Phlesirtes keniensis 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 : 465-466

Phlesirtes keniensis Hemp n. sp.

( Fig. 1 ; Fig. 5 E; Fig. 10 D; Fig. 11 A, B; Fig. 16 )

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:496067

Holotype male. Kenya, Mt Kenya, Chogoria Route , tussock grassland, 3000 m, March 2003. 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 material examined. 6 males, 10 females, 2 nymphs, same data as holotype . 4 males, 3 females, Kenya, Mt Kenya, northern slopes, Sirimon Route , grassland, 2400–2600 m, November 2014. Collection C. Hemp.

Description. Male. Colour pattern. Green and various shades of brown, typical for Phlesirtes ( Fig. 10 D). Abdomen. Processes on posterior margin of 10th abdominal tergite broadly in-rolled at their tips. Space formed between them u-shaped ( Fig. 11 A). Outer branch of cerci blunt, hardly overtopping junction of inner branch. Inner branch slender, tips curved downwards and elongated ( Fig. 7 B). Posterior margin of subgenital plate almost straight.

Female. Colour pattern as male. Ovipositor typical for Phlesirtes . Subgenital plate shield-like as in Figs. 5 E.

Measurements male (mm) (N=10). Length of body 8.5–10.6 (mean: 9.3), length of pronotum 4.2–4.8 (mean: 4.4), length of anterior femur 2.0–2.1 (mean: 2.05), length of posterior femur 7.7–8.1 (mean: 7.9), visible part of elytra from above 0.6–0.9 (mean: 0.7).

Measurements female (mm) (N=10). Length of body 9.5–10.8 (mean: 10.1), length of pronotum 4.5–5.3 (mean: 4.8), length of anterior femur 2.0–2.3 (mean: 2.2), length of posterior femur 8.3–8.8 (mean: 8.6), ovipositor 0.3–0.7 (mean: 0.5).

Diagnosis. P. keniensis n. sp. and P. kinangopa n. sp. are morphologically sister taxa. P. keniensis n. sp. is slightly smaller and less stout than P. kinangopa (see measurements). Measured and compared individuals were all collected at a similar altitude ( P. keniensis at 3000 m, P. kinangopa at 3100 m). Also the width of the fastigium verticis between antennal sockets of all measured individuals was 0.9 mm while it was 1.0 mm in all measured individuals of P. kinangopa . Generally P. keniensis has a less conspicuous colour pattern, being more brownish with less green which is also more pale, while the pronotal lobes in P. kinangopa are vivid green and the abdomen of a darker black colour.

Habitat and distribution. Montane grasslands and tussock grasslands on Mt Kenya.

Figures

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

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 10. Habitus of Phlesirtes species. A, B. Female (A) and male (B) of P. limuru n. sp. from the Kikuyu Escarpment near Limuru at the lower slopes of the Aberdare Range C. Female P. hanangensis n. sp. from the montane zone of Mt Hanang in western Tanzania D. Male P. keniensis n. sp., Chogoria Route southern slopes of Mt Kenya E. Male P. kinangopa n. ssp. from the upper montane zone of the Aberdare Range in Kenya.

FIGURE 11. Detail images of last abdominal tergites and cerci of male Phlesirtes species. A, B. P. keniensis n. sp. C, D. P. kinangopa n. sp. E, F. P. laikipiaensis n. sp. G, H. P. latifrons I, J. P. limuru n. sp. K, L. P. mauensis n. sp.

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