Phlesirtes gladiolus 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 : 463

Phlesirtes gladiolus Hemp n. sp.

( Fig. 1 ; Fig. 4 I, J; Fig. 5 C; Fig. 9; Fig. 16 )

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:496065

Holotype male. Kenya, Ngong Hills , road Kiserian to Isinya, grassland, 1760 m, May 2005. Depository MfN.

Paratypes. 1 female, same data as holotype but June 2007 . Depository MfN. 1 male, same data as holotype but May 2006, 1 female , same data as holotype but June 2007. Depository EDNMK. 1 male , same data as holotype but May 2006 ; 1 female, same data as holotype but June 2007. Depository BMNH.

Additional paratype material. 5 males, 3 females, male nymph, same data as holotype and May and December 2006, and May 2010 . 9 males, 7 females, Kenya, Maparasha Hills near Bissel, savanna grassland, 1720 m, May 2010. Collection C. Hemp.

Description. Male. Colour pattern. Some individuals completely straw-coloured with faint fasciae (Fig. 9 A) but also with typical pattern for Phlesirtes with contrasting fasciae on head and pronotum and green pronotal lobes and on part of the legs. Abdomen dorsal brown with broad black lateral fasciae and deep black 10th abdominal tergite and cerci (Fig. 9 B). Spines of hind tibiae black-tipped. Abdomen. Last abdominal tergite with thorn-like processes and an angular incision ( Fig. 4 I). Outer branch of male cercus very short and blunt, inner branch almost starting where outer branch ends ( Fig. 4 J).

Female. Colour pattern as in male with same variation from straw-coloured (Fig. 9 C) to contrasting pattern of dark and light fasciae. Ovipositor dark to reddish brown, nearly straight, slender, typical for genus ( Fig. 5 O). Subgenital plate small and more angular than in most other species ( Fig. 5 C).

Measurements male (mm) (N=7). Length of body 9.0–10.5 (mean: 9.8), length of pronotum 4.7–5.5 (mean: 5.1), length of anterior femur 2.1–2.5 (mean: 2.3), length of posterior femur 9.5–10.2 (mean: 9.7), visible part of elytra from above 0.6–1.3 (mean: 0.9).

Measurements female (mm) (N=7). Length of body 10.4–11.8 (mean: 11.0), length of pronotum 3.6–4.6 (mean: 4.0), length of anterior femur 2.5 (mean: 2.5), length of posterior femur 10.4–11.2 (mean: 10.7), ovipositor 10.3–12.0 (mean: 11.3).

Diagnosis. P. gladiolus n. sp. may be distinguished by its thorn-like processes of the last abdominal tergite. Only P. chyuluensis n. sp. also has thorn-like processes but P. gladiolus n. sp. has a subgenital plate which is roundly incised while it is very shallowly and more angular incised in P. chyuluensis n. sp. Otherwise both species are very similar in size and colour pattern. P. chyuluensis n. sp. is only known from the Chyulu Hills while P. gladiolus n. sp. occurs on the lower slopes of the Ngong Hills, around Kajiado and the Maparasha Hills in savanna grasslands.

Habitat and distribution. Open grasslands in the montane zone of the on the foothills of the Ngong Hills, around Kajiado and the Maparasha Hills in Kenya.

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