Gymnobothrus longicornis longicornis (Ramme, 1931) Ramme, 1931

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 : 71

Gymnobothrus longicornis longicornis (Ramme, 1931) stat. n. Figs 183-192

Pseudochirista longicornis Ramme, 1931: 925, 927, pl. 11, fig. l.

Material.

-UGANDA: Koki; Lango district; Chiawanto; Adechal; Lake Albert, Butiaba; Fort Portal; Bundebugyo. TANZANIA: Mkwemi, 22 mi. W. of Kahama; Morogoro; Mpwapwa, Mt. Kibabiani; 28 mi. N. Biharamulo.

Description.

-In size and general build similar to subsp. ephippinotus . Size (in mm): total length: males 14.0-19.0, females 16.5-22.0. Antenna about 1.5x length of head and pronotum, its medial segment about 3 times longer than wide. Frontal ridge (Figs 189, 190), with fairly sharp margins, narrowly constricted apically, its surface pitted and shallowly sulcate. Fastigium of vertex less elongate and concave than in ephippinotus ; foveolae narrow and deeply sulcate. Pronotum as in ephippinotus , but lateral carinae slightly stronger. Coloration in lighter shades than in ephippinotus , more uniform and less speckled. Dorsum is generally paler than sides; abdomen and underside fawnish; dark pattern on lateral pronotal lobes (Fig. 188). Pattern on outer face of hind femur as in Fig. 191; lower inner and outer face blackish brown.

Discussion.

-The original paratype from Cameroon shows close similarity to the material from the Imatong area of South Sudan and from Uganda . In these, the fastigium of vertex is more broadly rounded, frontal ridge less sulcate, and lateral pronotal carinae stronger. Coloration of the Imatong specimens is also fairly similar: pronotal disc mostly pale, but occasionally edged with dark brown; lateral dark fascia is strong, covering upper 2/3 of pronotal lobes, but with a contrasting large cream spot along its anterior edge. Abdomen orange with a chain of intricate spots along tergites; series of spots on tegmina is faint and outer face of hind femur has a large pale spot, while upper face bears 3 alternating dark and pale spots; sub-basal pale spot is particularly vivid and contrasting in melanic forms. Lower outer face is brown and inner yellow. Hind tibia greyish brown with a broad pale sub-basal ring.

In Ugandan material antennae are equally long and slender, scarcely dilated basally; frontal ridge narrow, deeply sulcate at the ocellus, less so above and below; fastigium of vertex more parabolic; temporal foveolae narrow or broader, deeper below edge of rim, incompletely marginate below. Lateral pronotal carinae somewhat stronger and prozona subequal in length to metazona. Coloration in contrasting patterns of browns and pale cream; face a triangular mask of brown edged with cream; dark lateral fascia broad, paler in middle, its pattern on lateral pronotal lobes as in Fig. 188. Dark pattern on outer face of hind femur as oblique faint stripes, lower outer face dark brown, inner yellow.

In Tanzanian specimens (Mkwemi, Kahama) antennae are long, slender, and completely black; ratio to length of head and pronotum, 1.5 in male. Frontal ridge pitted and somewhat sulcate at ocellus, but fastigial constriction less marked (Fig. 190). Temporal foveolae consist of multiple shallow pits. Lateral pronotal carinae rather weak. Coloration is distinctive, predominantly in contrasting deep dark brown and cream; usually a pale dorso-medial stripe edged with dark brown present; face a mask of lighter brown triangle bordered with cream; pattern of lateral pronotal lobes brown, ochre and cream; abdomen is ferruginous with brown speckling; black pattern on hind femur confined to three spots on upper face and hind knee, but outer face slate-grey and brown, with lower outer face orange and inner face yellow (Fig. 192). Specimens from Morogoro are darker, have shorter antennae and a broader frontal ridge.

Distribution.

-CAMEROON, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC, SOUTH SUDAN, UGANDA, TANZANIA.