Phlesirtes githunguri Hemp

Hemp, Claudia & Heller, Klaus-Gerhard, 2017, The genus Phlesirtes Bolivar, 1922 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae, Conocephalini; Karniellina), a review of the genus with data on its bioacoustics and the description of new species, Zootaxa 4244 (4), pp. 451-477 : 461-463

Phlesirtes githunguri Hemp n. sp.

( Fig. 1 ; Fig. 4 . G, H; Fig. 7 ; Fig. 8 ; Fig. 16 )

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:496064

Holotype male. Kenya, Uplands , degraded swamp, 2300 m, June 2007. Depository MfN.

Paratypes. 1 female, Kenya, between Uplands and Githunguri , 2300 m, grassy path through forest plantation June 2007. Depository MfN . 1 male, same data as holotype. Depository BMNH .

Additional material examined. 4 males, 1 female, same data as holotype. Collection C. Hemp.

Description. Male. Colour pattern. Mix of brown and green. Brown to black fascia medially on head and pronotum bordered by vivid green fasciae. Abdomen with light brown fasciae medially bordered by black lateral fasciae ( Fig. 7 A, B). Abdomen. Last abdominal tergite with a pair of pale spots and an almost triangular shaped gap between the strongly inwardly rolled processes at posterior margin ( Fig. 4 G). Cerci differentiated into two branches, outer one short and blunt, inner one slender with acute apices, inwardly bent and at apex attenuate ( Fig. 4 H). Subgenital plate elongate; at posterior apex broad incision; styli slender; median portion of subgenital plate with a shallow groove.

Female. As in male, but colour more light brown and dark brown and lateral fasciae not as vivid green as in male ( Fig. 7 C). Ovipositor typical for genus, almost straight but slightly shorter than body length ( Fig. 7 C). Subgenital plate shield-like, similar as in P. chyuluensis n. sp. or P. elgonensis n. sp. ( Fig. 5 A, B).

Measurements male (mm) (N=7). Length of body 8.2–10.0 (mean: 9.2), length of pronotum 4.4–5.3 (mean: 4.8), length of anterior femur 2.0–2.3 (mean: 2.15), length of posterior femur 8.2–9.5 (mean: 8.9), visible part of elytra from above 0.4–0.7 (mean: 0.6).

Measurements female (mm) (N=2). Length of body 10.5–15.5, length of pronotum 3.5–3.9, length of anterior femur 2.1–2.5, length of posterior femur 9.3, ovipositor 8.0–8.8.

Diagnosis. The processes of the male 10th abdominal tergite are almost triangular and the space formed between them as well in dorsal aspect. Thus the processes are comparatively broad-based and short compared to species with acute processes e.g. P. elgonensis n. sp., P. limuru n. sp., P. gladiolus n. sp. or P. chyuluensis n. sp. P. githunguri n. sp. is the sister group to both P. keniensis on Mt Kenya and P. kinangopa from the montane and afroalpine zone of the Aberdare Range. As in the latter two species the tips of the processes of the 10th tergite are strongly rolled inwardly.

Habitat and distribution. Only known from the type locality around Githunguri , Kenya on the lower southern slopes of the Aberdare Range. Inhabitants of montane and subalpine grasslands.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Oscillograms of 1 - s-sections of the song of continuously singing Phlesirtes species.

FIGURE 4. Detail images of last abdominal tergites and cerci of male Phlesirtes species. A, B. P. brachiatus C, D. P. chyuluensis n. sp. E, F. P. elgonensis n. sp. G, H. P. githunguri n. sp. I, J. P. gladiolus n. sp. K, L. P. hanangensis n. sp.

FIGURE 5. Subgenital plates of female Phlesirtes species A – N and O. Lateral view on ovipositor of P. gladiolus n. sp. A. P. chyuluensis n. sp. B. P. elgonensis n. sp. C. P. gladiolus n. sp. D. P. hanangensis n. sp. E. P. keniensis n. sp. F. P. kinangopa n. sp. G. P. laikipiaensis n. sp. H. P. limuru n. sp. I. P. melanocercus n. sp. J. P. merumontanus, northern Kilimanjaro K. P. ngongensis n. sp. L. P. ngorongoroensis n. sp. M. P. nou n. sp. N. P. timboroa n. sp.

FIGURE 7. Phlesirtes githunguri n. sp. occurring on the Kikuyu Escarpment between the villages Githunguri and Uplands on the lower slopes of the Aberdare Range in central Kenya. A, B. Male C. Female.

FIGURE 8. Semilateral view on male abdominal apex of P. githunguri n. sp. Arrow points at the in-rolled apices of the processes of the 10 th abdominal tergite.

FIGURE 16. Distribution of Phlesirtes species in East Africa with major mountains and mountain ranges indicated.