Phlesirtes ngongensis 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 : 471-473

Phlesirtes ngongensis Hemp n. sp.

( Fig. 2 ; Fig. 3 ; Fig. 5 . K; Fig. 13 E, F; Fig. 15 ; Fig. 16 )

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:496074

Holotype male. Kenya, Ngong Hills , grassland, August 2001. 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: 13 males, 8 females, 3 nymphs, same data as holotype and January 2007.

Description. Male. Mix of green and brown colours. Lateral beside light and dark brown median fasciae of head and pronotum vivid green fasciae ( Fig. 15 A). Abdomen light brown with lateral dark fasciae ( Fig. 15 B). Abdomen. With inwardly rolled tips of the processes of the 10th abdominal tergite. Space between processes almost round and gap at posterior end where tips are inwardly rolled almost closed ( Fig. 13 E). Inner branch of male cerci comparatively short, little curved ( Fig. 13 F).

Female. Colour pattern similar to male ( Fig. 15 C). Ovipositor slightly shorter than body length ( Fig. 15 C). Subgenital plate shield-like, as in Fig. 5 K.

Measurements male (mm) (N=10). Length of body 9.1–11.2 (mean: 9.8), length of pronotum 4.3–5.2 (mean: 4.7), length of anterior femur 2.1–2.5 (mean: 2.3), length of posterior femur 8.2–9.5 (mean: 8.7), visible part of elytra from above 0.3–0.9 (mean: 0.65).

Measurements female (mm) (N=10). Length of body 8.5–13.5 (mean: 10.9), length of pronotum 3.6–4.4 (mean: 4.0), length of anterior femur 2.2–2.7 (mean: 2.3), length of posterior femur 9.5–11.0 (mean: 10.0), ovipositor 8.4–10.5 (mean: 9.5).

Diagnosis. Similar to most other Phlesirtes species the lateral processes on the 10th abdominal tergite are very broad and stout and positioned very close to each other forming only a very narrow gap between them which is almost round. Although molecularly the sister taxon to P. limuru n. sp. morphologically well separated. P. limuru n. sp. and P. elgonensis n. sp have an angular incised posterior margin of the 10th tergite and the processes straight.

In P. ngongensis n. sp. the tips of the lateral processes formed at the posterior margin of the 10th tergite are rolled inwardly. Inwardly rolled tips of these processes are also found in P. keniensis n. sp., P. kinangopa n. sp. and P. githuguri n. sp. (all latter three are morphological closely related, see Diagnosis at P. githunguri n. sp.). With P.

kinangopa n. sp. P. ngongensis n. sp. shares processes of the 10th tergite that are positioned very closely to each other, almost touching each other where the tips are rolled inwardly and they also form an almost round gap.

Habitat and distribution. Kenya, Ngong Hills. Found around 1800 m to summit of Ngong Hills in montane grasslands, forest edge and forest clearings ( Fig. 15 D).

Figures

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

FIGURE 3. Details of both song types of Phlesirtes together with power spectra (Hanning window, 512 points, mean of 1 - ssections of the song).

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.