Cladonotus bhaskari Tumbrinck & Deranja & Adžić & Pavlović & Skejo 2020, sp. n.

IV) Cockscomb-shaped twighopper, Cladonotus bhaskari sp. n.

(for the photo of the holotype in natural habitat see Figure 1, for dry holotype deposited in the museum collection see Figure 2, and for the distribution please refer to Figure 3).

Type series information. 1 holotype female SRI LANKA: Sabaragamawa: Sinharaja rainforest (N6.379331, E80.470206) leg. T. Kirschey 19.XI.2016. (ZFMK). The holotype is deposited in Museum Koenig in Bonn, Germany (ZFMK).

Type locality and distribution. Known only from a single female (holotype) from the type locality—SRI LANKA: Sabaragamawa: Sinharaja rainforest (N6.379331, E80.470206). The species inhabits rainforests.

Etymology. The species is named in honor of Dhanesh Bhaskar, our colleague and friend from Kerala, India, who is a specialist in grasshoppers (especially pygmy grasshoppers) of the Western Ghats. Mr. Bhaskar has hitherto described one new Tettilobus species. The specific epitheton is noun of the second Latin declension in genitive case; derived from the surname ‘Bhaskar’, the name of Dhaneesh’s father, in Latin declension ‘N bhaskarus, G bhaskari ’.

Specific diagnosis (for comparison see Table 2, Table 3, and Figure 3). This species is easily separated from its congeners by its unique pronotal morphology. Unlike C. humbertianus and C. turrifer, C. bhaskari sp. n. has straight promedial projection; unlike C. turrifer and C. latiramus, C. bhaskari sp. n. has shorter promedial projection; unlike C. humbertianus and C. latiramus, C. bhaskari sp. n. has long frontomedial projection; and finally, unlike any other species, in C. bhaskari sp. n. promedial projection starts as a narrow protuberance, and then suddenly widens into an axe-shaped/a cockscomb-shaped apex (see Figure 2A). For measurements please refer to the Table 3.

General appearance (Figure 1, Figure 2). Holotype of C. bhaskari sp. n. is the largest known specimen of the genus Cladonotus, what could be due to the fact this is the only known female. Female pygmy grasshoppers are larger than males. Body is robust, dark in coloration, dark brown in the living specimen, while pale brown when the specimen is dried. Whole body—head, pronotum and legs—covered in fine and minute spine-like tubercles (Figure 1, Figure 2). Pronotum bears two black spots behind the shoulders.

Head (Figure 2E) is, like the rest of the body, very spiky. Vertex is 1.9 times as wide as a compound eye, covered in numerous granules, and has truncated frontal margin. Median carina is short and indistinct; lateral and transverse carinae weakly elevated. In the lateral view, the vertex between the eyes cannot be seen, because of the prominence of the compound eyes, while in the frontal view the median part of the vertex raises above the level of the dorsal margin of the compound eyes, and is indeed the highest part of the fastigium. Frontal costa runs long before the bifurcation, which is positioned just between the compound eyes and bears a few prominent spines, two of which can be observed in the lateral view (Figure 2A). Facial carinae run after the bifurcation in strongly divergent fashion, with two concavities, and are strongly widened ventrad, forming a wide scutellum.

Pronotum. Pronotum of this species is unique within the genus. The whole anterior part of the pronotum stands about 0.2 mm higher than the posterior part. All the carinae are covered in tubercles and spines. Anterior margin of the pronotum bears a few strong spines (Figure 2A) and projects before the head in a spine-like fashion. In the lateral view, the anterior margin (also known as the frontomedial projection or FM) surpasses the frontmost part of the frontal costa by 0.35 mm. The highest and the largest projection on the pronotum, as in the other species of the genus, is certainly the promedial projection. It is in this species partially fused with frontomedial projection, forming one L-shaped meta-projection. Promedial projection starts in the dorsum, about 1 mm behind the eyes, as a narrow projection, and in its narrowest part measures 0.5 mm, while some 1.8 mm from the apex, it suddenly widens and measures 2.0 mm in its widest part. The tip of the projection has a cockscomb shape, with five evident apices (Fig. 2A). Promedial projection of this species strongly differs from those reported in other species of the genus. Shoulders are not armed with teeth or projections, except the fine spines present in all the pronotal carinae. Median carina is continuous and equipped with evident spines along its entire length. Median carina is the carina projected into frontal and promedian spine. Depression is present behind the shoulders, where the black dots are situated. Pronotum has a weakly bilobate, truncated apex, on each corner of which there is one large spine, pale colored and with dark apex. Tegminal sinus absent. Infrascapular area long and wide. Ventral sinus deep and evident. Paranota of the pronotum granulated and carinated.Apices of the lateral lobes of the paranota in dorsal view projected outwards and armed with serrated ventrolateral projections.

Wings. Tegmina, the fore wings, and alae, the hind wings, are not visible. In order to check this character, we would need to remove pronotum from the specimen and uncover the thorax. Because we have a single specimen this is not possible. Wings are probably completely reduced and, if present, covered by the infrascapular area of the pronotum (probably the apterous or the vestigial type in Zha et al. 2020).

Fore legs (Figure 2B). Femora stout and with very spiky surface; bearing strong spines on the dorsal and ventral margins, two of which are especially evident on each of the margins. Tibiae dark with two pale rings, equipped with minute spines. Tarsi. Proximal tarsal segment short and pale colored. Distal long, dark and with a pale ring, bearing pale colored claws at the tip. Mid legs (Figure 2B). Similar to fore legs, except there is a long spine just at the knee of the mid femur. Hind legs (Figure 2B, 2C). Femora robust, 2.7 times as long as wide; ventral margin with minute teeth; dorsal margin with three toothed plates (lappets), of which one is antegenicular tooth. Genicular teeth smaller, but also armoured with saw-like teeth. Outer surface equipped with three prominent spines armoured with minute teeth. Hind tibiae dark, bearing 5-7 spines on the dorsal margins. Hind tarsi. First and third segments elongated, subequal in length. First and second pulvilli of the proximal segment angular and equal in size, third pulvillus elongated, two times as long as previous one, but with smoother apex (Figure 2D).

Abdomen (Figure 2B). Dark, almost black, and so is the ovipositor. Parts of the abdomen are covered in rough integument, while other parts are smooth. Dorsal and ventral valvulae elongated. Cerci black and smooth. Teeth on the dorsal and ventral valvulae evident, minute.

Male not known. This species is described from a female holotype only. Based on the size in other species (Table 3), male is probably slightly smaller in size.