Afroagraecia brachyptera Hemp C. & Ingrisch

Hemp, Claudia, 2013, Annotated list of Ensifera (Orthoptera) and further records on Caelifera (Orthoptera) of Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, Zootaxa 3613 (4), pp. 301-342 : 310-312

Afroagraecia brachyptera Hemp C. & Ingrisch n. sp.

( Fig. 2 A–C, 3 A–D)

Holotype: male, Tanzania, Mt Kilimanjaro, southern slopes, Msaranga valley, on bush in area of mix of grassland and shrub vegetation, 1300 m, February 2009, depository: MNB.

Paratypes: 1 female, same data as holotype, depository: MNB. 1 male, 1 female, same data as holotype, depository: NHML. 1 male, same data as holotype but March 2012, depository: EDMNK, 1 female, same data as holotype, depository: EDMNK.

Further Paratypes: 18 females, 5 males, 1 female nymph, 1 male nymph, same data as holotype January 2009, February 2009, May 2011, February 2012, March 2012, December 2012, collection Hemp. 1 female, same data as holotype but February 2012, 1 male, same data as holotype but January 2009, collection Ingrisch.

Description. Male. General coloration: uniformly light to medium brown, dorsally with median dark to black fascia from head over entire disk of pronotum ( Fig. 2 A, B) and black triangle on face as typical for all other species of Afroagraecia ( Fig. 2 C, 3 A). Head and antennae: Fastigium verticis black, conical, acute, shorter than scapus. Face with triangle-shaped dark marking and square black patch on labrum ( Fig. 2 C). Frons shining with few shallowly impressed dots. Ocellus cream to white. Scapus and first antennal segment mottled or uniform dark to black, remaining articles reddish brown. Antennae very long, about 5–6 cm in length. Thorax: Median black fascia narrow on pro- and mesozona, getting broader on metazona ( Fig. 2 A). Metazona slightly inflated. Anterior margin of pronotum rounded, posterior margin truncate. Lateral lobes of pronotum rounded, at height of metazona margin incurved. Prosternum bispinose, meso- and metasterna unarmed. Tegmina and wings shortened, reaching to posterior margin of abdominal tergite 2. Legs: Fore coxa with well developed spine. Fore femora with three (two) outer stout spines ( Fig. 2 C), and one or two outer ones. Mid femora with three (two) outer spines and no inner spines. Hind femora with 5–7 outer spines and no inner spines. All spines deep shiny black. Abdomen: Tenth abdominal tergite divided into two rounded lobes. Supraanal plate rectangular with posterior margin broadly incurved ( Fig. 3 B). Male cerci with very broad base, at midlength abruptly narrowing and with bifurcate sclerotized tips. At level with posterior margin of supraanal plate with stout inner process and another process at base. Latter processes with stout base, abruptly narrowing into very slender and elongate spine-like structures, decussate below supraanal plate ( Fig 3 B). Subgenital plate as in Fig 3 C, elongate, posterior margin incurved and with two short styli. Central pair of titillators compressed with basal half deviating, apical half parallel; each central titillator in apical quarter laterally connected to an elongate compressed and long projection with striated surface and large tubercles along margins, largely surpassing tip of titillators and at apex bent mediad, obtuse. Lateral pair of titillators styliform, in basal half little sinuate, then straight, at apex with a large acute tooth; near tips of lateral titillators with small ovoid and little wavy external sclerites. Near base of titillators, on dorsal side with a pair of small, less strongly sclerotized baso-lateral sclerites ( Fig. 4 C, D).

Female: General coloration as in male, with same median brown to black fascia. Slightly larger than male. Ovipositor long and slender and slightly up-curved ( Fig. 3 D). Subgenital plate tiny and triangular.

Measurements, male.—(mm) (N = 6). Body length: 23–27 (mean: 25.3). Length of pronotum: 7.3–8.1 (mean: 7.7). Length of visible part of elytra: 4.0–5.5 (mean: 4.4). Length of hind femur: 11–13 (mean: 11.9).

Measurements, female.—(mm) (N = 6). Body length: 23–27 (mean: 25.8). Length of pronotum: 7.1–8.0 (mean: 7.5). Length of visible part of elytra: 4.8–5.5 (mean: 5.1). Length of hind femur: 14–15 (mean: 14.3). Ovipositor length: 13–15 (mean: 14.1).

Song. Long series of syllables or of pairs of syllables, mostly in the ultrasonic range.

Etymology. From Greek brachys – short and -pteron - wing, because of the shortened tegmina and wings.

Diagnosis. A. sansibara has nearly fully developed tegmina and wings while these are strongly reduced in A. brachyptera n. sp., A. bloyeti (Brongniart) and A. panteli (Karny) . The male cerci are armed with an inner short spine at end of thickened basal area in A. brachyptera n. sp. and at base with a process having a broad base and a very long narrow distal part while A. sansibara has just a blunt knob near the base ( Fig. 3 E). In A. bloyeti and A. panteli the male cerci terminate in three acute apices, two shorter ones and a long inwardly long curved one at the distal end. At the base of the cerci another process is present as in A. brachypter a n. sp. ( Fig. 3 F). However this process is not as elongated in A. bloyeti and A. panteli .

Distribution. Tanzania, Mt Kilimanjaro.

Ecology and biology. Night active species. Predaceous. Nymphs from October onwards, adults from December till about April at submontane elevations.

Habitat. Bushes and small trees in relictal submontane vegetation.

Altitudinal range at Mt Kilimanjaro: 1300–1400 m.

Records: 1

Remarks. Another undescribed species occurs in the Shimba Hills in Kenya (collection NHML).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Conocephalinae, Agraeciini and Conocephalini species of Kilimanjaro. A – C. Afroagraecia brachyptera n. sp., submontane zone on the southern slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro. A. Male B. Female C. Face of male Afroagraecia brachyptera n. sp. D. Female Conocephalus (Anisoptera) maculatus (Le Guillou), eastern slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro, savanna grassland. E, F. Conocephalus (Megalotheca) phasma Gorochov & Llorente del Moral, 2004, savanna grassland on the eastern slopes; male (E) and female (F).

FIGURE 3. Afroagraecia species. A – D. A. brachyptera n. sp., male face (A), male abdominal apex, dorsal view (B), male subgenital plate (C), lateral view of female ovipositor (D); E. A. sansibara (Redtenbacher), male syntype, abdominal apex, dorsal view; F. A. bloyeti (Brongniart), male abdominal apex, dorsal view.

FIGURE 4. Internal genitalic structures of Agraeciini species. A. Afroanthracites montium, titillators with view on baso-lateral sclerites; B. Afroanthracites montium, titillators in apico-ventral view. C. Afroagraecia brachyptera n. sp., titillators in apicoventral view; D. Afroagraecia brachyptera n. sp., titillators in proximo-dorsal view. Abbreviations: al — apico-lateral sclerite, bl — baso-lateral sclerite, le — lateral extension of titillator, lti — lateral titillator, ti — central titillator (titillator proper), te — testes. Scale bars: 1 mm.