The type of Macroscirtus bicolor Bolívar, 1893 (Orthoptera, Ensifera, Tettigoniidae, Mecopodinae)

Bolívar (‍1893) erected the species Macroscyrtus (misspelling for Macroscirtus) bicolor on a female specimen coming from „Assinie“, an area near the coast in the southeast of the Côte d‘Ivoire. According to Bolívar, the specimen was collected by the French entomologist Charles Alluaud during his expedition there from July to August 1886. When compiling the catalogue of Bolívar’s type material, this specimen was not found and considered to be lost (‍París, 1994). The species was included in the genus Euthypoda Karsch, 1886 (‍Kirby, 1906) and when surveying specimens of this mecopodine genus in the entomological collection of the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales in Madrid, a female specimen with corresponding data was found. It was identified by D. Ragge in 1962 as Euthypoda kanguroo (Pictet, 1888). Studying it more closely, it became clear that it is the probably unique type of E. bicolor. This specimen has been catalogued with the code MNCN_Ent 305896 (Fig. 1). It agrees with the measurements of the original description, and also the missing hind legs mentioned therein (Figs. 1–2). Bolívar did not give a description of the subgenital plate, which is depicted here. It is quadrangular, slightly wider thanlong, with two rounded lobes at its posterior margin (Fig. 3). Comparison with E. kanguroo shows that the bright yellowish coloration of the pronotal disc is different from specimens of E. kanguroo with a uniformly dark pronotum from Cameroon (several specimens collected by L. Conradt 1898-‍99) and Equatorial Guinea (including the type of E. kanguroo var. joannis (‍Bolívar, 1906) from Cabo San Juan).

Figs. 1–3.— Macroscirtus bicolor Bolívar, 1893, female holotype. 1. Dorsal view and labels. 2. Lateral view. 3. Subgenital plate. Scale bars: 5 mm.

Figs. 1–3.— Macroscirtus bicolor Bolívar, 1893, holotipo hembra. 1. Habitus dorsal y etiquetas. 2. Habitus lateral. 3. Placa subgenital. Escalas: 5 mm.

Another two species of Euthypoda are known from the Côte d‘Ivoire, E. acutipennis (‍Karsch, 1886) and E. brunneotestacea Chopard, 1954. Differences to E. acutipennis are different measurements (acutipennis with a much longer pronotum for example), and coxae that are thorn-like expanded at their rear part in E. acutipennis but having only blunt knobs in E. bicolor. Also, the tegmina are surpassing the abdomen in both sexes in E. acutipennis (‍Karsch, 1886) while they are slightly shorter than the abdomen in the female of E. bicolor.

Euthypoda brunneotestacea was described from Mount Nimba located at the utmost west of the Côte d’Ivoire on the border with Guinea and Liberia. The most obvious difference of that species to E. bicolor and E. acutipennis are the shortened tegmina, not surpassing the 3^rd abdominal tergite (‍Chopard, 1954). Also, the ovipositor is shorter in E. brunneotestacea.

Thus E. bicolor is a valid species.