Pagopedilum sabulosum (Stål, 1875) Massa, 2020

Massa, Bruno, 2020, Remarks on some interesting African Pamphagidae and Acrididae (Insecta Orthoptera: Acridoidea), Zootaxa 4751 (1), pp. 29-54 : 39-41

Pagopedilum sabulosum (Stål, 1875) new status (Figs. 17-20, 25-28, 35-40)

Material examined: 11 specimens. Namibia, Tsumeb 30.III.1929, G. Meyer (1♀) ; Namibia, Usakos 22.IV- 22. VI .1911, W. Michaelsen (1♀); Namibia, Okahandja (1♂) ; Namibia, Farm Okahundua , Post Okahandja II- III.1934, W. Krieg (1♂) ; Namibia, Karibib 23-26.IV.1911, W. Michaelsen (1♂) ; Angola, Capolopopo , 140 km SW of Mocamodes 1.VI-15.VII.1959 (1♀) ( ZMUH) ; Namibia, Okakujeo (South of Etosha Pan) VI .2009, U. Pessolano (1♀) ( BMPC) ; Namibia, Okahandja III.1928 (1♀) ; Namibia, Grootfontein XI.1928 (3♀) ( MZUR) .

Remarks. Even if rather variable, the male of P. sabulosum is quite well characterized by short tegmina [ac- cording to Dirsh (1958) they reach middle of the 5 th abdominal tergite, but the males from Okahandja, above listed, have tegmina exceeding the 8 th abdominal tergite, just shorter than abdomen], and a variable number of apical spines on the posterior margin of the pronotum. However, this species is variable also in the length of antennae, that may or may not exceed mid coxae, and in the epiphallus hind margin (concave or straight; see Figs. 37, 40). It is possible that the few specimens so far studied may belong to different species, but for the moment it is preferable to consider them within the variability of only one species.

FIGS. 29-40. Genitalia of Pagopedilum . Lateral view of the phallic complex (29, 32, 35, 38), frontal view of the aedeagus sclerites (30, 33, 36, 39) and dorsal view of the epiphallus (31, 34, 37, 40) of P. bradyanum (29, 30, 31), P. brevis (32, 33, 34) and two specimens of P. sabulosum (35, 36, 37 and 38, 39, 40, respectively).

The male specimen from Tsumeb ( Namibia) was pinned together with a big unidentified Hymenoptera Sphecidae found on it in the field; it is probably a predator of this species, whose body might be consumed by its offspring.

The males of the other species previously described in the genus Stolliana , now transferred to Pagopedilum , differ from P. sabulosum in being macropterous; in addition, P. angusticornis (Fig. 14) has short antennae and P. minor (Fig. 15) has a small body size ( Dirsh 1958). Concerning P. giliomeei (Fig. 16), the male is characterized by a higher crest than previous species, but smaller in size than in P. bradyanum and P. brevis (Figs. 5, 6).

Females are apterous and generally are difficult to identify (cf. Figs. 25-28).

Distribution. P. sabulosum was known only from Namibia and now it is recorded also from Angola.

Measurements. See Table 1.