Figs 1–10
Type material. Holotype - Male, INDIA: Kashmir, Pulwama, Rahmoo, near Almond Orchid, 1899 m a.s.l., 33°51’36.0”N 74°49’44.0”E, 05. viii.2020, coll. Muzamil Syed Shah, ZSI. Allotype - Female, same as holotype, ZSI. Paratype - 2 males and 3 females, location details same as holotype, AMU.
Other studied material. 2 males and 1 female, INDIA: Ladakh, Kargil. 1 male, Chutumail, 2904 m a.s.l. (34°33’12”N; 76°10’33”E), 28.v.2021; 1male, Apati, 3314 m a.s.l. (34°34’15”N; 76°12’19”E), 25.vi.2021; 1 female, Tumail Colony, 2909 m a.s.l. (34°32’16”N; 76°09’17”E), 10.vi.2021. Coll. Ahsan Ali.
Type locality. INDIA: Jammu & Kashmir, Kashmir, Pulwama, Rahmoo, 1899 m a.s.l., (33°51’36.0”N; 74°49’44.0”E).
Etymology. The species is named after the Rahmoo village; noun in apposition.
Distribution. The species is currently known in India from its type locality in Jammu & Kashmir and distribution in Ladakh (Fig. 1).
Diagnosis. Platycleis rahmoiensis Jaiswara & Shah sp. nov. can be distinguished from P. kashmira in several aspects in addition to those noted in the key. In the former left FWs mirror is 2 times longer than wide (Fig. 9) as compared to kashmira where it is almost three times longer. Last anal tergite in the new species male almost three times wider than long (compared to P. kashmira, ~1.5-time wider, hind margin bearing broad median sulcus, lateral margins slightly decurving (compared to P. kashmira Uv.) (Fig. 5 A & D); male cercus narrower all across length, narrow apex, outer-lateral surface concave (indicated by arrow, Fig. 5 A & B). Female P. rahmoiensis sp. nov. VIIth sternite narrowing posteriorly, possesses two sub-lateral and one median, obtusely conical tubercles behind the middle (only two sub-lateral tubercles in P. kashmira); posterior margin of VIIth sternite connecting VIIIth sternite straight (angular in P. kashmira) (Fig. 6A & B). Ovipositor of Platycleis rahmoiensis sp. nov. slender, much more upcurved, thicker at base, sharply pointed at apex (as compared to P. kashmira (Fig. 7A), lower margin finely serrated (Fig. 7B).
Description. Body size medium and slender in shape. Head. Head rather short, face long, slanting in lateral view (Fig. 4C). Occiput somewhat flat, bearing fine dents (Fig. 4D). Fastigium of vertex trapezoidal, sharply defined by longitudinal furrow at base, convex (Fig. 4A & C), not surpassing the base of antennal socket and is almost two times wider than scapus. Eyes small, round and bulging (Fig. 4A, C & D). Ocelli small, located in triangle; median ocellus ovoid, apical, much below the basal margin of antennal socket; distance from median to lateral ocellus is slightly shorter than between lateral ocelli. Scape as long as broad. Maxillary palpi long; articles 3 and 4 subequal in length; article 5 longer than articles 3 and 4, strongly widened distally, distal margin strongly slanting, dorsal margin parallel to ventral margin (Fig. 4B). Pronotum. Surface minutely pitted; anterior margin wider than posterior, widest at 1/3 rd of the length; anterior margin of DD straight, posterior margin U-shaped; depressed dorsally with a median keel or carina at metazona (Fig. 2 A-B, 3A-B & 4D). Lateral margin of pronotum -straight and descending, with smooth antero-lateral and postero-lateral angle, humeral excision more evident and light striped border (Fig. 4D).
Sternum. Prosternum devoid of any spine or process; mesosternum divided medially by a deep V- shaped incision into two triangular lobes; metasternum triangular with a shallow groove in the middle (Fig. 4E). Legs. Thin. FI and FII thinner on mid-length. FIII proximal half almost five times wider than distal half, distal half filiform. TI outer and inner tympanum present (Fig. 4F); dorsal and ventral surfaces with subapical spurs (refer Table 2 for counts) and a pair of long and thin apical spurs, both of the same length. TII dorsal and ventral surfaces with subapical spurs (refer Table 2 for counts) and a pair of long and thin apical spurs, both of the same length or outer longer. TIII dorsal surface serrulated on both inner and outer margins in alternate fashion (refer Table 2 for counts), ventral surface with long, slender sub-apical spurs, arranged alternately (refer Table 2 for counts); joint between tibia and tarsus bearing three pairs of apical spurs, outer spurs shorter; median spur the longest on both inner and outer sides.
Male. Wings. Mesopterous. FW reaching to the end of abdomen and not surpassing the abdomen and is equal to hind wings with rounded apex; dorsal field with complete stridulatory apparatus, mirror almost 1.5 times longer than wide and narrow harp (Fig. 9 A&B) (compared to P. kashmira); stridulatory file on ventral side of FW with approximately 64 teeth (Fig. 8C), shape elongated, smooth surfaced (Fig. 8D), average inter-tooth distance in the middle of the file is 10.6 µm (SD/± 0.8 µm; n=14); lateral field radial vein with 9-10 branches, sub-coastal vein with one long and two shorts branches (Fig. 8A).
Male Genitalia. Last tergite almost three times wider than long (against to P. kashmira, ~1.5 time wider (Fig. 5A & B); hind margin bearing broad median sulcus, lateral margins slightly decurving (compared to P. kashmira.) (Fig. 5B). Subgenital plate slightly longer than wide, posteriorly bisinuated at 1/5 th of length and bearing a pair of styli (Fig. 5C). Cerci long, thick and inner part with a short hook sub-apically (Fig. 5D). Titillators with broad base, progressively narrowing, minute spines present on posterior half and distal ends curved facing against each other (Fig. 5E&F).
Female. Wings. Mesopterous. FW reaching to the end of abdomen and not surpassing the abdomen and is equal to hind wings with rounded apex. Abdomen. VIth sternite broad with parallel margins (convex in P. kashmira); VIIth sternite margins narrowing posteriorly, possess two sub-lateral and one median, obtusely conical tubercles behind the middle; posterior margin of VIth sternite connecting VIIth sternite straight (angular in P. kashmira) (Fig. 6 A & B).
Female Genitalia. Last anal tergite with deep V- shaped incision (Fig. 6C); subgenital plate as wide as long (wider than long in P. kashmira), a pair of obtusely conical tubercles towards anterior margin, hind margin with broad and shallow median sulcus, with parallel raised carina, lobes short, divergent and rounded posteriorly (Fig. 6A & D). Ovipositor slender, much more upcurved, thick at base, sharply pointed at apex (as compared to P. kashmira), lower margin finely serrated (Fig. 7B).
Coloration. Dorsally body and legs in combination of pale-clay-yellow and olive green, densely interspersed with brown spots (Fig. 2C & 3C); a pale-clay-yellow stripe arising from occiput reaching to the upper margin of eyes; similar stripe arising medially from occiput extending up to vertex; along the stripe towards the posterior margin of occiput patch of dark brown pigmentation; eyes of the body color, lower 4/5 th area ornamented with thin longitudinal dark brown stripes (Fig. 2C & 3C); ocelli pale yellow; maxillary palpi 5 th article with a light brown ring subapically, article 1 st – 4 th ornamented with light brown patches(Fig. 4B & C); lower half of scape greenish; short, vertical green stripe radiating from lower margin of scape towards face (Fig. 4A); under eye area green, ornamented with brown patches (Fig. 4A); pronotum LL with a patch of olive green ornamented with brown spots, sub marginal area pale-clay-yellow (Fig. 2C, 3C & 4D); male FW lateral field transparent sparsely ornamented with brown spots, dorsal field mostly pale yellow with a tint of green, with patches of brown pigment: in the mirror and cells around mirror, area between media vein and cubital veins, harp area, apical field transparent (Fig. 8A); FIII on outer side with a series of short vertical dark brown spots (Fig. 3C); ventral side of abdomen pistachio green (Fig. 2C & 3C); subgenital plate in both sexes is pistachio green ornamented with purple spots in male (Fig. 5C); ovipositor shinning dark brown with base pale yellow (Fig. 7B).
Remarks. In Platycleis, males are typically more difficult to identify than females. The structure of female subgenital plate and sternites is the most important morphological character for species identification (see e.g., Willemse et al. 2018). On the other hand, Platycleis males are better recognized by their unique calling song structure (Samways 1976; Ragge 1990).
Acoustic signal. The calling song is composed of a mixture of short and long echemes. Most often, echemes comprise macro-syllables followed by micro-syllables (Fig. 10A–C). Duration of echemes ranges between 0.5–2 seconds. The number of macro-syllables shows a bimodal distribution; either the number lies between 4–5 or between 9-18. Duration of macro-syllables varies between 0.038 – 0.076 s (average 0.065s ± 0.008s)) and period between 0.066 – 0.097 s (average 0.086 ± 0.007s). The macro-syllable repetition rate is approximately 12/s (at 28°C). Macro-SRR comparable to other Platycleis species (see Heller 1988 - also fig p. 11; Ragge 1990). Mostly macrosyllables, are followed by micro-syllables per echeme with average count of 5.1 ±1.6. Duration of micro-syllables varies between 0.004 – 0.012 s (average 0.007 ± 0.002s) and period between 0.026 – 0.133 s (average 0.049 ± 0.029s). Occasionally, micro-syllables are not preceded by macro-syllables. The calling song is faintly audible because of its dominant frequency, around 19.8kHz (Fig. 10C), which is the upper limit of the human hearing range.