Terpnistria zebrata (Serville, 1838)

Naskrecki, Piotr & Guta, Ricardo, 2019, Katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) of Gorongosa National Park and Central Mozambique, Zootaxa 4682 (1), pp. 1-119 : 85-87

Terpnistria zebrata (Serville, 1838)

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:11295

( Figs. 37 A–H, 52A–C)

Diagnostic remarks. An easily recognizable katydid, characterized by contrastingly light venation of the tegmina ( Fig. 37H ), white accents on the pronotum and abdominal terga, large spines on the ventral margins of hind femora, and a prominent crest on the metazona of pronotum. The male cerci are simple, weakly incurved and armed with a small apical spine ( Figs. 37D, E ). The stridulatory file has 43–47 teeth ( Fig. 37C ). Females in the population in central Mozambique have the ovipositor nearly 5 times shorter than the hind femur ( Fig. 37G ), albeit there appears to be a significant variation in the length of the ovipositor in this species.

Bioacoustics. The call of T. zebrata is a series of single syllables, produced at the rate of 3 syllables/s; mean syllable duration is 0.0411 s (SD=0.00975, n=39); the peak frequency of the call is 11.1–12.8 kHz ( Figs. 52 A–C). The call is audible from a few meters.

Distribution and natural history. T. zebrata is distributed widely in southern and East Africa, south of latitude 4°S ( Ragge 1980). It is found in Acacia woodland, where it feeds on a number of small-leaved trees of the family Fabaceae . Females lay eggs singly on the surface of tree bark, relatively low to the ground. Similar to females of Arantia , following the deposition of an egg the female covers it with pre-chewed bits of bark.

Measurements (3 males, 7 females). body w/wings: male 46–46.5 (46.2.3), female 45–51.4 (48.82); body w/o wings: male 25–26 (25.3.6), female 26–31 (29.31.8); pronotum: male 4–5.5 (4.8.8), female 5–5.5 (5.2.3); tegmen: male 34–35 (34.5.5), female 34.5–37.5 (36.61.1); hind femur: male 21–23.5 (22.21.3), female 22–23.9 (22.9.6); ovipositor: 5–6 (5.5.4) mm.

Material examined (35 specimens). Mozambique: Manica, Sussundenga, Moribane Forest, Ndzou Camp , elev. 593 m (-19.734695, 33.336130), 2–8.xii.2018, coll. P. Naskrecki & M. Tomás— 1 female, 1 male ; Sofala, Cheringoma, Coutada 12, Chironde camp, elev. 156 m (-18.32780, 35.35799), 25.iii.–4.iv.2017, coll. P. Naskrecki, J. Guyton & M. Castene— 1 male ; Gorongosa , Chitengo , elev. 31 m (-18.97817, 34.35159), 20.xi.2017, coll. Entomology Class 2017— 1 female ); GNP, Chitengo , elev. 38 m (-18.981067, 34.351983), 11–31.x.2014, coll. R. Guta— 1 female, 1 male ; GNP, Chitengo , (-18.97786, 34.35123), 15.vi.2015, coll. Jen Guyton— 1 female ; GNP, Bela Vista Outpost , (-18.69480, 34.20733), 10.v.2015, coll. R. Guta & T. Massad— 1 female ( EOWL) ; GNP, Chitengo , E.O. Wilson Laboratory, elev. 48 m (-18.977722, 34.351333), 12–20.iv.2015, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 female, 1 male ( MCZ) ; same locality, 1–10.xi.2018, coll. Entomology Class 2018— 1 female ; GNP, Chitengo, New Camp , (-18.97729, 34.34425), 1–10.xi.2018, coll. Entomology Class 2018— 1 male ; GNP, Chitengo, Wilson Laboratory , elev. 48 m (-18.977722, 34.351333), 5.iv.2018, coll. P. Naskrecki & N. Vicente— 1 male ; same locality, 6.iv.2018, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 male ; GNP, Wilson Laboratory , (-18.977761, 34.35115), 15–30.xi.2016, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 female, 1 male ; Gorongosa Dist., GNP, Chitengo , elev. 38 m (-18.978808, 34.352606), 5–9.v.2014, coll. R. Guta— 1 female, 1 male ; Wilson Laboratory, GNP, Chitengo , (-18.97775, 34.351333), 19.iii.–2.iv.2014, coll. P. Naskrecki & R. Guta— 1 female ( EOWL) ; same locality, 20–23.iii.2014, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 female ( UEMM) ; same locality, 1–30.ix.2014, coll. R. Guta & T. Massad— 1 female ; same locality, 19–28.ii.2017, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 female ; same locality, 15.viii.2017, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 female ; GNP, Chitengo , elev. 29 m (-18.98194, 34.35122)— 1 female ( EOWL) ; same locality, 9.v.–29.vi.2012, coll. P. Naskrecki— 3 females, 2 males ; same locality, 6–31.v.2013, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 female ( MCZ) ; GNP, nr. Nhascuvo outpost, (-19.062639, 34.232194), 24–28.vi.2014, coll. G. Daniel, I. Nganhane & R. Guta— 1 female ; Sofala prov, Gorongosa District, CEC to Civeta Post , elev. 96 m (-18.940333, 34.193472), 29–30.ix.2015, coll. I. Nganhane & R. Guta— 1 female ; Gorongosa Distr. , GRP, E.O. Wilson Lab Chitengo, (-18.9783, 34.3514), 14.vii.2014, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 male ; same locality, 10.vi.2015, coll. J. Guyton— 1 male ; same locality, 26–31.iii.2016, coll. P. Naskrecki— 2 males ( EOWL) .

Figures

FIGURE 37. Terpnistria zebrata: A. base of male left tegmen; B. base of male right tegmen; C. stridulatory file; D. male subgenital plate; E. male abdominal apex, dorsal view; F. female subgenital plate; G. ovipositor; H. female, lateral view.

FIGURE 52. Oscillograms and power spectra of Mozambican Phaneropterinae: A–C. Terpnistria zebrata; D–F. Corymeta amplectens; G–I. Horatosphaga serrifera; J–L. Tylopsis bilineolata.