] . Neoconocephalus spitzi syn. nov.: male holotype “ Campos do Jordão —S.P.; 7-XII-1926; Spitz, col.” [ MELQ] .

Additional material. Females: One female “ Brasil, MG, Morro do Pilar, PN Serra do Cipó, Córrego Água Escura ; Malaise 1239m; 18–21/XI/2018; 19°16’03” S 43°30’57”W; Alves, A.A. & Santos, A.P.M. leg.” [ DZRJ ORT1322 ]. GoogleMaps Two females “ BRASIL, Paraná, Palmas (área de retirada de Pinus taeda ); 26°33’26”S 51°32’ 32”W; 24.I.2013; A.C. Pereira leg.” [ MNRJ-ENT6-32111 , MNRJ-ENT6-32112 ]. GoogleMaps One female “ Brasil: ES, Vila Velha, área urbana; 09. VI.1997_ Manual; Oliveira, Vanessa leg.” [ UFES]. One female “ Vila Velha, ES; Brasil; 16/ VI /1985; M. M. Maia leg.” [ UFES]. One female “ Brasil. ES. Vila Velha; Garanhuns; 26 VI 1997; Alvarenga, R.M. leg.” [ UFES]. One female “ Brasil, ES, Vitória; 10.VIII.2002; Prado, E.M. leg.” [ UFES]. Males : Two males “ Brasil, MG, Santana do Riacho, Serra do Cipó ; 4.III.2013; Light; Santos et al. leg” [ DZRJ ORT0618 and DZRJ ORT620 ]. One male “ Brasil, BA, Palmeiras, Pousada Villa Bella; 09/ V /2021; Manual; Alves, A.A. leg.” [ DZRJ ORT1255 ]. One male “ BRASIL, Paraná, Palmas (área de retirada de Pinus taeda ); 26°33’26”S 51°32’ 32”W; 24.I.2013; A.C. Pereira leg.” [ MNRJ-ENT6-32113 ] GoogleMaps .