Bioacoustics of Lerneca inalata

REMARK The most informative characters given by Saussure (1878) to separate Lerneca inalata ( Saussure, 1874 ) from L. fuscipennis ( Saussure, 1878 ) are the shape of the pronotum (trapezoidal, twice as wide as long, against more quadrangular in L. fuscipennis ), the shape of the FWs (very wide, against little widened in L. fuscipennis ), the shape of the stridulatory file (transverse and straight, against short and oblique in L. fuscipennis ) and the slender shape of the legs. These characters are similarly well-contrasted between L. inalata inalata and Lerneca mitarakensis n. sp. (see Figs 13 , 14 ). All the subspecies recently described in L. inalata differ from the description given by Saussure for pronotum, FW and file shapes, as shown by figures in original papers ( Gorochov 2007 , 2014 ; Lima et al. 2016 ). The taxonomic status and relationships of these taxa will have to be reconsidered with the analysis of the type of L. inalata , and through molecular studies

Description. Head: Dark brown with 4 light brown longitudinal stripes, short bristles over full extent and long black bristles on the frons ( Fig. 2 D). Antenna dark brown with scape, pedicel and antennomere whitened in the proximal region. Frons, gena, clypeus, labrum, and mandibles dark brown. White maxillary palpus, with 3 rounded segments and bristles over its entire length ( Fig. 2 F). First segment darker on base, and last segment wider and flatter than the others. Labial palpus smaller and darker than maxillary palpus. Thorax and abdomen: Dorsal disc of pronotum with small dark spots, pubescent, with larger and darker bristles on the anterior and posterior margins. Lateral lobe of pronotum dark brown. Metanotum with two drop-shaped stains. The ventral region of the thorax and abdomen light brown, with longitudinal rounded spots that extend all over the abdomen. Prothorax tergites and abdomen dark brown. Metanotal glands like a pair of small dilatations. Tibia and tarsus I, II, and III and femur I and II dark brown, marked with light spots. Tibia I tympanum present on both sides, oval and subequal in size. Femur III darker in the distal half, with dark brown spots, with the inner surface brighter than the outer ( Fig. 2 C). Trapezoidal supranal plate light brown, with apex rounded and narrower than the base ( Fig. 2 G). Subgenital plate light brown with dark dots, apex with invagination in the middle portion with sclerite B spines ( Fig. 2 H). Cerci light brown. Observations of Paratypes. Genitalia. Sclerite B with rounded apex and 6 ventral spines, the anterior 4 being more developed than the posterior 2 ( Fig. 3 A, C). The first spine in the basal portion of sclerite B with slight bifurcation ( Fig. 3 A). Sclerite C dorsally projected, concave, with denticles all over the dorsal surface ( Fig. 3 A). Mid-region of pseudepiphallus strongly sclerotized, with basal area larger than the apex ( Figs. 3 A, B). Sclerotized proximal pseudepiphallus invagination bent and projected towards the ectophallic apodeme ( Fig. 3 C). Pseudepiphallic paramere membranous in more than 50% of its area slightly longer and curved to the medio-anterior portion of the dorsal face ( Fig. 3 C). Left tegmen. Brown with light yellow stains, lighter colored veins, speculum length 2.92 ± 0.13 mm (n=16), speculum width 3.19 ± 0.14 mm (n=16); length of apical area 1.01 ± 0.1 mm (n=16). Speculum length-apical area length ratio is 2.95 (2.92 x 1.01 = 2.95) and speculum width-apical area length ratio is 3.22 (3.19 x 1.01 = 3.22). Stridulatory row with 145 ± 11.54 teeth (129–168, n=15). Right tegmen smaller and lighter than left ( Fig. 2 ). Calling songs. ( Fig. 5 , n=3, BIINORPHLEINBE-45IPBC, 28ºC, 7:24 pm, 18.09.2013 ; BIINORPHLEINBE- 22IPBC, 23ºC, 06:00 pm, 28.07.2013 ; BIINORPHLEINBE-90IPBC, 28ºC, 06:30 pm, 15.10.2013 ). Chirps with 29 to 40 pulses, frequency band between 4.0 and 5.7 kHz; dominant frequency 4.5 kHz, each chirp preceded by a single pulse with lower frequency and duration. Pulse frequencies and durations increase gradually over the whole chirp, chirp duration of 253 ± 29.38 ms (n=15), interval between chirps of 707 ± 216.62 ms (n=15), pulse duration of 4.35 ± 0.63 ms, inter-pulse interval of 3.91 ± 0.41 ms (n=157), pulse period of 8.35 ± 0.78 ms (n=157), pulses with 17.77 ± 5.28 sound cycles (n=9), calling song activities during twilight and nocturnal periods, and during the day (one observation at 09:00 am, 27ºC, BIINORPHLEINBE-89IPBC). Female. Similar to male. Larger in size ( Table 1 ). Differs from male by tegmina with parallel longitudinal veins. Very small subgenital plate, truncated apex, concave margin, 2 drop-shaped dark brown spots ( Fig. 4 A). Ovipositor dorso-ventrally flattened, valve apex slightly acuminated, smooth edge ( Fig. 4 C–E). BL PL PW IOD RTL RTW PLF PTL OL L. i. beripocone subsp. nov. Max. Males n=16 Min. 11 9.7 2.2 1.6 2.9 2.1 1.3 1 9 7.4 5.7 4.1 8.3 7.7 7.7 7.4 - - Mean 10 1.8 2.5 1.2 8.5 5.3 7.9 7.45 - SD 0.54 0.19 0.23 0.15 0.5 0.44 0.2 0.2 - Females Max. n=4 Min. 12 11 2.2 1.9 3 2.6 1.6 1.3 7.6 6.7 4.3 3.8 9 8.5 8.4 7.8 8.5 7.8 Mean 11.9 2 2.8 1.5 7 4.1 7.65 8.15 8.3 SD 0.47 0.12 0.18 0.12 0.45 0.25 0.21 0.27 0.29 L. i. mexicana Gorochov, Max. 2007 Min. *Male 1 0 9.5 1.9 1.7 - - - - 8.5 8 - - 8.6 8.4 - - - - *Female Max. 11 2.3 - - 7.5 - 9.5 - 7.3 Min. 1 0 2.1 - - 7.2 - 9 - 7 L. i. amboro Gorochov, Max. 2014 Min. *Male 9.5 8 1.7 1.5 - - - - 8 7 - - 8 7 - - - - *Female Mean 10 1.9 - - 7 - 8 - 6.8 L. i. pantanal Gorochov, Max. 2014 Min. *Male 1 0 8 1.8 1.6 - - - - 8.5 7 - - 8.5 7.5 - - - - *Female Max. 11 2.2 - - 8 - 8 - 7 Min. 9 1.8 - - 7 - 7.5 - - *Numbers of studied individuals not provided. Female genitalia. Copulatory papilla elongated, tapered apex with transverse folds ( Figs. 4 F–H). Basal portion covered by membranes that separate the papilla from the elongated channel that extends to the small rounded spermatheca. Occurrence. Known only from the municipality of Poconé, Mato Grosso, Brazil ( Fig. 1 ). Individuals of this subspecies were frequently observed on leaf litter inside the deciduous and semi-deciduous forests, or near the border areas between forest and pasture.