Morgenia modulata Karsch, 1896

Massa, Bruno, Heller, Klaus-Gerhard, Warchalowska-Śliwa, Elzbieta & Moulin, Nicolas, 2018, The tropical African genus Morgenia (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae, Phaneropterinae) with emphasis on the spur at the mid tibia, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 65 (2), pp. 161-175 : 166-167

Morgenia modulata Karsch, 1896 Figs 8 , 18 , 26 , 34 , 49 , 50

Morgenia modulata Karsch, 1896. Stett. Entomol. Z. 57: 340.

Morgenia modulata Type locality: Lolodorf (Cameroon) ( MfN, Berlin).

Material examined.

Cameroon, Lolodorf, L. Conradt (♂, ♀ syntypes, labeled as Morgenia maculata ); Johann Albrechtshöhe, L. Conradt (♂, labeled as M. maculata ) ( MfN) ; Central African Republic, Sangha Special Reserve , Epiphyte 2008 Expedition , Camp 2, 22.X.2008 (light) (1♂), P. Annoyer; Dzanga-Ndoki National Park, Ndoki 26.I.-23.II.2012 (light) (28♂); Mboki 24.I.2012 (5♂), Sangha 2012 team ; Gabon, Lope National Park Res. Station , 22.III.2012 (light) (1♂) (GAB12-05), Ecotrop 2012 team ; Ivory Coast, Taei National Park , Res. Station 16-18.III.2017 (light) (2♂), B. Massa; 22.III-4.IV.2017 (light) (2♂), P. Moretto ; Togo, Fazao Hotel 4.VIII.2013 (light), P. Moretto (1♂) (BMPC). Some specimens here listed were erroneously identified by Massa (2013) as M. melica .

Distribution.

M. modulata is known from Gabon, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast and Togo (Karsch, 1896, Leroy 1970 1, present paper).

Remarks.

Karsch (1896) described M. modulata very briefly, only highlighting its affinity with M. melica . Later Griffini (1908) also pointed out that the cerci of this species are not club-shaped, but similar to those of M. melica . Actually, the syntypes of M. modulata are labelled as Morgenia maculata (J. Deckert, pers. comm.), which probably was the first name that Karsch wished to use. This name very probably derived from the high number of scattered brown spots on the body of most specimens of this species. The stridulatory area of the left tegmen is protruding below its posterior margin (Figs 18 , 26 ), the mirror of the right tegmen is rather wide (Fig. 18 ). M. modulata is also characterised by the costal area of the tegmina that has regularly spaced crossveins (Fig. 18 ) and by a very atypical stridulatory file that is 3.0 mm long, strongly arched and composed of two parts, the proximal part that is composed of at least 100 dense and evenly spaced teeth, followed by the distal part, composed of ca. 50 teeth, the first 20-22 widely spaced, the others closely set (Fig. 26 ). The spur of the mid tibiae is very long and straight, its insertion is at about ¼ the length of the tibia from the tip (its length is ca. 22.5-23.0% the length of the tibia), which has a hollow underneath where the spur remains hidden; the spur does not exceed the apex of the tibia. On the outer ventral margin of the mid tibiae, three close short spines are present (Fig. 34 ).

Figures

Figures 5 - 8. Habitus of the male of Morgenia spathulifera (5), M. angustipinnata sp. n. (6), M. melica (7) and M. modulata (8) (left side).

Figures 15 - 18. Stridulatory area of left tegmen and mirror of right tegmen of the male of Morgenia plurimaculata sp. n. (15), M. angustipinnata sp. n. (16), M. melica (17) and M. modulata (18). Arrows in M. plurimaculata sp. n. and M. angustipinnata sp. n. show the net of small cells in costal area of their tegmina, while in M. modulata the protruding stridulatory area.

Figures 23 - 26. Stridulatory file of the left tegmen in the male of Morgenia spathulifera (23), M. angustipinnata sp. n. (24), M. melica (25) and M. modulata (26).

Figures 27 - 34. Mid tibia showing the inner spur in the male of Morgenia hamuligera (27), M. rubricornis (28), M. plurimaculata sp. n. (29), M. lehmannorum sp. n. (30), M. angustipinnata sp. n. (31), M. spathulifera (32), M. melica (33) and M. modulata (34).

Figures 45 - 50. Cerci and subgenital plate of male of Morgenia angustipinnata sp. n. (45 lateral, 46 ventral), M. melica (47 lateral, 48 ventral) and M. modulata (49 lateral, 50 ventral).