Kefalia omorfa, Hemp & Heller, 2019

Hemp, Claudia & Heller, Klaus-Gerhard, 2019, Orthoptera (Tettigoniidae and Acridoidea) from Miombo woodlands of Central Tanzania with the description of new taxa, Zootaxa 4671 (2), pp. 151-194 : 174-175

Kefalia omorfa n. sp. Hemp C.

( Figs. 24 , 25 B , 26 C, D , 27 B , 28 E, F , 31 , 32 , 34 )

Holotype. Male. Tanzania, Bahi District, Dodoma Region, East Chenene Forest Reserve, Miombo woodlands 1500 m, March 2018 . Paratypes. 3 males, 4 females, same data as holotype. Depository: Collection C. Hemp .

Further paratype: 1 female, Tanzania, 44 mls N of Dodoma; 16.5.1969, dry Acacia woodland; coll. N. Jago ( BM 1971-25).

Description. Male. General habitus and colour pattern. Typical phaneropterinae with long legs and narrow wings. Contrasting pattern of black and green tegmina, and a body with broad creamy to white fascia bordered above by green and below by black fasciae. Venter of abdomen reddish ( Fig. 24 A ). Head and antennae. Fastigium of vertex as for genus, compressed, narrower than first antennal segment, sulcate above. Eyes oval, prominent. Antennae very long and thin, about three times the length of body; of brown-reddish colour. Tegmina. Stridulatory file as in Fig. 25 B ; numerous densely set teeth situated on bulge; teeth gradually decreasing in size, at outer side strongly but evenly curved up-wards. Legs and abdomen. Fore and mid femora with few very small spinules. 10 th abdominal tergite with incurved posterior margin. Cerci till about midway round in diameter, then laterally flattened and incurved, ending in acute and sclerotized tip ( Fig. 26 C, D ). Subgenital plate with median v-shaped indentation, lateral lobes formed wavy ( Fig. 27 B ).

Female. Of predominantly green colour ( Fig. 24 B, C ) but also tawny individuals were found ( Fig. 24 D ), most individuals with dorsal median dark fascia on abdomen. The tegmina are almost entirely black with a lighter dark area centrally. Ovipositor as in Fig. 24 C–D. Subgenital plate broadly tri-angular ( Fig. 28 E ). Posterior margin of 10 th abdominal tergite incurved; cerci round and thick at base then strongly narrowing along length ( Fig. 28 F ).

Measurements, males (mm) (N=4). Total length of body 15.7–17.1; Median length of pronotum 3.1–3.3; Length of hind femur 16.0–17.2; Length of elytra 17.4–18.7.

Measurements, females (mm) (N=4). Total length of body 16.2–17.4; Median length of pronotum 3.3–3.8; Length of hind femur 18.6–19.6; Length of elytra 2.1–3.4; Length of ovipositor 7.0–7.4.

Song. The typical calling song of the male consisted of long sequences (51±20 s: range 28–92; n=11) of short syllables which increased more or less continuously in amplitude ( Fig. 31 ). In syllable repetition rate, regularly slight differences were observed. The sequence started with periods of 46.6±6.8 ms (SRR 21.5 Hz), became faster in the middle part (36.4±3.2 ms; SRR 27.5 Hz) and slowed down at the end (41.1±3.2 ms; SRR 24.3 Hz; all T=21– 23ºC). At the beginning the syllables seemed to contain only one (or few) impulse(s), where near the end (one or) two loud impulses were followed by an irregular series of soft ones ( Fig. 32 ). The last element of a sequence was invariably separated from the previous by a large interval. Here the two loud impulses were followed by a relatively long series of softer impulses ( Fig. 32 ) and often with some delay by some isolated impulses. Occasionally the males produced long series of irregular sounds (rivalry song?). The spectrum of the song is broad-banded with peaks at about 15 and 40 kHz ( Fig. 34 ).

Habitat. Miombo woodlands, on foliage of bushes and trees.

Distribution. Central Tanzania, Dodoma Region.

Etymology. From Greek: -óμορφος (ómorfos), beautiful, since the males are very colourful and elegant in their appearance.

Figures

FIGURE 24. Kefalia omorfa n. sp. from East Chenene Forest Reserve A. Male B–D. Different colour forms of females.

FIGURE 25. Stridulatory files of Kefalia species. A. K. laeta n. sp. B. K. omorfa n. sp. C. K. grafika n. sp.

FIGURE 26. Male apices of Kefalia species. A. K. laeta n. sp. B. K. grafika n. sp. C, D. K. omorfa n. sp.

FIGURE 27. Subgenital plates of male Kefalia species A. K. laeta n. sp. B. K. omorfa n. sp. C. K. grafika n. sp.

FIGURE 28. Subgenital plates and semilateral to dorsal view on last abdominal tergites of female Kefalia species A, B. K. grafika n. sp. C, D. K. laeta n. sp. E, F. K. omorfa n. sp.

FIGURE 31. Oscillograms of calling songs of Eulioptera and Kefalia species, overview. 40-s-sections.

FIGURE 32. Oscillograms of calling songs of Eulioptera and Kefalia species, overview. Details of pronounced song ending, 1-s-sections.

FIGURE 34. Power spectra of the calling song of Eulioptera and Kefalia species. In species with restricted frequency range black lines mark its end. In K. grafika n. sp., the spectrum of the long group of impulses is indicated in blue and that of the final isolated impulses in green.