Cymatomerella pardopunctata Hemp

Hemp, Claudia, 2013, Annotated list of Tettigoniidae (Orthoptera) from the East Usambara Mountains Tanzania and new Tettigoniidae species from East Africa, Zootaxa 3737 (4), pp. 301-350 : 342-343

Cymatomerella pardopunctata Hemp n. sp. ( Fig. 29 A–D)

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:180014

Holotype male, Tanzania, East Usambara Mountains, Amani, 1000 m, January–February 1971, leg. O. Lomholdt & O. Martin, depository ZMUC.

Paratypes.— 1 female nymph, same data as holotype.

Description.—Male. General pattern of black dots and patches on yellowish ground ( Fig. 29 A). Head and antennae.— Face with numerous black dots and contorted black fascia above labrum; labrum black ( Fig. 29 D). Antennae more than 2 times longer than body length, with large scapi; black with irregular yellow markings along whole length. Fastigium verticis conical, as long as margin of scapi when seen from above and narrower than width of one scapus. Eyes typical for genus, small, almost round. Thorax.— Pronotum with median carina; elongate, constricted at sulci, so that mesozona is conspicuous less wide than pro- and metazona ( Fig. 29 B). Prozona laterally with two tubercles, medially on anterior margin with shallow tubercle. Metazona at posterior margin also with equally shaped and positioned pair of tubercles as on prozona. Posterior margin of pronotum at both side raised, with median keel at posterior margin ( Fig. 29 B). Colour pattern of pronotum consisting of numerous black small dots of different sizes on yellowish ground. Tegmina long and oval, with coarse venation; main veins of bright light to yellow colour, while areas between veins of smoky colour. Legs.— Femora flattened, carinated above (on hind femur only anterior part with carina), and irregularly crenate-dentate below, lower parts of femora with lobes; lobes of femora hairy. Abdomen.— Abdominal tergites black with posterior margins yellow, thus showing a “hymenopteran” colour pattern. Last abdominal tergite shiny black, posterior margin raised where cerci are located, medial with straight margin. Cerci stout, brown and at tips inwardly curved. Tips of light colour, cream to white ( Fig. 29 C). Whole cerci strongly hairy. Subgenital plate typical for genus, elongated with bifurcate ends and with well developed styli ( Fig. 29 C).

Female.—Adult female unknown; female nymph as in Fig. 29 A.

Measurements, male (mm) (N = 1). Body length (including subgenital plate) 38. Length of pronotum 7.5. Length of elytra 45. Length of hind femur 18.

Diagnosis.— C. pardopunctata n. sp. is easily distinguished from all other species of Cymatomerella by the colour pattern and the shape of the pronotum. While all other known species show a pattern of light and dark brown colours, C. pardopunctata n. sp. is much darker in its general appearance ( Fig. 29 A). The pronotum wears laterally on its disk two pairs of large tubercles on pro- and metazona and the mesozona is constricted and much narrower than pro- and metazona. In C. spilophora Walker the pronotum is not as rugose and constricted laterally at its pronotal disk and the tubercles are shallow and not as conspicuous. In C. muta the pronotum is also not as elongated and much broader as in C. pardopunctata n. sp. The pronotum in C. muta is less rugose with only the first pair of tubercles on the prozona well developed while the tubercles on the metazona are very shallow and almost reduced. In C. spilophora the pronotal sternites are of the same colour as the body (brown) while in C. pardopunctata n. sp., C. muta and C. excisa Kevan the sternites are black. In C. excisa the anterior margin of the prontoum is excised while it is broadly rounded in C. spilophora , wearing a pair of small tuberlces in C. muta and the anterior margin of the pronotum is also broadly rounded with a pair of narrow tubercles in C. pardopunctata n. sp. In all species where the male is known (unknown in C. excisa ) the subgenital plate is of light colour while is deep and shiny black in C. pardopunctata n. sp.

Habitat: Collected at 1000 m near Amani where the specimens were probably taken from submontane evergreen forest.

Remarks: Not regarded as East Usambara endemic since it is a fully alate species and probably occurs also in coastal habitats.

Figures

FIGURE 29. Cymatomerella pardopunctata n. sp., holotype male and female nymph paratype in collection BMNH (A), lateral view on pronotum of holotype (B), subgenital plate holotype (C), face holotype (D).