Morgenia spathulifera Griffini, 1908

Massa, Bruno, 2017, New genera, species and records of Afrotropical Phaneropterinae (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae) preserved at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Bruxelles, Zootaxa 4358 (3), pp. 401-429 : 417-418

Morgenia spathulifera Griffini, 1908

Material examined. Democratic Republic of Congo, Bussanga 14.XI.1905 (1♂ syntype) ; Cameroon, Mukonje Farm, R. Rohde (1♀ syntype) ; Cameroon, Mt Koupé 31.I–8.II.1983, J. van Stalle (1♂) ; Democratic Republic of Congo, Ngowa 9.I.1939, J. Mertens (1♂) ( RBINS) ; Ivory Coast, Taï Nat. Park , Res. Station 13.III.2017, B. Massa (1♂) ( BMCP).

Remarks. Five species are known in the genus Morgenia Karsch, 1890 , namely: M. hamuligera Karsch, 1890 , M. melica Karsch, 1893 , M. modulata Karsch, 1896 , M. rubricornis Sjöstedt, 1913 and M. spathulifera Griffini, 1908 . Cerci of the latter species ( Fig. 11A ) are quite similar to those of M. rubricornis ( Fig. 11B ) and M. hamuligera ( Fig. 11C ), but M. spathulifera may be easily separated from the other two species by the ratio length/ width of tegmina (6.6–6.7 in M. spathulifera , 5.5–5.6 in M. hamuligera and M. rubricornis ). Cerci of M. melica and M. modulata are very similar between them (those of M. modulata are more slender apically than those of M. melica ), but they clearly differ from those of the previous three species (compare Figs 10D with 10A, 10B, 10C). In addition, the shape of the male subgenital plate ( Figs 12A–12D ) and of the stridulatory file ( Figs 13A–13D ) allow to tell apart them. M. spathulifera is also characterized by the presence of small grey dots on tegmina.

Distribution. M. spathulifera is presently known from Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ivory Coast.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Terpnistriella bredoi n. gen. n. sp. A) Lateral view of the male paratype.B) DorSal view of Stridulatory area and wingS of the male holotype.C) Stridulatoryfile of the holotype.D) Lateralview of hind legS of the holotype.E) Lateralview of the laSt abdominal SegmentS of the holotype. F) DorSal view of the laSt tergite and cerci of the holotype. G) DorSal view of the Subgenital plate of the holotype. H) Ventral view of the Subgenital plate of the holotype.

FIGURE 11. DorSal view of male cerci in Morgenia SpecieS. A) Morgenia spathulifera Griffini, 1908 holotype. B) M. rubricornisSjÖStedt,1913. C) M.hamuligera KarSch, 1890. D) M. melica KarSch, 1893.

FIGURE 13. Stridulatory file of left tegmen in Morgenia SpecieS. A) Morgenia spathulifera Griffini, 1908 holotype. B) M. rubricornisSjÖStedt,1913. C) M.hamuligera KarSch, 1890. D) M. melica KarSch, 1893.

FIGURE12. Ventral view of the male Subgenital plate and cerci in Morgenia SpecieS.A) Morgenia spathulifera Griffini, 1908 holotype.B) M.rubricornis SjÖStedt,1913.C) M.hamuligera KarSch, 1890.D) M.melica KarSch, 1893.