Gymnobothrus temporalis ( Stal , 1876)

Popov †, George B., Fishpool, Lincoln D. C. & Rowell, C. Hugh F., 2019, A review of the Acridinae s. str. (Orthoptera: Acridoidea: Acrididae) of eastern Africa with taxonomic changes and description of new taxa, Journal of Orthoptera Research 28 (2), pp. 37-105 : 72-74

Gymnobothrus temporalis ( Stal, 1876) Figs 204-212

Epacromia temporalis Stål, 1876: 49, type female, NAMIBIA: Ovambo (NR, Stockholm)

Chirista virgata Karsch, 1893 (syn. Uvarov 1926), type female, TOGO (MfN)

Chirista flavolineata Karsch, 1893 (syn. Uvarov 1926), type male (MfN)

Chirista manca Karsch, 1893, types male, female (MfN) (syn. Uvarov 1926)

Chirista interrupta Karsch, 1896, female, TANZANIA: Zanzibar (syn. Sjöstedt 1909)

Chirista lacustris Rehn, 1914, female, D.R. CONGO (MfN) (syn. Uvarov 1926)

Chirista emini Rehn, 1914, female, D.R. CONGO, L. Albert (MfN) (syn. Dirsh 1970)

Zacompsa temporalis Uvarov, 1926 (syn. Uvarov 1953)

Pseudochirista temporalis fasciata Sjöstedt, 1931, types male, female, CONGO: Musana (NRM Stockholm) (syn. Uvarov 1953)

Material.

-Series examined from: SENEGAL, GUINEA BISSAU, MALI, GUINEA, LIBERIA, SIERRA LEONE, TOGO, BENIN, IVORY COAST, GHANA, NIGERIA, CHAD, CAMEROON, ETHIOPIA, SOMALIA, SOUTH SUDAN, UGANDA, KENYA, TANZANIA, CONGO, D.R. CONGO, RWANDA, MALAWI, ZAMBIA, ZIMBABWE, NAMIBIA, MOZAMBIQUE, BOTSWANA, SOUTH AFRICA (former Transvaal, Natal, Orange Free State, Cape Province).

Description.

-Medium to larger size for genus; medium build. Size (in mm): total length males 15-19, females: 21-28. Integument finely rugulose and pitted. Antennae in male somewhat longer than, in female slightly shorter than head and pronotum. Frontal ridge broad, weakly sulcate at and below ocellus, flat to convex above with thick margins; only weakly constricted at junction with fastigium and divergent towards clypeus (Figs 208, 212). Fastigium elongate-parabolic (Figs 207, 211); its surface concave, sloping towards transverse sulcus. Latter roughly in mid-position. Foveolae distinct, kidney-shaped (Figs 206, 210). Pronotum somewhat compressed in middle. Medial carina distinct; lateral carinae often weak and little more than a chain of small callosities interrupted by all three transverse sulci, inflexed and convergent towards first sulcus, parallel between first and second, and broadly outflexed and divergent beyond. Metazona distinctly longer than prozona, its hind margin broadly rounded (Figs 205, 209). Genital structures are of little diagnostic value. Coloration variable; often dull in sombre shades of browns and greys with darker black and lighter stramineous and white speckling and mottling; fire melanism frequent. Distinctive pale patterns occur in less than a quarter of specimens, more often in males. These include a striking pale spot in lower part of lateral pronotal lobes and sub-basal part of upper face of hind femur, sometimes with two smaller, less distinctive spots further towards knee of hind femur (including a preapical ring before knee and a corresponding pale sub-basal ring on tibia). Hind knee black in male, paler brown in female. Dorsum generally paler, sometimes with a pale dorsal band of varying width; when narrow, usually bordered with dark blackish brown pigmentation. Sides often have a dark lateral band on genae and upper margin of lateral pronotal lobes. Underside of male abdomen towards its tip and lower outer (plus often inner faces of hind femur), ferruginous to reddish. Pale markings more striking in black melanic specimens and reddish tinge more intensive on maturation.

Discussion.

- G. temporalis is the most common and widespread species in the genus. There is considerable clinal geographical variation in size, shape and coloration; subspecific taxonomic subdivisions are not warranted. Dirsh (1970) took the same view when synonymizing G. emini under G. temporalis . It appears to have a strategy of adult quiescence, 1-2 generations annually.

Distribution.

-Found in the savannas and woodlands of the southern Sudanian and Guinean zones from SENEGAL and GAMBIA in the west to SUDAN and ETHIOPIA in eastern Africa, and southwards to southern Africa.