Ruspolia cf. exigua (Bolivar, 1922)

Hemp, Claudia, 2013, Annotated list of Ensifera (Orthoptera) and further records on Caelifera (Orthoptera) of Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, Zootaxa 3613 (4), pp. 301-342 : 317-318

Ruspolia cf. exigua (Bolivar, 1922)

( Fig. 6 A, B)

Distribution. Uganda, DRC ( Zaire), Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania (Bailey 1975).

Habitat. Hemp C. 2005. Hyparrhenia and Bulbostylis grasslands on the southern and eastern slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro. Collected in analogous habitats in Kenya on the Chyulu Hills at 1900 m and the Ngong Hills at 1800 m.

Song. Continuous sequence of syllables, perceived only in the immediate surrounding, produced in the afternoon hours.

Altitudinal range at Mt Kilimanjaro: 1300–1400– 1700–1900 m

Remarks. Montane species with a slightly different dorsal aspect of the stridulatory rib as given by Bailey (1975). Studies on the song have to be undertaken to bring light into this complex of montane-bound species. The species is flightless with shortened tegmina and reduced alae. Bailey (1975) stated that Ruspolia species in montanous areas of Africa probably reveal a common phylogenetic stock and have become isolated at their respective highland localities. Species similar to R. exigua are the West African species R. brevipennis (Chopard) and R. jaegeri (Roy) and the south-west African distributed species R. sarae Bailey.

Records: 25

Figures

FIGURE 6. Ruspolia (Conocephalinae) species of Kilimanjaro. A, B. Ruspolia cf. exigua (Bolivar), species confined to submontane to montane grasslands of the southern slopes. A. green phase B. brown phase. C. Ruspolia differens (Serville), a common species of savanna grasslands up to montane elevations.