Otiaphysini Karsch, 1889

Massa, Bruno, 2017, Revision of the tropical African genus Tetraconcha (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) with the description of ten new species, Journal of Orthoptera Research 26 (2), pp. 211-232 : 211

Tribe Otiaphysini Karsch, 1889

Type genus.

- Otiaphysa Karsch, 1889 (= Debrona Walker, 1870).

Material examined (other than Tetraconcha ).- Stenamblyphyllum dilutum Karsch, 1896: Cameroon, Victoria (lectotype ♀) (MfN); Cameroon (1♀) (MCNM); Central African Republic, Dzanga-N’Doki National Park, Sangha 15.X.2008, P. Annoyer (1♂); Central African Republic, Dzanga-N’Doki National Park, Lac 1, 19.II.2012, 25.II.2012 (UV trap), P. Annoyer (2♂) (PACT); Central African Republic, Dzanga-N’Doki National Park, 29.II-1.III.2012 (UV trap) P. Moretto (1♂) (BMPC); Drepanophyllum marmoratum Karsch, 1890: Central African Republic, Dzanga-N’Doki National Park, N’Doki 25.I.2012, P. Moretto (1♂); N’Doki 24-25.II.2012 (UV trap), P. Moretto (1♀); N’Doki 14-15.II.2012 (UV trap), P. Moretto (1♀) (BMPC); Dzanga-N’Doki National Park, Lac 1, 19.II.2012, 25.II.2012 (UV trap), P. Annoyer (2♂, 1♀) (PACT); Gabon (1♂) (MNCN); Drepanophyllum corrosifolium Karsch, 1896: Equatorial Guinea, Fernando Poo, Musola I.1902, L. Fea (1♂) (MSNG); Debrona hebetata Karsch, 1889 (considered synonym of Debrona cervina Walker, 1870): Tanzania, Usambara II-III.1886 (holotype ♀) (MfN); Debrona cervina Walker, 1870: Democratic Republic of Congo, Nguela 1899 (1♂); Tanzania, Dar El Salaam (1♂); Tanzania, Makond. Hochld. 8-11.XII.1910, H. Grote (1♂) (MfN); Kenya, Arabuko Sokoke forest 8-24.VI.1998, L. Bartolozzi and A. Sforzi (2♂, 1♀) (MZUF).

According to Karsch (1890a), Otiaphysini (including Debrona and Tetraconcha ) are characterised by undulate veinlets on the tegmina, fore tibiae with both conchate tympana, armed fore and mid femora, and short ovipositors as in Ephippithytae with crenulate upper margins. Following Ragge (1962), the genera Debrona (Figs 1-7, 78, 87), Drepanophyllum (Figs 8, 76, 86), Tetraconcha (Figs 9, 11-66, 67-75, 79-85, 88-99) and Stenamblyphyllum (Figs 10, 77), form a fairly well-defined group. In this genus group the fore tibiae are biconchate, the fastigium of the vertex has a steeply sloping or vertical sulcus, and the females have a greatly reduced ovipositor, crenulate at the tip (Figs 7-10). Only in Stenamblyphyllum the venation of tegmina is fairly normal in both sexes and the fastigium of the vertex has not undergone the extreme modification shown by the other three genera. The males of Stenamblyphyllum show a slight stridulatory modification near the base of the anterior median vein and the fastigium of the vertex has a vertical sulcus. Another difference is the presence of a fronto-genal carina in Drepanophyllum , absent in the other related genera. The ovipositor is very short in Drepanophyllum (ca 2.0-2.2 mm), slightly longer in Tetraconcha (about 2.5 mm in the few known specimens), while in Debrona it is longer (ca 3.0 mm). In Stenamblyphyllum the ovipositor (length ca 2.5 mm) is more slender than in all other genera. The males of all these genera do not have styli, but their subgenital plate ends with two more or less long appendices. Nevertheless, Tetraconcha , Debrona , Drepanophyllum and Stenamblyphyllum show enough similarities to all be included within the tribe Otiaphysini .

The distribution of the genus Debrona covers the eastern and southern areas of Africa, from Tanzania and Kenya to South Africa. Drepanophyllum and Stenamblyphyllum species occur in central Africa, while Tetraconcha is restricted to central and western Africa.