Afroanthracites montium (Sjöstedt, 1909), Sjostedt, 1909

Hemp, Claudia, 2013, Annotated list of Ensifera (Orthoptera) and further records on Caelifera (Orthoptera) of Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, Zootaxa 3613 (4), pp. 301-342 : 306-307

Afroanthracites montium (Sjöstedt, 1909)

Figs. 1 A–F

A. kilimandjaricus Sjöstedt, 1909 n. syn.

Specimens studied: all Tanzania, all Mt Kilimanjaro, Holotype, male, A. kilimandjaricus, Kibonoto 1000 –1200 m, coll. Sjöstedt; syntype, female, A. kilimandjaricus, Kibonoto 1000 –1200 m, coll. Sjöstedt; Holotype male, A. montium, Ngare na nyuki, Meru Niederung, coll. Sjöstedt, syntype, female, A. montium, Kibonoto 1000 –1200 m, coll. Sjöstedt, all NHRS Stockholm.

Further specimens studied, all Tanzania, all Mt Kilimanjaro, all collection Hemp: 4 female nymphs, montane forest, south-west Kilimanjaro, Siha, 1850 m, February 2000; 12 male nymphs, 10 female nymphs, southern slopes, Mrusunga 1600 m, December 1999; 2 male nymphs, 2 female nymphs, southern slopes, Kidia plantation belt, 1300–1400 m, January 2001, February 2012; 3 female nymphs, southern slopes, montane forst edge above Kidia, 1710 m, October 2002, January 2009, February 2009; 1 male nymph, 1 female nymph, southern slopes, Msaranga valley, 1300 m, January 2010, March 2010; western slopes, montane forest, 2200 m, February 2000; 2 male nymphs, southern slopes, plantation belt, 1330 m, September 2009; 1 female nymph, southern slopes, montane forest, 2100 m, March 1999; 7 males, western slopes, Lerongo, montane forest, 1500 m, January 2004; 6 males, southern slopes, Mrusunga valley, 1600 m, December 1999; 2 males, south-western slopes, Siha, montane forest, attracted to fire at night, 1850 m, February 2000; 7 males, 9 females, southern slopes, Msaranga valley, 1300 m, January 2009, February 2009, September 2009, January 2010, September 2010, October 2010, November 2010, November 2011, January 2012; 9 males, 18 females, southern slopes, plantation belt, 1330 m, Mahoma, December 2007, February 2009, March 2009, January 2010, October 1010, November 2010, December 2010, January 2011, December 2011, February 2012, March 2012, April 2012, September 2012; 1 male, southern slopes, montane forest, Umbwe climbing route, 2600 m, January 2005; 1 male, western slopes, montane forest, Lerongo, 2250 m, February 2000; 3 females, southern slopes, plantation belt, garden Kidia, 1430 m, December 2003, December 2008, September 2012; 1 female, southern slopes, montane forest edge, 1900 m; 1 female, western slopes, Lerongo, montane forest, 2250 m, February 2000; southern slopes, 3 females, plantation belt, 1300–1400 m, January 2012, July 2012; 1 female, southern slopes, montane forest edge, 1710 m, November 1999; 1 female, northern slopes, montane forest, September 2006; 4 females, south-western slopes, Siha, 1850 m, montane forest, February 2000; 1 female, southern slopes, Machame, montane forest 1800 m, January 2008.

Sjöstedt (1909) described two species of Anthracites from northern Tanzania. A. montium (Sjöstedt 1909 p. 140) occurring on both mountains Meru and Kilimanjaro was described as being the larger species compared to A. kilimandjaricus (Sjöstedt 1909 p. 141) only found on Mt Kilimanjaro. Characters differentiating A. montium from A. kilimandjaricus were beside size the shape of the male cerci and the colouration especially of the face.

Adults and nymphs of over 100 individuals of Anthracites were collected on Mt Kilimanjaro from various localities since 1998. However, it became obvious that only nymphs were collected of A. kilimandjaricus and only adults of A. montium . Therefore several nymphs of A. kilimandjaricus were caged and reared to adults. In all cases the last instar was A. kilimandjaricus with two parallel fasciae in the face ( Fig. 1 A) and the general colour pattern as well as cerci as described by Sjöstedt (1909) while the resulting adults became A. montium . The rearing of nymphs of A. kilimandjaricus showed that these are the nymphal stages of A. montium . Collected material was also checked in the Orthoptera collection of the Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet, Stockholm, Sweden where the types of both taxa are stored.

Therefore, it is here proposed to synonymize both species under A. montium since this was the first listed species by Sjöstedt (1909).

Distribution. Tanzania; Mt Kilimanjaro and Mt Meru (Sjöstedt 1909).

Described by Sjöstedt (1909) from Mt Kilimanjaro and Mt Meru.

Song. (Long) series of syllables, mostly in the ultrasonic range.

Ecology and biology. Active at night; forages on other insects but also feeds on plants and fruits.

Habitat. Hemp C. 2005. Submontane and montane forests, common species in coffee-banana plantations on Mt Kilimanjaro.

Altitudinal range at Mt Kilimanjaro: 1300–2600 m.

Records: 21

Figures

FIGURE 1. Conocephalinae, Agraeciini species of Kilimanjaro. Rearing nymphs of Afroanthracites montium Sjöstedt. A. Female second instar nymph; note parallel fasciae on face. B, C. Last instar of male A. montium, note fading parallel fasciae on face. D, F. Adult female. E. Freshly moulted male adult.