First record of Sanaa regalis (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae, Pseudophyllinae) from the central Himalayas

Abstract

A female individual of Sanaa regalis (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1895) was collected in the Tanahun district of Central Nepal in September 2021. This katydid had been reported prior from India in the East Himalayas and Chhattisgarh in Central India. This is the first record of this species from the Central Himalayas, Nepal. The female of this species differs from its congenerics S. imperialis (White, 1846) and S. intermedia Beier, 1944 in its ovipositor being distinctly black at the base.

Full text

Journal of orthoptera research 2022, 31(2)
Journal of Orthoptera Research 2022, 31(2): 119–124
Abstract
A female individual of Sanaa regalis (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1895)
was collected in the Tanahun district of Central Nepal in September 2021.
This katydid had been reported prior from India in the East Himalayas and
Chhattisgarh in Central India. This is the first record of this species from
the Central Himalayas, Nepal. The female of this species differs from its
congenerics S. imperialis (White, 1846) and S. intermedia Beier, 1944 in its
ovipositor being distinctly black at the base.
Keywords
grasshopper, katydid, Nepal, new distribution, new record, Sanaa imperialis,
Sanaa intermedia
Introduction
Nepal lies in the middle of the Himalayas, with the eastern
end in the Eastern Himalayas near Sikkim, the western end
in the Western Himalayas near Uttarakhand, and most of the
country in the Central Himalayas. The study of the Tettigoniidae
fauna of Nepal dates back to Walker (1869) when he described
Incertana concinna (Walker, 1869), which was presented to him
by Maj. Gen. Thomas Hardwicke. Later, Ragge (1961) reported
Ducetia japonica (Thunberg, 1815) from Pokhara based on a male
specimen collected in 1954. Beier (1962) cited Sanaa imperialis
(White, 1846) from Nepal. Five more species were recorded by
Chopard and Dreux (1966): Conocephalus (Anisoptera) fuscus
(Fabricius, 1793), Mecopoda elongata (Linnaeus, 1758), Himertula
kinneari (Uvarov, 1924), Letana recticercis Chopard & Dreux, 1966
and Dreuxia incerta Chopard & Dreux, 1966, followed by Bey-
Bienko (1968) who added one more species i.e., Macroteratura
(Stenoteratura) janetscheki (Bey-Bienko, 1968) from East Nepal.
Following this, most of the studies have been done by Ingrisch
(1987, 1990a, 1990b, 2001, 2002, 2006), Ingrisch and Garai
(2001), and Ingrisch and Shishodia (1998). A few other species
are listed in Liu and Xia (1992), Kevan and Jin (1993), Joshi and
Manandhar (2001), Shishodia et al. (2010), and most recently
in Jin et al. (2020), describing Macroteratura (Stenoteratura)
twinsloba Liu, 2020 based on a male holotype at Bishop Museum,
Honolulu, USA collected in 1966 from Kathmandu. Joshi and
Manandhar (2001) reported a genus named Scuddrina (possibly
a typo for Scudderia Stål, 1873) with limited evidence. Scudderia is
a New World genus, and its occurrence in Nepal is very unlikely.
The referred specimen (Orth. 69) may be somewhere in their
collection, but there is doubt as to whether it is Scudderia. So
far, the most recent comprehensive list of Tettigoniidae reported
from Nepal is in Ingrisch (2006), with 45 fully identified species
plus 6 species identified to genus level only. The Orthoptera
Species File lists 40 species of Tettigoniidae recorded from Nepal
(Cigliano et al. 2022). This list, however, omits several valid taxa
included in Ingrisch (2006): Conocephalus (Chloroxiphidion) laetus
(Redtenbacher, 1891), Conocephalus (Anisoptera) fuscus (Fabricius,
1793) (reported as Conocephalus (Xiphidion) discolor), Conocephalus
(Anisoptera) melaenus (Haan, 1843), Euconocephalus pallidus
(Redtenbacher, 1891), Xiphidiopsis (X.) lita Hebard, 1922, and
Holochlora japonica Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878. It also omits
some taxa reported by Shishodia (2006, 2007) and Shishodia
et al. (2010): Orthelimaea securigera (Brunner von Wattenwyl,
1878), Sanaa imperialis (originally reported by Beier 1962),
and Tegra viridivitta (Walker, 1870), and two more by Joshi and
Manandhar (2001): Isopsera pedunculata Brunner von Wattenwyl,
1878 and Phaneroptera (Phaneroptera) myllocerca Ragge, 1956.
The last two reported by Joshi and Manandhar (2001) were also
omitted by Ingrisch (2006), but Ingrisch (2006) never referenced
the aforementioned literature. After examination of the relevant
literature, the number of Tettigoniidae recorded from Nepal seems
to be around 55. That being said, an updated checklist is required.
Sanaa regalis is a colorful katydid described originally from
Sikkim and later reported from Darjeeling, Assam, Nagaland, West
Bengal, and Arunanchal Pradesh in the East Himalayas (Ingrisch
2002, Barman 2003, Gogoi et al. 2015) and Raipur, Chhattisgarh
in Central India (Gupta and Chandra 2018). It can be recognized
by the four large greenish yellow maculae on its brown tegmina.
There are several black blemishes on the brown part of the
tegmina, and numerous bluish streaks on a black background
First record of Sanaa regalis (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae, Pseudophyllinae)
from the central Himalayas
saJan K.c.1, anisha sapKota2
1 Pokhara, Kaski, Gandaki Province, Nepal.
2 Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur, Chitwan, Bagmati Province, Nepal.
Corresponding author: Sajan K.C. (Sajankc143@gmail.com)
Academic editor: Klaus-Gerhard Heller | Received 7 February 2022 | Accepted 28 February 2022 | Published 22 July 2022
https://zoobank.org/73BCFBA6-8214-4232-A966-6DC6BC36F8D8
Citation: KC Sagan, Sapkota A (2022) First record of Sanaa regalis (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae, Pseudophyllinae) from the central Himalayas. Journal of
Orthoptera Research 31(2): 119–124. https://doi.org/10.3897/jor.31.81760
Short Communication

Journal of orthoptera research 2022, 31(2)
SAJAN K.C. AND A. SAPKOTA
120
on the hindwings. The hindwings are spotted anteriorly. The
pronotum is greenish yellow, and the rest of the body is mostly
black with tinges of brown in some parts. The subgenital plate of
the male is black, while the ovipositor of the female is black at its
base (Beier 1962, Barman 2003, Cigliano et al. 2022).
Here, we report the first record of this species from the Central
Himalayas in Nepal.
Methods
The individual was seen by the first author as a chance encoun-
ter on a rural road in Shuklagandaki Municipality in the Tanahun
district of Central Nepal (Fig. 7). In the field, this unique-looking
Tettigoniidae could only be identified as a female Pseudophylli-
nae. The individual was handpicked, stored in a perforated vial,
and brought to Pokhara alive for further study. Photographs of the
live individual were then taken (Figs 1, 2) using a Canon 7D mark
II with 100 mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens. For further identifica-
tion, the individual was euthanized using ethyl acetate, and the
specimen was taken to Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU),
Chitwan. It was pinned and spread, and photographs of differ-
ent parts were taken (Figs 3–6) with the same setup as above. The
location and altitude of the collection locality were determined
using Google Maps, and a map of the study area was created us-
ing ArcMap 10.4. The specimen is deposited at Annapurna Natural
History Museum, Pokhara.
Identification was done using Beier (1962), Barman (2003),
and the Orthoptera Species File (Cigliano et al. 2022). The identi-
fication was confirmed by Dr. Sigfrid Ingrisch (Research Museum
Alexander Koenig, Germany).
Fig. 1. Female individual of S. regalis from Tanahun. Photograph taken in Pokhara on 21 Sept. 2021 on a Tagetes L. plant.
Fig. 2. Female individual of S. regalis from Tanahun showing the front and ventral sides of the head.

S. K.C. AND A. SAPKOTA 121
Journal of orthoptera research 2022, 31(2)
Fig. 3. Habitus (dorsal). Apices of tegmina lost due to improper handling; refer to Fig. 1.
Fig. 4. Habitus (ventral).

Journal of orthoptera research 2022, 31(2)
SAJAN K.C. AND A. SAPKOTA
122
Fig. 6. Habitus (lateral).
Fig. 5. Ovipositor of the female S. regalis showing its distinctly black base.

S. K.C. AND A. SAPKOTA 123
Journal of orthoptera research 2022, 31(2)
Fig. 7. Map of Nepal showing the discovery area.
Results
Taxonomy
Family Tettigoniidae Krauss, 1902
Subfamily Pseudophyllinae Burmeister, 1838
Supertribe Pseudophylliti Burmeister, 1838
Tribe Cymatomerini Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1895
Genus Sanaa Walker, 1870
Type species.—Sanaa regalis (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1895)
Comparison with congeners.—There are two other species of
Sanaa, both reported from the Indomalaya region: S. intermedia
Beier, 1944, originally reported from Than-Moi, Vietnam, and
S. imperialis (White, 1846), originally reported from Sylhet,
Bangladesh (Orthoptera Species File Version 5.0/5.0). The latter
species, however, is also recorded from Nepal (Beier 1962). The
female of S. regalis differs from that of S. imperialis mainly in
having its ovipositor black at the base, while the ovipositor of
S. imperialis is yellow (Barman 2003). Similarly, the ovipositor of
S. intermedia is yellow-brown at the base (Beier 1962).
Material examined.—NEPAL • 1♀; Mandery, Shuklagandaki, Tana-
hun, Gandaki Province, 28°02'27"N, 84°01'30"E, 570 m a.s.l.;
20 Sept. 2021; Coll. Sajan K.C.
Previously known distribution.—India: Sikkim, Darjeeling, Assam,
Nagaland, Arunanchal Pradesh, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh
Habitat and ecology.—The individual was observed on a rural
road near bushes in the mid hills of central Nepal at 15:00 hours
(+5.46 GMT) on a clear day. The elevation was 570 m a.sl. Domi-
nant local tree species include Castanopsis indica (J. Roxb. ex Lindl.)
A. DC. and Schima wallichii (DC.) Korth. along with the bushes of
Rubus ellipticus Sm.
Discussion
Studies of the Orthoptera of Nepal have been scarce in recent
years, and it is not surprising to find a species in Nepal that had
only ever been reported from neighboring countries. Sanaa regalis
is probably also found in East Nepal, as well as at higher or lower
altitudes, since it has been reported at higher (Sikkim, Darjeeling,
Arunanchal Pradesh, Nagaland) and lower (Assam, West Bengal,
Chhattisgarh) altitudes in the East Himalayas and Central India.

Journal of orthoptera research 2022, 31(2)
SAJAN K.C. AND A. SAPKOTA
124
Further research could significantly extend the knowledge on the
Tettigoniidae of Nepal.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Dr. Sigfrid Ingrisch for confirming the iden-
tification of the species and reviewing this article, Mr. Shankarara-
man H (India), and Dr. Dhaneesh Bhaskar (India) for their pre-
liminary confirmation of the species, Mr. Piet van der Poel (Neth-
erlands) for the first proofreading of the manuscript and offering
his comments, and Dr. Darren Pollock (Department of Biology,
Eastern New Mexico University, New Mexico, USA) for the second
proofreading of the manuscript and offering his comments. We
are also grateful to Dr. Klaus-Gerhard Heller for his help in im-
proving this article and providing us with the necessary references.
We would like to thank the Orthopterists’ Society for its generous
support of the publication of this article.
References
Barman RS (2003) Insecta: Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae. Zoological Survey of
India, Fauna of Sikkim, State Fauna Series 9: 193–201.
Beier M (1944) Zur Kenntnis der Cymatomerini (Orthoptera:
Pseudophyllinae). Stettiner Entomologische Zeitung 105: 86–90.
Beier M (1962) Orthoptera Tettigoniidae (Pseudophyllinae I). Das
Tierreich (Tierreich) 73: 1–468.
Bey-Bienko GY (1968) On the orthopteroid insects from eastern Nepal.
Entomologicheskoe Obozrenie 47: 106–130. [Moskva, Russian; Eng-
lish translation in Entomological Review 47: 59–72].
Brunner von Wattenwyl C (1878) Monographie der Phaneropteriden K.
K. Zoologisch-Botanische Gesellschaft in Wien, Wein 93: 1–401.
[pl. 1–8]
Brunner von Wattenwyl C (1895) Monographie der Pseudophylliden. Ver-
handlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Zoologisch-Botanischen Ge-
sellschaft in Wien 45, 282 pp.
Chopard L, Dreux P (1966) Contribution à l’étude des Orthopteroides du
Népal. Annales de la Société entomologique de France 2: 601–616.
Cigliano MM, Braun H, Eades DC, Otte D (2022) Orthoptera Species File.
Version 5.0/5.0. http://Orthoptera.SpeciesFile.org
Fabricius JC (1793) Supplementum Entomologiae Systematicae 2: 43.
Gogoi H, Meth T, Tayeng M (2015) Preliminary survey on insects and spi-
ders from Papumpare and East Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh
with commercial and economic value. Journal of Bioresources 2:
33–39.
Gupta SK, Chandra K (2018) Systematic study of Tettigoniidae (Orthoptera:
Insecta) fauna from Chhattisgarh, India. Records of Zoological Survey
of India 118: 325–336.
Haan W de (1843) Temminck (Ed.) Verhandelingen over de Natuurlijke
Geschiedenis der Nederlansche Overzeesche Bezittingen. Bijdragen
tot de kennis der Orthoptera. In commissie bij S. en J. Luchtmans, en
C.C. van der Hoek, Leiden 19/20: 165–228.
Hebard M (1922) Dermaptera and Orthoptera of Hawaii. Occasion-
al papers of Bernice P. Bishop Museum 7: 305–387. https://doi.
org/10.5962/bhl.part.6706
Ingrisch S (1987) Zur Orthopterenfauna Nepals (Orthoptera). Deutsche
Entomologische Zeitschrift 34: 113–139. https://doi.org/10.1002/
mmnd.19870340108
Ingrisch S (1990a) Revision of the genus Letana Walker (Grylloptera: Tetti-
gonioidea: Phaneropteridae). Entomologica scandinavica 21: 241–76.
https://doi.org/10.1163/187631290X00184
Ingrisch S (1990b) Grylloptera and Orthoptera s.str. from Nepal and Dar-
jeeling in the Zoologische Staatssammlung München. Spixiana 13:
149–182.
Ingrisch S (2001) Orthoptera of the Nepal expeditions of Prof. J. Martens
(Mainz). Senckenbergiana biologica 81: 147–186.
Ingrisch S (2002) Orthoptera from Bhutan, Nepal, and North India in
the Natural History Museum Basel. Entomologica Basiliensia 24:
123–159.
Ingrisch S (2006) Orthoptera (Insecta) Fauna of the Nepal Himalayas:
current knowledge. In: Hartmann M, Weipert J, Biodiversität & Natu-
rausstattung im Himalaya, Bd. II, Erfurt, 73–118.
Ingrisch S, Shishodia MS (1998) New species and records of Tettigoniidae
from India (Ensifera). Bulletin de la Société Entomologique Suisse 71:
355–371. http://doi.org/10.5169/seals-402721
Ingrisch S, Garai A (2001) Orthopteroid insects from Ganesh Himal,
Nepal. Esperiana 8: 755–770.
Jin X, Liu X, Wang H (2020) New taxa of the tribe Meconematini from
South-Pacific and Indo-Malayan Regions (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae,
Meconematinae). Zootaxa 4772: 001–053. https://doi.org/10.11646/
zootaxa.4772.1.1
Joshi SL, Manandhar DN (2001) Reference Insects of Nepal. Entomology
Division, Nepal Agriculture Research Council. Khumaltar, Lalitpur,
Kathmandu, Nepal, 122 pp.
Kevan DKMcE, Jin X (1993) New species of Xiphidiopsis group from the
Indian region (Grylloptera: Tettigonioidea: Meconematidae). Tropi-
cal Zoology 6: 253–274. https://doi.org/10.1080/03946975.1993.10
539226
Linnaeus CN (1758) Systema Naturae per Regna tria naturae (10th Edn.)
Holmiae, 824 pp.
Liu X, Xia K (1992) Two new species and one new record of the genus
Latana [= Letana, sic] Walker (Orthoptera: Phaneropteridae). Entomo-
taxonomia 14: 165–169.
Ragge DR (1956) A revision of the genera Phaneroptera Serville and
Nephoptera Uvarov (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae), with conclu-
sions of zoogeographical and evolutionary interest. Proceedings
of the Zoological Society of London 127(2): 205–283. https://doi.
org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1956.tb00471.x
Ragge DR (1961) A revision of the genus Ducetia Stål (Orthoptera:
Tettigoniidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History)
Entomology 10: 171–208. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.part.16261
Redtenbacher J (1891) Monographie der Conocephaliden. Verhandlungen
der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in
Wien 41: 315–562.
Shishodia MS (2006) Insecta: Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae. Zoological Survey
of India, Fauna of Nagaland, State Fauna Series 12: 89–93.
Shishodia MS (2007) Insecta: Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae. Zoological Survey
of India, Fauna of Mizoram, State Fauna Series 14: 207–215.
Shishodia MS, Chandra K, Gupta SK (2010) An annotated checklist of Or-
thoptera (Insecta) from India. Records of Zoological Survey of India.
India, Occasional Paper number 314: 1–366.
Stål C (1873) Orthoptera nova descriptist. Öfversigt af Kongliga
Vetenskaps-Akademiens Förhandlinger 30: 39–53.
Thunberg CP (1815) Hemipterorum maxillosorum genera illustrata pluri-
misque novis speciebus ditata ac descripta. Mémoires de I’Académie
Impériale des Sciences de St. Pétersbourg 5: 211–301.
Uvarov BP (1924) Some new or interesting Orthoptera from Persia and
Baluchistan and Western India. The Journal of the Bombay Natural
History Society 29: 643–652.
Walker F (1869) Catalogue of the specimens of Dermaptera Saltatoria in
the collection of the British Museum. Part II. Catalogue of Locusti-
dae. British Museum of Natural History, London, [iv +] 225–423.
Walker F (1869) Catalogue of the Specimens of Dermaptera Saltatoria in
the Collection of the British Museum London 2: 225–423.
Walker F (1870) Catalogue of the Specimens of Dermaptera Saltatoria in
the Collection of the British Museum London 3: 425–604.
White A (1846) Descriptions of some apparently new species of orthopterous
and homopterous insects. Annals and Magazine of Natural History
18: 23–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/037454809494386