Gelotopoia amabilis Hemp

Hemp, Claudia, 2013, Annotated list of Tettigoniidae (Orthoptera) from the East Usambara Mountains Tanzania and new Tettigoniidae species from East Africa, Zootaxa 3737 (4), pp. 301-350 : 338-340

Gelotopoia amabilis Hemp n. sp. ( Fig. 27 A–B, Fig. 28 A–B)

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:180013

Holotype male, Tanzania, East Usambara Mountains, MacKay & F Watson, Brit. Mus. 1983–101 depository: BMNH.

Description.—Male. With conspicuous contrasting pattern of white and brown-black patches and dots ( Fig. 27 A). Fastigium of vertex not compressed, about twice as wide as scapus, slightly sulcate medially. Antennae with irregular annulate markings of black and white; longer than body length but not extending length of tegmina when folded. Disk of pronotum with faint median carina. Anterior margin and posterior margin of pronotum raised medially to form a more or less acute point, which is whitish while the whole disk of the pronotum is of brown colour ( Fig. 27 B). Lateral lobes of pronotum of whitish colour thus contrasting with brown disk of pronotum. Posterior part of pronotum extended laterally and slightly up-curved. Fore coxa with rather short and slightly laterally compressed and inwardly curved spine. Fore and mid femora with ventral spinules, marked black on an otherwise white surface of the femora, hind femora with larger spines located at posterior ventral part. Medially on upper part and front of femur long stretched slender black fascia, at posterior part a brown patch covering the whole femur in this area. Similar brown patches are present also on fore and mid femora. Fore tibiae with open tympana, area around tympana black. Tibiae with few dorsal spines and a double row of ventral spines. Tarsi black with few white areas while remaining parts of tibiae predominantly white with some few black spots along their length at mid and hind tibiae. Bases of spines at upper part of mid and hind tibiae near lunules conspicuous, their bases broad and expanded, dorsally deep brown, while the rear part is white. Hind tibiae with three black apical spurs on each side. Wings fully developed, hind wings surpassing tegmina ( Fig. 27 A). Tegmina at anterior medial area with black patches. Male tenth abdominal tergite unmodified, cerci stout, decussate, white except for deep black tips. Subgenital plate medially circlic incised; without styli, but with styli-like lateral processes ( Fig. 28 A).

Female.—Unknown.

Measurements, male (mm) (N = 1). Body length 18. Length of pronotum 6. Length of elytra 32. Length of hind femur 18.5.

Diagnosis: Gelotopoia amabilis n. sp. differs from G. bi co l or in the shape of the pronotum, the fastigium verticis, the length of the tegmina, spination of the legs and the shape of the male subgenital plate ( Fig. 28 ). In G.

amabilis n. sp. the metazona of the pronotum is much more expanded than in G. bicolor . The fastigium verticis in G. amabilis n. sp. is broader and about twice the width of one scapus as in G. bicolor where the fastigium verticis has about 1.5 times the width of one scapus. The tegmina of G. amabilis n. sp. are more elongate than in specimens of G. bicolor . In G. bicolor the spines of the upper part of the hind femora are expanded, fused to a flange while in G. amabilis n.sp. the spines are large and expanded but not completely fused. However, the best diagnostic character differentiating both species is the subgenital plate of the male. In G. bicolor the posterior margin of the subgenital plate is rounded with two small processes ( Fig. 28 B), while it is circlic and deeply incised with two larger lateral processes in G. amabilis n. sp. ( Fig. 28 A).

Remarks: G. amabilis n. sp. is not regarded as being an endemic to the East Usambara Mountains since it is fully alate and therefore very likely occurs in a larger area probably including coastal forest and maybe other Eastern Arc Mountain ranges. In the material collected by McKamey et al. (1995) in the Mazumbai forest reserve in the West Usambara Mountains a small nymph belonging to the genus Gelotopoia was noted. Since the West Usambara Mountains are situated adjacent to the East Usambara Mountains is is likely that G. amabilis n. sp. also occurs in the West Usambara Mountains.

Figures

FIGURE 27. Gelotopoia amabilis n. sp., male, holotype. A. habitus B. Dorsal view on pronotum and head.

FIGURE 28. Subgenital plate of Gelotopoia amabilis n. sp. (A) and G. bicolor (B).