Phlesirtes elgonensis 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 : 459-461

Phlesirtes elgonensis Hemp n. sp.

( Fig. 2 ; Fig. 4 E, F; Fig. B; Fig. 6 ; Fig. 16 )

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:496061

Holotype male. Kenya, Mt Elgon , southern slopes, National Park 3100 m, montane grasslands, November 2011. Depository MfN.

Paratypes. 1 female, same data as holotype. Depository MfN . 1 male, 1 female, same data as holotype. Depository EDNMK . 1 male, 1 female, same data as holotype. Depository BMNH .

Additional paratype material. 14 males, 6 females, same data as holotype ; 6 males, 18 females, 2 females nymphs, Kenya, Mt Elgon National Park , montane grassland, 2950 m, November 2011 ; 5 females, 2 nymphs, Kenya, Mt Elgon National Park , grassy forest clearing, 2400 m, November 2011. Collection C. Hemp.

Description. Male. Colour pattern. Medially on abdomen broad creamy to light brown fascia bordered by dark brown fascia laterally along length. Otherwise typical Phlesirtes colour pattern with partly green legs and pronotal lobes and brown pronotum and abdomen ( Fig. 7 A). Abdomen. Last abdominal tergite medially acutely incised, lateral processes rather stout, as in Fig. 5 E. Most individuals with pair of dark patches. Cerci with outer branch stout, tip blunt conical, inner branch comparatively short, slightly curved ( Fig. 4 F).

Female. Colour pattern as in male but more brownish ( Fig. 6 B). Ovipositor brown, little up-curved, slender, typical for the genus. Subgenital plate as in Fig. 5 B.

Diagnosis. Morphologically and molecularly related to P. limuru n. sp. from the lower slopes of the Aberdare Range. Both species have a similar colour pattern. The male cerci consist of a stout and comparatively blunt outer branch and comparatively short little curved inner branch. The 10th tergite has a pair of dark patches in both species. In P. limuru n. sp. however, the processes of the 10th tergite are shorter and the incision is not as acute as in P. elgonensis n. sp.

Measurements male (mm) (N=6). Length of body 9.2–9.5, length of pronotum 4.4–4.7, length of anterior femur 2.1–2.2, length of posterior femur 9.2–9.5, visible part of elytra from above 0.7–1.0.

Measurements female (mm) (N=6). Length of body 10–13, length of pronotum 3.7–4.0, length of anterior femur 2.4–2.5, length of posterior femur 11.2–11.5, ovipositor 10.0–10.6.

Habitat and distribution. Kenya, Mt Elgon. At present only known from the montane zone on the southern slopes of Mt Elgon on forest clearings and montane grasslands between 2400–3100 m.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Oscillograms of 1 - s-sections of the song of Phlesirtes species producing pairs of syllables.

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 6. Male (A) and female (B) Phlesirtes elgonensis n. sp. in montane grasslands on the southern slopes of Mt Elgon in Kenya.

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