Neoacla (Hattersleya) chicaquensis, García, 2025

Neoacla (Hattersleya) chicaquensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–4 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 )

Type material. Holotype. ♂. Colombia, Cundinamarca, San Antonio de Tequendama, Chicaque Natural Park . 4°37′02″N, 74°18′46″W. 2.229 m. 26 September 2020 A. Murcia leg. ( CAUD). GoogleMaps Paratype. 3♂. Same data and depository as holotype. GoogleMaps

Etymology. It refers to the Chicaque Natural Park where the type series was collected.

Description. Male. Mid-sized and dorsoventrally flattened ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ). Body predominantly ochre with yellow and black stripes ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ). Head yellowish-brown with yellow and black stripes or spots ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ); antennal scape yellowish-brown, with basal and distal edges black delineates; pedicellus and flagellum dark brown with every six or nine segments with a yellowish ring ( Fig. 2C View FIGURE 2 ). Pronotal disc with black spots and with a light-yellow stripe delineated the lateral edges that runs from the anterior to the posterior margin ( Fig. 2E View FIGURE 2 ); lateral lobes completely black. Fore and middle legs black spotted, with rings, to the femora with two or three rings on the mid-distal section, to the tibiae with three rings, one on the base, the next on the middle, and the last at the apex ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ). Hind femora ochre with numerous black oblique lines on the outer surface and several spots on inner surface and apex, tarsi almost black. Tegmina dark brown, including the veins, except R vein ( Fig. 2E View FIGURE 2 ). Abdomen black with some scattered yellow spots ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ). Head rounded almost as high as wide in frontal view; clypeus subrectangular, labrum rounded, with two lines that divide the labrum vertically into three equal parts ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ); maxillary palpi mid-sized, third and fourth subequal and cylindrical, the fifth dilated from the middle to the apex, and distally truncated ( Fig. 2B View FIGURE 2 ). Antennae long, far exceeding the length of the body ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ); the segments are densely covered with medium-sized bristles and hairs; the inner margin of the antennal segments with bristles near the distal edge ( Fig. 2C View FIGURE 2 ); some antennal segments are modified into nodes or thickenings, which contain clusters of bristles that are denser and stronger than those of the other antennal segments ( Fig. 2D View FIGURE 2 ). Thorax. Pronotal disc rather short, as wide as long, anterior and posterior margins almost straight; lateral margins curved and most prominent at the anterior part, expanded in dorsal view ( Fig. 2E View FIGURE 2 ), and upcurved to the posterior margin in lateral view. Meso- and metanotum without glands or modifications. Legs. Fore tibia with tympana small and ovoid, only on inner side, and armed at the apex with a small spur on each ventral side; mid tibia armed with two mid-sized spurs at the apex on each side. Hind tibia with four inner and outer spurs dorsally, and between them with small spines; apex with three apical spurs on both sides, the mid spur of outer margin is longer than the others one; the mid and ventral inner spurs almost similar in length and longer than the dorsal one. First tarsomere of the hind leg, with one spine on inner side close to apex and five dorsal spines on outer side, apex armed with a spur on both sides, the inner spur longer than the outer one. Tegmina ovoid, reaching the fourth abdominal tergite. Mirror ovoid, wider than high, with seven or eight veins; harp with six dividing veins; chordal with two main veins ( Fig. 2E View FIGURE 2 ); lateral field with three to four veins; stridulation file with 173–188 teeth ( Fig. 2F View FIGURE 2 ). Abdomen covered by abundant yellowish hairs. Supra-anal plate longer than wide, apex rounded and almost straight ( Fig. 2G View FIGURE 2 ). Subgenital plate rectangular, longer than wide, and distally concave. Male genitalia. Pseudoepiphallic sclerite (ps.) not elongated compared to other species of the genus ( Figs. 3A–F View FIGURE 3 ). Median lophi (m.l.) subtriangular ( Fig. 3A View FIGURE 3 ), obliquely truncated ventrally, with two lateral and subtriangular basal projections ( Fig. 3B View FIGURE 3 ), dorsally with an elevated groove and a small denticulate extension along its median length ( Fig. 3C View FIGURE 3 ). Lateral lophi (l.l.) membranous and reniform, curving from the base outward and then upward ( Figs. 3A–C View FIGURE 3 ). Pseudoepiphallic parameres (ps.p.) laterally compressed, subrectangular, with a rounded apex and with a denticulation at the tip ( Figs. 3C, F View FIGURE 3 ). Ectophallic apodemes (ec.a.) slender and thin, extending to the level of the endophallic sclerite ( Figs. 3A, B View FIGURE 3 ). Endophallic apodemes (en.a.) submembranous and slightly projected ( Figs. 3B, D View FIGURE 3 ). Endophallic sclerite (en.s.) thin and V-shaped, diverging distally ( Figs. 3A, B, D View FIGURE 3 ). Rami (r.) are membranous and thin. Ectophallic sclerite (ec.s.) is sclerotized only distally and is mostly covered by the ps.p. ( Fig. 3B View FIGURE 3 ). In axial view, the en.s. forms a canal and has a U-shaped structure ( Fig. 3E View FIGURE 3 ). Dorsal cavity (d.c.) membranous and connects with the ectophallic fold (ec.f.) ( Figs. 3A, B, D View FIGURE 3 ).

Female. Unknown.

Measurements (in mm.): LB: 18–20. Pr: 3.5–4.5. Teg: 6–7. HF: 15–17. HT: 17–19.

Variation. The most significant variation among the studied specimens is in coloration tone. As previously described, some males exhibit an ochre or brown coloration with black spots and stripes. However, other males have light green color for ochre sections while keeping the same pattern of black spots and yellow stripes. Apart from this, variations in body measurements and the number of teeth in the stridulatory file are not conspicuous.

Comparison. This new species is most closely related to Neoacla (Hattersleya) clandestina ( Nischk & Otte, 2000) from Ecuador, primarily due to genital characteristics, rather than to species from the other two subgenera. N. (H.) chicaquensis sp. nov. differs from N. (H.) clandestina in antennal structure, as N. (H.) clandestina lacks the modifications or nodules present in the new species.

Additionally, in N. (H.) clandestina , the tegmina cover almost the entire abdomen, exposing only the last tergite and supra-anal plate. The harp has nine cross-veins, the mirror has five, and the stridulatory file contains 242 teeth. In contrast, in N. (H.) chicaquensis sp. nov., the tegmina extend only halfway down the abdomen, the harp has six cross-veins, the mirror has seven to nine, and the stridulatory file contains 173–188 teeth.

In both species, the m.l. is short. However, N. (H.) clandestina is narrow and lacks basal projections, whereas the opposite is observed in the new species. The ec.s. of N. (H.) clandestina is sclerotized along most of its length, which is not the case in the new species. The ps.p. also differ between the two species: in N. (H.) clandestina , they are short, reaching only the mid-length of the ec.s., divergent, and unarmed at the apex. In contrast, in N. (H.) chicaquensis sp. nov., the ps.p. tend to be convergent, almost entirely covering the ec.s., and also bear a denticle at the apex.