Phlesirtes limuru Hemp

Hemp, Claudia & Heller, Klaus-Gerhard, 2017, The genus Phlesirtes Bolivar, 1922 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae, Conocephalini; Karniellina), a review of the genus with data on its bioacoustics and the description of new species, Zootaxa 4244 (4), pp. 451-477 : 468-469

Phlesirtes limuru Hemp n. sp.

( Fig. 2 ; Fig. 5 . H; Fig. 10 A, B; Fig. 11 I, J; Fig. 16 )

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:496071

Holotype male. Kenya, near Limuru , montane grassland, 2100 m, May 2006. Depository MfN.

Paratypes. 1 female, same data as holotype. Depository MfN . 1 male, 1 female, same data as holotype. Depository EDNMK . 1 male, 1 female, same data as holotype. Depository BMNH .

Additional paratype material. 17 males, 10 females, same data as holotype . 19 males, 6 females, Kenya, near Limuru , montane grassland, 37 M 0 237188 9870544, 2200 m, December 2006. Collection C. Hemp.

Description. Male. Mix of brown and green colours. Abdomen. Incision of 10th abdominal tergite angular and similar as in the morphologically and molecularly closely related P. elgonensis n. sp. The processes on the posterior margin of the 10th tergite are straight ( Fig. 11 I). Differences between both species are seen in the stoutness of the processes: P. limuru n. sp. has longer and more slender processes while in P. elgonensis n. sp. these processes are stouter, broader and shorter. Male cercus with stout outer branch and comparatively short and little curved inner branch ( Fig. 11 J)

Female. Colour pattern as in male. Ovipositor typical for genus. Subgenital plate with two lobes at posterior margin which is not found in any other Phlesirtes species at present ( Fig. 5 H).

Measurements male (mm) (N=10). Length of body 8.8–10.5 (mean: 9.4), length of pronotum 4.5–4.7 (mean: 4.6), length of anterior femur 2.1–2.2 (mean: 2.1), length of posterior femur 8.3–9.6 (mean: 9.2), visible part of elytra from above 0.4–1.5 (mean: 0.8).

Measurements female (mm) (N=10). Length of body 8.7–11.5 (mean: 10.3), length of pronotum 3.6–4.1 (mean: 3.8), length of anterior femur 2.3–2.6 (mean: 2.4), length of posterior femur 9.8–11.0 (mean: 10.3), ovipositor 9.0–10.2 (mean: 9.9).

Diagnosis. Morphologically related to P. elgonensis n. sp. (distinguishing characters see at P. elgonensis n. sp. and above).

Habitat and distribution. Kenya, lower slopes of Aberdare Range around town Limuru . Montane grasslands 2100–2200 m.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Oscillograms of 1 - s-sections of the song of Phlesirtes species producing pairs of syllables.

FIGURE 5. Subgenital plates of female Phlesirtes species A – N and O. Lateral view on ovipositor of P. gladiolus n. sp. A. P. chyuluensis n. sp. B. P. elgonensis n. sp. C. P. gladiolus n. sp. D. P. hanangensis n. sp. E. P. keniensis n. sp. F. P. kinangopa n. sp. G. P. laikipiaensis n. sp. H. P. limuru n. sp. I. P. melanocercus n. sp. J. P. merumontanus, northern Kilimanjaro K. P. ngongensis n. sp. L. P. ngorongoroensis n. sp. M. P. nou n. sp. N. P. timboroa n. sp.

FIGURE 10. Habitus of Phlesirtes species. A, B. Female (A) and male (B) of P. limuru n. sp. from the Kikuyu Escarpment near Limuru at the lower slopes of the Aberdare Range C. Female P. hanangensis n. sp. from the montane zone of Mt Hanang in western Tanzania D. Male P. keniensis n. sp., Chogoria Route southern slopes of Mt Kenya E. Male P. kinangopa n. ssp. from the upper montane zone of the Aberdare Range in Kenya.

FIGURE 11. Detail images of last abdominal tergites and cerci of male Phlesirtes species. A, B. P. keniensis n. sp. C, D. P. kinangopa n. sp. E, F. P. laikipiaensis n. sp. G, H. P. latifrons I, J. P. limuru n. sp. K, L. P. mauensis n. sp.

FIGURE 16. Distribution of Phlesirtes species in East Africa with major mountains and mountain ranges indicated.