Phlugidia obtusicercus Hemp

Hemp, Claudia, 2013, New Phlugidia species (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Meconematinae, Phlugidini) from the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania, Africa, Zootaxa 3670 (3), pp. 378-384 : 379-380

Phlugidia obtusicercus Hemp n. sp.

Type. Holotype male: Tanzania, Mhonda, Nguru Mountains, herbaceous vegetation bordering cacao plantation, 650 m, July 2007. Depository: ZMHB.

Description. Male. Head: Fastigium of vertex short; first antennal segments nearly touching medially. Eyes prominent and globular. Antenna about three times as long as body length ( Fig. 1 C). Thorax: Pronotum elongate, convex, more than two times as long as wide as seen from above; without carinae or median furrow; surface smooth and shiny. Area covering elytra inflated, pronotum thus raised in this area. Wings: Tegmina fully covered by pronotum, round lobes. Wings absent. Legs: Front coxa with spine. Femora without spines. Fore tibiae with three outer spines of which first one located just below tympanal organ, and one short inner spine. Area of tympanal organ not inflated, open on both sides. Mid tibiae with a single small spine midway, hind tibiae with dorsally a single row of numerous small and stout spines. Abdomen: 9th tergite unmodified. 10th tergite with vshaped notch ( Fig. 2 D, E). Cerci stout, with stout inner depression near the base. Tips of cerci not branched but globose, rounded tips oriented to each other ( Fig. 2 D, E). Subgenital plate broad with short styli and incurved posterior margin.

Measurements (mm) males (n=1)

Length of body 7.9 mm, median length of pronotum 3.4 mm, length of hind femur 9.5 mm.

Coloration. Legs and part of abdomen green; on head through the eyes a pair of reddish fasciae running along the pronotum to the end of the abdomen, bordering a median turquoise blue median fascia ( Fig. 1 C). Preserved insect tawny to yellowish with faint reddish parallel fasciae medially ( Fig. 2 F).

Female: unknown.

Habitat. Herbaceous vegetation at 650 m a.s.l.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Phlugidia species. A. P. usambarica male, Zigi trail, East Usambara Mountains Tanzania (with lost hindlegs) December 2011; B. P. usambarica female, same locality as male. C. Freshly killed P. obtusicercus n. sp., Nguru Mountains Tanzania 650 m, herbaceous vegetation at edge of cacao plantation.

FIGURE 2. Morphological details of Phlugidia species; A – C. P. usambarica, dorsal aspect on male abdominal apex (A), lateral view of male abdominal apex (B), head and pronotum (C). D – F. P. obtusicercus n. sp., dorsal aspect on male abdominal apex (D), lateral view of male abdominal apex (E), head and pronotum (F). G – I. P. p l a n i c e rc u s n. sp., dorsal aspect on male abdominal apex (G), lateral view of male abdominal apex (H), head and pronotum (I).