Gemeneta terrea Karsch, 1892

Ngoute, Charly Oumarou & Kekeunou, Sevilor, 2017, Redescription and diagnosis of the African genus Gemeneta Karsch, 1892 (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Catantopinae), Journal of Orthoptera Research 26 (2), pp. 161-170 : 162

Gemeneta terrea Karsch, 1892 Tables 1, 2; Figs 2-3, 6-8

Syntypes.-

Africa, West-Central Tropical Africa Cameroon: Buea; 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀; MfN.

Recorded localities.-

Buea, Cameroon (4°15'27"N, 9°24'1"E) by Karsch (1892); Oban District, Nigeria (5°18'868"N, 8°34'827"E) by Ramme (1929); French and Belgian Congo by Dirsh (1965) without precision on localities; Western and Southern Uganda (2°97'78"N, 32°64'22"E) by Rowell (pers. comm.); Zamakoe (3°33'816"N, 11°31'913"E), Ongot (3°85'786"N, 11°38'333"E) and Bamenda (5°95'971"N, 10°14'597"E), Cameroon by Oumarou Ngoute (Fig. 1).

Material examined.-

Uganda, Mpanga forests, 4 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, in the collection of Dr. Rowell, Switzerland; Cameroon, Zamakoe forests, 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Ongot forests, 1 ♀, in the Laboratory of Zoology, University of Yaoundé 1, Cameroon.

Diagnosis.-

Body slightly elongated, 5 to 6 times the length of the pronotum; integument rugose. Head conical, the maximum width of head across the eyes almost as long as the pronotum in the males, slightly shorter in females; fastigium of vertex clearly projecting forward with a deep furrow which merges with frontal ridge sulcus, apex of fastigium rounded, fastigium 1/4 the length of pronotum and about 1/2 the length of the fastigium of G. opilionoides (Table 1: FL); width of fastigium 1/3 the length of pronotum; frontal ridge low and discontinuous; frons incurved; eye large and oval; antenna fine, filiform, longer than the head and pronotum together. Pronotum dorsally cylindrical, slightly convex between sulci 2 to 4 in dorsal view and rugose; laterally, and in the anterior part of the prozona and posterior part of metazona more rugose, slightly tuberculate; anterior and posterior margins of pronotum rounded; prosternal process conical with acute apex; mesosternal space open with rounded lobes; hind femur 4 to 5 times longer than wide, 4 times longer than the foot and about 2/3 the length of the hind femur of G. opilionoides (Table 1: F); the third segment of foot longer than the first, and the first longer than the second (Table 1: Ta1, Ta2, Ta3). Epiproct triangular with deep transverse furrow and rounded apex; valves of ovipositor long, straight, with slightly curved apices; cercus in both sexes straight, conical, usually shorter than the paraproct in female and slightly exceeding paraproct in the male; male subgenital plate conical. Endophallus slender; ventral aedeagal valves slender and strongly elongated; valves of cingulum slender and elongated, ventral aedeagal valves and valves of cingulum enclosed in a wide ectophallic sheath; anterior apodemes of aedeagus divergent with rounded apices; gonopore process pointed; zygoma wide, apodemes of cingulum parallel with acute apices. Epiphallus with wide bridge, strongly concave in the anterior margin, ancorae curved; lophi curved forward, narrow and lobiform. Spermatheca with a long tubular duct and vermiform preapical appendix, without distinct terminal ampullae; egg-guide of subgenital plate dorsally conical, laterally with pointed apex, columella present and wide, floor pouches and posterior edge rounded, median longitudinal groove absent.

Coloration.-

Body generally brownish. Antenna brown; eyes black with a characteristic brown band in the upper half; prothoracic and mesothoracic legs brown mottled with light green in life; internal face of hind femur blackish, external upper area brown, median external area green drying black, lower inner area of hind femur and tibia slightly greenish to blueish in life.