Conocephalus (Anisoptera) maculatus (Le Guillou, 1841)

Naskrecki, Piotr & Guta, Ricardo, 2019, Katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) of Gorongosa National Park and Central Mozambique, Zootaxa 4682 (1), pp. 1-119 : 17

Conocephalus (Anisoptera) maculatus (Le Guillou, 1841)

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:17438

( Figs. 3C , 7E, F , 45 A–C)

Diagnostic remarks. C. maculatus is recognizable by the shape of the male cercus, armed with only one inner tooth ( Fig. 7E ), the presence of a wide, dark band extending from the frons to the base of tegmina, and small dark markings on the tegmen (the markings are not as extensive as in C. iris ). Both green and brown forms of the species are common but only macropterous forms occur in the region ( Fig. 7F ).

Distribution and natural history. One of the most widely distributed species of Conocephalus , recorded from most of SE Asia, Pacific islands, New Guinea, and Australia ( Pitkin 1980), Yemen, Saudi Arabia ( Ingrisch 1999), Madagascar ( Redtenbacher 1891) West and Central Africa (Chopard 1954; Ragge 1967), Tanzania ( Hemp 2013a), Zimbabwe, and South Africa (pers. obs. and specimens at ANSP, TMSA, USEC). In Mozambique this species was first recorded by Chopard (1935) from Chimoio (“Vila Pery) and Vunduzi in Sofala Province.

One of the most common katydids in Gorongosa , its adults are present throughout the year in grassland and open woodland habitats, from the lowland floodplain of Lake Urema to the lower slopes of Mt. Gorongosa (up to ~ 1,000 m a.s.l.) This species feeds on grasses and small, soft-bodied insects.

Bioacoustics. Males call both during the day and early at night; the call is a continuous, wide-spectrum buzz, with most of the acoustic energy within 20–50 kHz but without a distinct frequency peak; lower frequency portion of the call is easily audible to the human ear ( Figs. 45 A–C).

Measurements (3 males, 3 females). body w/wings: male 26–26.5 (26.2.3), female 24–26 (25.31.2); tegmen: male 18–20 (18.81), female 20–22 (21.31.2); hind femur: male 14–15 (14.7.6), female 15–16 (15.7.6); ovipositor: 8–9 (8.7.6) mm.

Material examined (74 specimens). Mozambique: Cabo Delgado, Macomia, Quirimbas N.P., Muanona , elev. 124 m (-12.15117, 40.19542), 24–25.i.2014, coll. P. Naskrecki, H. Farooq, B. Nassongole— 1 female ( MCZ) ; Manica, Sussundenga, Nhahomba Ranger Station, Mussapa , elev. 606 m (-19.585799, 33.084969), 26.xi.–2.xii.2018, coll. P. Naskrecki & M. Tomás— 1 male ( EOWL) ; Sofala, Chinizina (18.965, 35.1261111), v.1957, coll. G. de Sousa— 1 male ( TMSA) ; Coutada 12, Nyago hunting camp, elev. 70 m (-18.660767, 35.455603), 8–16.iv.2016, coll. P. Naskrecki & J. Guyton— 2 males ; Picada 3A, elev. 13 m (-18.926028, 34.423556), 16.vii.2017, coll. R. Guta— 1 female ; Canda Administrative Area, Gorongosa Mt., Murombozi Waterfall Camp , elev. 940 m (-18.4831, 34.04465), 1.x.2017, coll. P. Naskrecki & N. Vicente— 1 male ; 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 ( EOWL) ; nr. Codzo ( Khodzue ), cave and nearby, elev. 216 m (-18.564, 34.872222), 8–9.vi.2012, coll. P. Naskrecki— 2 males ( MCZ) ; same locality, 14–25.iv.2017, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 female, 1 male ( EOWL) ; Gorongosa , GNP, Chitengo , E.O. Wilson Laboratory, elev. 48 m (-18.977722, 34.351333), 9.ii.–4.iii.2015, coll. P. Naskrecki and R. Guta— 1 female ( MCZ) ; GNP, Urema Rd. , elev. 27 m (-18.98339, 34.36089), 23.iii.2016, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 male ; Pungue River , elev. 48 m (-18.992917, 34.352917), 1–10.vii.2016, coll. M. Castene— 1 male ; Gorongosa Dist., Archway Gorge , campsite, elev. 63 m (-18.95336, 34.61089), 22–29.iv.2013, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 female, 1 male ( MCZ) ; CEC (-18.956164, 34.177067), 31.vii.–2.viii.2015, coll. B. Woo— 1 male ( EOWL) ; Claud’s Waterfall campsite, elev. 94 m (-19.03011, 34.67592), 1–6.v.2013, coll. P. Naskrecki— 5 females, 5 males ( MCZ) ; Wilson Laboratory, GNP, Chitengo , (-18.97775, 34.351333), 21.vii.–8.viii.2015, coll. B. Woo— 1 female; GNP, Community Education Center ( CEC) , elev. 129 m (-18.953639, 34.177111), 30.vii.–3.viii.2015, coll. Bioinformatics Workshop Participants— 2 females, 1 male ( EOWL) ; GNP, Chitengo , elev. 29 m (-18.98194, 34.35122), 9.v.–29.vi.2012, coll. P. Naskrecki— 3 females, 5 males, 1 nymph female, 2 nymph males ; same locality, 17.iii.–5.iv.2013, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 male ; same locality, 6–31.v.2013, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 male ( MCZ) ; same locality, 11–25.ii.2014, coll. R. Guta & T. Castigo— 1 female ( EOWL) ; GNP, Dingue-Dingue (miombo region), elev. 159 m (-19.03186, 34.72556), 28.v.2012, coll. P. Naskrecki— 2 females, 3 nymphs ; GNP, fever tree forest, elev. 22 m (-18.90442, 34.40408), 10.v.–25.vi.2012, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 male; GNP, gorge SW Nhagutua , elev. 205 m (-18.69172, 34.77706), 13.vi.2012, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 female, 1 male, 1 nymph, 1 nymph male ; GNP, humid woodland, elev. 30 m (-18.96414, 34.38644), 12.v.2012, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 female; GNP, intersection of Rts. 2 & 6, elev. 24 m (-18.94011, 34.44858), 15–20.v.2012, coll. P. Naskrecki— 2 females, 1 male ; GNP, nr. Chitengo , humid forest along road to sanctuary, elev. 29 m (-18.99122, 34.32811), 16–23.v.2012, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 female ; GNP, on Rd. 11, elev. 22 m (-19.00469, 34.41064), 4.vi.–25.vii.2012, coll. P. Naskrecki— 2 males ; GNP, nr. Abelha ranger station, elev. 24 m (-19.04889, 34.47153), 17.vi.2012, coll. P. Naskrecki— 6 females, 2 males ; Nhagutua , elev. 221 m (-18.64339, 34.81425), 10–15.vi.2012, coll. P. Naskrecki—1 nymph female ; same locality, 16–20.iv.2013, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 male ( MCZ) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Mating behavior in Mozambican Tettigoniidae: A. Parapyrrhicia guytonae; B. Enyaliopsis iaculator; C. Conocephalus maculatus; D. Conocephalus conocephalus; E. Ovonotus abreuae, female with a spermatophylax.

FIGURE 7. Mozambican Conocephalinae: A. Conocephalus iris, male cerci; B. ditto, male habitus; C. Conocephalus conocephalus, male cerci; D. ditto, male habitus; E. Conocephalus maculatus, male cerci; F. ditto, male habitus; G. Pseudorhynchus hastifer, female face; H. ditto, female habitus; I. Pseudorhynchus pungens, face, green morph; J. ditto, face, pale morph; K. ditto, female habitus, green morph; L. ditto, head and pronotum lateral, pale morph.

FIGURE 45. Oscillograms and power spectra of Mozambican Conocephalus: A–C. C. maculatus; D–F. C. iris.