Pseudotomias usambaricus Hemp

Hemp, Claudia, 2016, The Eastern Arc Mountains and coastal forests of East Africa — an archive to understand large-scale biogeographical patterns: Pseudotomias, a new genus of African Pseudophyllinae (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae), Zootaxa 4126 (4), pp. 480-490 : 482-483

Pseudotomias usambaricus Hemp sp. nov.

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid:Orthoptera.speciesfile.org:TaxonName:477909

Holotype. Male, Tanzania, East Usambara Mountains, Sigi Trail, lowland wet forest, March 1999. Depository MfN. Paratype. 1 female, same data as holotype; depository MfN. 1 male, 1 female, Tanzania, East Usambara, Nilo forest reserve, December 2015; depository BMNH.

Further paratypes: all Tanzania, all East Usambara Mountains, 2 females, same data as holotype but November 2015; 4 males, 6 females, Nilo forest reserve, submontane forest, December 2015. Collection C Hemp.

Description. Male. General habitus and coloration. Small with stout body, predominantly green, sometimes with round yellow to brown patches in anterior part of tegmina; hind legs and venter of abdomen yellow ( Fig. 1 , 2 ). Head & antennae. Acute fastigium verticis with broad base, fitting exactly into gap formed by antennal scapi; slightly shorter than scapi; ventrally on one level with face expanded area formed by face closing gap between scapi completely, tip of fastigium visible ( Fig. 3 A). Eyes round, prominent, green or black to brown. Antennae comparatively thick, whitish or white with irregular dark markings, about twice as long as insect ( Fig. 2 ). Thorax. Pronotum weakly tectiform, broadly rounded at anterior margin and more acutely rounded at posterior margin; surface of pronotum densely covered by scattered granules. First sulcus not crossing medially pronotum but obsolete and visible faintly laterally on lobes while second sulcus strong and continuous running over pronotum, ending laterally about halfway in pronotal lobes. Tegmina with large hexagonal cells; in most hexagonal cells at rear part black pigmentation forming small patches. Tegmina more than 3 times as long as broad with round apices. Legs. All femora and tibiae in most specimens unarmed except for hind femora. Hind femora ventrally with two ridges, outer ridge more strongly serrated than inner one. All legs slightly laterally compressed. Hind tibiae in diameter almost square with 4 ridges, sometimes with one spine laterally. Abdomen. 9th and 10th abdominal tergite undifferentiated, with stout hairy incurved cerci ( Fig. 3 B, C). Subgenital plate elongated, deeply lobed with long styli ( Fig. 3 D).

Female. Much larger than male but with similar habitus, coloration and spination of legs ( Fig. 4 A, B). Ovipositor only slightly up-curved, stout, with inflated base and sclerotized tips ( Fig. 5 A). Characteristic for P. usambaricus are 2–3 sclerotized ridges arranged almost parallel at the posterior end on the ovipositor valves ( Fig. 5 A). Subgenital plate small, triangular with bi-lobed apex and tiny styli ( Fig. 5 B).

Measurements (mm), males (N = 5) body length 17.8–19.8; median length of pronotum 4.0 –4.4; length of tegmina 21.1.–24.0; width of tegmina 7.0–7.5; length of hind femur 10.3–12.0.

Measurements (mm), females (N = 6) body length 29.0–34.0; median length of pronotum 5.7–6.7; length of tegmina 35.0–39.0; width of tegmina 13.2–14.7; length of hind femur 13.5–15.5; ovipositor 15.2–17.0.

Nymph. Similar to adults, uniformly green ( Fig. 6 ).

Ethymology. At present only known from the Usambara Mountains of Tanzania, therefore usambaricus .

Habitat. Lowland to submontane evergreen wet forest.

Distribution. Tanzania, East Usambara Mountains.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Male Pseudotomias usambaricus n. sp. caught in the Nilo forest reserve, East Usambara Mountains.

FIGURE 2. Male holotype of Pseudotomias usambaricus n. sp., Sigi Trail, East Usambara Mountains.

FIGURE 3. Morphological details of male Pseudotomias usambaricus n. sp. A. Upper part of face showing expanded area formed by face closing gap between scapi of antennae; the fastigium verticis just protrudes above. B. Dorsal view on abdominal apex with undifferentiated 9 th and 10 th abdominal tergites and stout incurved cerci. C. Lateral view on abdominal apex. D. Subgenital plate.

FIGURE 4. Pseudotomias usambaricus n. sp. female. A. Resting posture with tegmina widely spread. B. Lateral view on head and pronotum.

FIGURE 5. Lateral view on ovipositor of Pseudotomias usambaricus n. sp. (A) and subgenital plate (B).

FIGURE 6. Last instar of female Pseudotomias usambaricus n. sp.