Phlugidia planicercus 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 : 380-381

Phlugidia planicercus Hemp n. sp.

Type. Holotype male: Tanzania, Kimboza forest reserve, Morogoro District, M´gara region, 34° 48´E 7° 01´S, January-March 1994. Depository: ZMUC.

Description. Male. Head: Fastigium of vertex short; first antennal segments nearly touching medially. Eyes prominent and globular. 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 protruding a few millimeters below posterior margin of pronotum, posterior margin of tegmina almost straight ( Fig. 2 I). Legs: Front coxa with tender and slightly downward curved spine. Fore femora with three minute spines, fore tibiae with three outer spines and three much smaller inner spines. Of the three inner spines first spine near foramen more stout and not stretched away from tibia but vertically attached to tibia. Mid tibiae with one tender spine midway. Hind legs missing. Abdomen: 9th tergite unmodified but with median groove at posterior end with scattered hairs ( Fig 2 G). 10th tergite with raised lateral margins and large median v-shaped notch ( Fig. 2 G, H). Posterior margin of the v-shaped notch elongated and down-curved. Cerci slender, branched near their ends into a stout outer branch and a flat, expanded inwardly curved inner branch ( Fig. 2 G, H). Subgenital plate almost square with short styli and incurved posterior margin.

Measurements (mm) males (n=1).

Length of body 13.2 mm, median length of pronotum 3.8 mm, visible part of tegmina 1.5 mm.

Coloration. Specimen stored in alcohol, therefore of milky white colour.

Female: unknown.

Habitat. Lowland forest (290 m a.s.l.).

Figures

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).