Phlesirtes ngorongoroensis 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 : 473-474

Phlesirtes ngorongoroensis Hemp n. sp.

( Fig. 1 ; Fig. 5 L; Fig. 13 G, H; Fig. 16 )

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:496075

Holotype male. Tanzania, Ngorongoro crater rim, grassy patches roadside, March 1999. Depository MfN . Paratypes. 1 female ( CH 6884) , Tanzania, Ngorongoro crater rim, Simba camping site A 3°14´S 35° 29´E February 2007, coll. K.- G. Heller. Depository MfN .

Additional paratype material. 1 male ( CH 6886) , Tanzania, Ngorongoro crater rim, Simba camping site A 3°14´S 35° 29´E February 2007, coll. K.- G. Heller. Collection C. Hemp . 1 male ( CH 6885) , 2 females ( CH 6891, CH 6687 in spirit) , Tanzania, Ngorongoro crater rim, Simba camping site A 3°14´S 35° 29´E February 2007, coll. K.- G. Heller. Collection K.- G. Heller.

Description. Male. Mix of green and brown colours, abdomen and fastigium verticis in some males black. Colour pattern similar to P. melanocercus n. sp. but abdomen and cerci not as deep black but of more dark brown colour. Abdomen. Space between processes of 10th abdominal tergite rhombic ( Fig. 15 G). Inner branch of male cerci inflated and slightly compressed. Tip very narrow again and acute ( Fig. 15 H).

Female. Ovipositor typical for Phlesirtes , as long as body length. Subgenital plate as in Fig. 5 L.

Measurements male (mm) (N=2). Length of body 10–10.5, length of pronotum 4.7–5.0, length of anterior femur 2.4–2.5, length of posterior femur 9.3–9.4, visible part of elytra from above 1.4–1.8.

Measurements female (mm) (N=1). Length of body 11.5, length of pronotum 3.9, length of anterior femur 2.5, length of posterior femur 10.2, ovipositor 11.5.

Diagnosis. Rhombic shaped gaps between the processes of the 10th abdominal tergite are also found with P. nou n. sp., P. kilimontanus n. sp. and P. laikipiaensis n. sp. None of the above listed species with rhombic gaps between the processes of the 10th abdominal tergite has an inner branch of the male cerci which is inflated though. An inflated but laterally compressed inner branch of the male cerci is also present in P. latifrons . In P. ngorongoroensis n. sp. the inner branch of the male cerci is not as strongly laterally compressed as in P. latifrons . The tip of the inner cercal branch is also very thin and acute in P. ngorongoroensis n. sp. while it is stouter in P. latifrons .

Habitat and distribution. Tanzania, Ngorongoro conservation area. Montane grasslands 2200–2400 m.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Oscillograms of 1 - s-sections of the song of continuously singing Phlesirtes species.

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 13. Detail images of last abdominal tergites and cerci of male Phlesirtes species. A, B. P. melanocercus n. sp. C, D. P. merumontanus, Monduli Range E, F. P. ngongensis n. sp. G, H. P. ngorongoroensis n. sp. I, J. P. nou n. sp. K, L. P. timboroa n. sp.

FIGURE 15. Male (A, B) and female (C) Phlesirtes ngongensis n. sp. D. Crest of the Ngong Hills near Nairobi, Kenya with remnants of heavily degraded montane forests and grazed grasslands.

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