Altihoratosphaga undetermined

Hemp, Claudia, Voje, Kjetil Lysne, Heller, Klaus-Gerhard, Warchałowska-Śliwa, Elżbieta & Hemp, Andreas, 2010, A new genus of African Acrometopini (Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) based on morphology, chromosomes, acoustics, distribution, and molecular data, and the description of a new species, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 158 (1), pp. 66-82 : 78

ALTIHORATOSPHAGA HANANGENSIS SP. NOV.

Holotype: Male : Tanzania, Mbulu District, Mt Hanang, lower border of disturbed montane forest ( Fig. 7D ), herbaceous vegetation and low bushes, 1950 m a.s.l., UTM zone 36M 07 69 816 E, 95 05 197 S, May 2006, C. Hemp coll.; depository, MNB.

Paratypes: All Tanzania: one female, same collection data as holotype; depository, MNB ; one male, same collection data as holotype; depository, NHML . One female, same collection data as holotype; depository, NHML . One male, same collection data as holotype; depository, EDNMK .

Additional paratype material examined: All from Tanzania, all C. Hemp coll., seven males, same data as holotype; three nymphs, on herbs in grass/scrubland at edge of strongly disturbed forest, 2600 m a.s.l., January 2008.

Description: Male: colour dark green, stridulatory area of right tegmen, margins of tegmina, and anterior margin of pronotum bordered yellow ( Fig. 7A ). In preserved insects the colour fades to a dull green or to near tawny in colour. Head and antennae: antennae dark with annulate dark markings every few segments; length of antennae about three times as long as the length of the insect. Cuticle of head smooth, fastigium of vertex sulcate between eyes, and elevated ridge medially on dorsal head; in front of eyes conus. Eyes small and circular. Thorax: pronotum without lateral carinae; verrucose pronotal disc, with dark dorsal markings ( Fig. 8A, I ). Tegmina and wings: tegmina surpassing body by about one third, length to width ratio about 3.3. Venation of right forewings as in Figure 9I ; irregular black spots present all over the tegmina. Alae much reduced, hidden under tegmina, about 3.5-mm long. Legs: tympanic auricles conchate. Fore femora with six small ventral spines posteriorly, mid and hind femora with between six and 12 spines ventrally, in two rows, with anterior row of spines black tipped; fore and mid tibiae with between eight and 12 minute spinules, in two rows ventrally, and hind tibiae with numerous small spinules in four rows. Genitalia: subgenital plate incised posteriorly ( Figs 8E , 9E ), with a median ridge ventrally. Tenth abdominal tergite unmodified. Cerci slender, with incurved tips ( Figs 8E , 9A ).

Female: general facies, colour dark green, yellow lines not as apparent as in males. Thorax: pronotum dorsally broader than in male, and without darkbrown marking. Tegmina broader along whole length compared with male, and rounded at apex, venation faint. Legs: as in male. Genitalia: subgenital plate broad and heart shaped ( Fig. 9J ). Ovipositor slender, upcurved, and serrated at apex. Cerci slender and straight ( Figs 8J , 9K ).

Measurements, male (N = 9): Total length of body: 16–20 mm (mean 18.6 mm). Median length of pronotum: 5.2–5.7 mm (mean 5.4 mm). Length of hind femur: 22–27 mm (mean 24.4 mm). Length of tegmina: 17–20 mm (mean 18.7 mm).

Measurements, female (N = 5): Total length of body: 29–38 mm (mean 33.6 mm). Median length of pronotum: 5.5–6.7 mm (mean 6.1 mm). Length of hind femur: 22–25 mm (mean 23.8 mm). Length of tegmina: 17–23 mm (mean 20.8 mm). Length of ovipositor: 12–15 mm (mean 13.6 mm).

Diagnosis: Altihoratosphaga hanangensis sp. nov. is closely related to both A. montivaga ( Fig. 7C, F ) and A. nou ( Fig. 7B, E ). All three species have verrucose pronotal discs, dark spots on the forewings, and a very similar habitus. Clear differences are to be found only in the male genitals (see Fig. 8E–H , Table 3, and the key).

For characters to differentiate between other flightless Horatosphaga species , see Hemp (2006a).

Song: See above ( Figs 3 , 4 ).

Habitat: Altihoratosphaga hanangensis sp. nov. inhabits herbaceous vegetation along the montane forest edge and degraded scrubland at the lower forest border of Mt Hanang. It was collected at altitudes of about 1850–2600 m a.s.l.

Co-occurring Saltatoria species: At the lower border of the heavily disturbed montane forest of Mt Hanang, A. hanangensis sp. nov. lives syntopically with the following species: Acanthacris ruficornis (Fabricius, 1787) , Amytta sp. , Gymnobothrus temporalis flexuosus (Schulthess, 1898) , Odonturoides sp. , Parepistaurus sp. , Phaeocatantops sp. , Phaneroptera sparsa Stål, 1857 , and Taphronota calliparea (Schaum, 1853) .

Figures

Figure 3. Oscillograms of the calling song of Altihoratosphaga species. The black lines mark the position of the song details shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4. Oscillograms of the calling song of Altihoratosphaga species, showing one element A and one element B from each species. See Figure 3 for the position of this song detail.

Figure 7. A, male Altihoratosphaga hanangensis sp. nov. B, male Altihoratosphaga nou. C, male Altihoratosphaga montivaga. D, habitat of A. hanangensis sp. nov. on Mt Hanang, Tanzania. E, female A. nou. F, female A. montivaga.

Figure 8. A–D, lateral view of the pronotum and dorsal view of the abdominal apex of male Altihoratosphaga species. A, Altihoratosphaga hanangensis sp. nov., paratype. B, Altihoratosphaga nou, paratype. C, Altihoratosphaga montivaga. D, Altihoratosphaga nomima, holotype. E–H, dorsal view of abdominal apex of male Altihoratosphaga species. E, A. hanangensis sp. nov., paratype. F, A. nou, paratype. G, A. montivaga. H, A. nomima, holotype I, dorsal aspect of male pronotum of A. hanangensis sp. nov. Note the triangle-shaped posterior part of the pronotum. J, lateral view of abdominal apex of female A. hanangensis sp. nov., paratype. K, reduced alae of female A. montivaga. Scale bars: 2 mm.

Figure 9. A–D, left cercus of male Altihoratosphaga species. A, Altihoratosphaga hanangensis sp. nov. B, Altihoratosphaga nou. C, Altihoratosphaga montivaga. D, Altihoratosphaga nomima. All specimens were collected from Ruaha National Park. Scale bar: 2 mm. E–H, subgenital plates of male Altihoratosphaga species. E, A. hanangensis sp. nov. F, A. nou. G, A. montivaga. H, A. nomima. All specimens were collected from Ruaha National Park. Scale bar: 2 mm. I, right tegmen of male A. hanangensis sp. nov. Scale bar: 0.5 cm. J, subgenital plate of female A. hanangensis sp. nov. Scale bar: 1 mm. K, ovipositor of A. hanangensis sp. nov. Scale bar: 1 mm.