Kokominiagraecia, Gen. et sp. nov.

Kokominiagraecia 22 Rentz, Su and Ueshima Gen. et sp. nov.

ANIC Number, Nicsara sp 12 (in part)

22 Named with reference to the Kokomini indigenous tribe that occupied part of the area inhabited by this genus. Feminine gender. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokomini

Common name. Imposter Katydid

Type species: Kokominiagraecia dicra Rentz, Su & Ueshima gen. et sp. nov., here designated.

Kokominiagraecia is described to accommodate a single known species. It morphologically resembles Coptaspis (Figs 19A, B), a genus with many species that live in heath habitats in south-eastern Australia. Kokominiagraecia gen. nov. is known from the northern tablelands near Atherton, Queensland. A sound recording of an undescribed Coptaspis species (Fig. 21D) is presented for completeness. Even though very similar in external appearance, we conclude that it is different at the generic level from Coptaspis based on several important morphological characters. Though superficially resembling Nicsara Fig. 19D), it is obviously different when studied carefully. For example, the titillators (Fig. 19C) of Nicsara spuria, the type species of the genus, are quite different from those of K. dicra (see Fig. 17O).

Kokominiagraecia prefers open woodlands and grasslands bordering rainforests. It is active at night and has been observed feeding on grass seeds and flowers of a number of short herbs and small shrubs. It has not been found more than 1 m from the ground.

Generic Diagnosis.

Size small for tribe, form robust (Table 2). Both sexes micropterous. Head strongly slanting, jaws not abnormally large; frons smooth, shining, not pitted or carinate, genae minutely punctate; median ocellus minute, faintly indicated just below fastigium of vertex, lateral ocelli apparently absent. Eye ovoid, protruding, positioned high on head; frontal fastigium a minute ridge beneath antennal bases; fastigium of vertex short, stout, not attaining apex of antennal scape, spike-like, surface smooth, not sulcate; antenna with scape about 2x as long as broad, strongly produced apically on internal margin, about ¾ the length of pedicel; flagellum slightly longer than length of body, concolorous, not annulate. Pronotum relatively short, subquadrate, lateral lobes very shallow; surface of disk shining, minutely wrinkled or irregular; lateral lobe with humeral angles regularly minutely carinate, posterior surface with a prominent swelling or blister over the thoracic auditory foramen; anterior margin of disk feebly convex, posterior margin quadrate, ventral margin of lateral lobe undulating. Male tegmina short, tightly adpressed to abdomen, female tegmina overlapping. Stridulatory file short, tegmen with prominent subcosta and radius, costa scarcely identifiable, cells of tegmen reticulate. Prothorax without any trace of processes; meso- and metathorax rounded, the posterior margins barely produced. All legs stout, appearing short. Fore femur slightly laterally compressed, surface shining and minutely irregular, ventral surface armed on both sides with minute spines; tibia short, subcylindrical, unarmed dorsally, armed on both sides ventrally, slightly swollen in region of auditory foramen; auditory foramen almost completely concealed except for an elongate groove. Middle femur similar to fore femur, ventral surface armed only on anterior margin, posterior margin unarmed; tibia subcylindrical, dorsal surface unarmed, ventral surface armed on both sides. Hind femur stout basal 1/3 swollen, armed only on external margin with minute spines; tibia armed dorsally on each side with uniform, closely spaced spines on each side, ventral surface armed on both sides with a few spines, confined to apical 1/3, apex armed dorsally with a pair of spurs, ventral surface appearing to bear 6 apical spurs, the outermost of which are adjacent spines. Genicular lobes of fore and middle femora unarmed, hind femur with an elongate spine on each side. Abdomen elongate, without any prominent ridges or modifications. Male tenth tergite with as shallow, relatively narrow median incision; titillators with callouses at base, arms slender, apically divergent, spiniform; cercus short, stout, apex produced, with stout internal tooth completely concealed from above, a minute lateral tooth; subgenital plate normal, half again longer than broad, apically with a shallow median incision, style short, about as long as one side of median incision. Female with tenth tergite feebly produced, with faint median incision; cercus very elongate, apex faintly projected downwards; subgenital plate relatively short, broad, with shallow apical incision. Ovipositor falcate, about ¾ length of hind femur, unarmed.

Overall colour brown and grey. Head with a narrow brown stripe on each side defining genae (Fig. 17C), dorsal portion of genae with narrow brown stripe extending horizontally from eye to pronotum; antennal scape and pedicel dark brown or black on ventral surface, dorsal surface grey, flagellum uniformly yellow brown, surface of head between antennae and ventral surface of fastigium of vertex black, dorsal surface of head grey with irregular light brown lines. Pronotum with disk greyish brown, with a pair of irregular narrow brown stripes extending from eye stripes, posterior portion of disk slightly darker than the rest. Tegmen with cells darker than veins. Abdomen uniformly greyish brown, ovipositor yellow brown, tip darker brown. Legs greyish brown except proximal portions of all tibiae with a narrow dark brown band; tarsi with terminal segment darker than the others. Abdomen of most specimens faintly speckled, the small speckles creamish white. Entire ventral surface of insect straw brown.