Scapteriscus cerberus Rodriguez & Heads, sp. nov.

Scapteriscus cerberus Rodríguez & Heads, sp. nov.

Figures 1 – 2.

Type material. Holotype male, COLOMBIA: Cundinamarca, Puente Quetame. 4º19'59''N 75º51'50''W. 1496m, Oct-2009, Balvuena S. [MHNUD 3008]. Paratype male COLOMBIA: Santander, Barbosa, 1600m, Oct- 2009 [UNAB 3577]. Paratype female COLOMBIA: Antioquia Bello, Abr-1995. Cardona E. [CCOM 5100]. Paratype male COLOMBIA: Antioquia Bello, Abr-1995. Cardona E. [CCOM 5101]. Paratype female COLOMBIA: Antioquia, San Luis, Rio claro. 440m. s.n.m, mar-1994, Amat G. [MUJ 386]. Paratype male COLOMBIA: Antioquia, San Luis, Rio claro. 440m. s.n.m, mar-1994. Amat G. [MUJ 395].

Etymology. The specific epithet is a noun in apposition derived from Cerberus (a Latinization of the Greek Kέρβερος or 'kerberos'), the fearsome dog of Greek and Roman mythology that guards the gates of Hades, the underworld. The gender is masculine.

Diagnosis. Brachypterous species with a large and robust pronotum; protibial dactyls evenly spaced (interdactylar distance approximately 0.36 mm); tympana almost completely exposed; protrochanteral blade approximately 1.6 mm long. Scapteriscus cerberus is most similar to S. variegatus and S. abbreviatus in that it displays a marked reduction of the hind wings (brachyptery) and ocelli. Nevertheless, it is readily separated from these species by its large and robust pronotum, pigmented tegmina, reduced ocelli and markedly longer protrochanteral blade.

Description. Head: small ocelli, subcircular and relatively separated from compound eyes which are also reduced. General coloration: brown with 2 paired dark bands behind the compound eyes and ocelli. (Fig. 2 A).

Thorax: Pronotum robust and trapezoidal; two brown bands line the middle of the thorax; Two large anterior brown patches positioned surrounding the middle band’s tips, whereas, two small posterior patches are positioned near the center of these bands. Another dark area can be seen in the anterior margin of the thorax, surrounding a bone-shaped clear area in the upper middle; two additional small brown patches present in the central region of the posterior margin (Fig. 2 c).

Lateral lobes of pronotum slightly pigmented (Fig.2 b); dactyls in the fore tibia rather thin and widely spaced and divergent (Fig.1 b, 2e). The internal area of the fore tibiae is almost totally covered by granulations with a small smooth area in the basal zone (Fig. 2 h). Tympana almost totally exposed in dorsal view (Fig 1 d, 2d); the fore trochanter blade long, extending more than 2/3 the length of trochanter process (Fig2 b). Hind femora pigmented around its posterior middle with dark brown patches forming two well defined lines which become clearer as they move closer to the basal region. Hind tibia with a dark band close to the femora articulation (Fig 2 k); dorsal margin of the hind tibia with 4 spines, with six are located in its the apical border (Fig. 2 i, 2j). Wings short, covering about 2/3 of the abdomen; tegmina slightly pigmented, not transparent, and covering about 2/3 of the abdomen (Fig. 1 c, 2g); tegmina and wings approximately of the same lengths (Fig. 1 c).

Abdomen: General color yellowish, with dark brown marks on posterior margin of each sclerite. Other dark bands are located along the dorsal and dorsolateral lines, and some small marks located in the lateral margin of each sclerite. Cerci short and the subgenital plate is not produced as it is in some species of the genus (e.g. S. cuadripunctatus, S. mexicanus) (Fig. 1 c).

Measurements (mm): 2 females: Ocellar lenght: ~0.3 0.27–0.32; Interocellar distance: ~1.07 0.97–1.17; Interocular distance: ~1.87 1.67–2.07; Ocular-ocellar distance: ~0.34 0.30–0.37; Length of pronotum: ~8.50 7.50–9.50; Width of pronotum: ~7.53 7.26–7.78; Trochanter blade length: ~1.26 1.25–1.27; Interdactyl distance: ~0.25 0.2–0.3; Total length: ~26.7 24.90–28.50. 4 males: Ocellar length ~0.34 0.22–0.40; Interocellar distance: ~1.11 0.80–1.31; Interocular distance: ~1.81 1.35–2.17; Ocular-ocellar distance: ~0.28 0.25–0.35; Length of pronotum: ~9.85 7.96–11.96; Width of pronotum: ~7.15 6.02–8.54; Trochanter blade length: ~1.73 1.00–2.53; Interdactyl distance: ~0.41 0.22–0.61; Total length: ~28.46 24.00–34.52. Ratios of morphometric measurements of S. cerberus are shown in the table 1. One of the most representative is pronotal length/ total length, which reflects the large pronotum in this species.