Ovonotus incisus ( Naskrecki, 1996 )

Naskrecki, Piotr & Guta, Ricardo, 2019, Katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) of Gorongosa National Park and Central Mozambique, Zootaxa 4682 (1), pp. 1-119 : 38-41

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4682.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:430B98EF-BFCB-4608-A562-DEFA9539C8B2
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5629493
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D8878E-FC54-D913-CCFE-50ECFE34370F
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Ovonotus incisus ( Naskrecki, 1996 )
status

Treatment

Ovonotus incisus ( Naskrecki, 1996) View in CoL

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:506826

( Figs. 4D View FIGURE 4 , 15 View FIGURE 15 A–E, 17A–K, 49A–C)

Acilaris incisus Naskrecki, 1996: 190 .

Differential diagnosis. Similar to O. abreuae in its general appearance but different in the morphology of the male 10 th tergite, cerci, titillator, and subgenital plate ( Figs. 17 View FIGURE 17 A–I), the female 10 th tergite and subgenital plate ( Fig. 16B View FIGURE 16 ), and bioacoustic characteristics ( Figs. 49 View FIGURE 49 A–C). This species also appears to have only a green color morph.

General. General characteristics as in the description of the genus.

Stridulatory file. Stridulatory file 2.2 mm long, 0.12 mm wide, with 82 teeth ( Fig. 17J View FIGURE 17 ).

Abdomen. Male 10th tergite with two narrow posterior lobes separated by nearly rectangular incision wider than single lobe ( Fig. 17A View FIGURE 17 ); female 10th tergite with deep emargination reaching almost to base of tergite. Cercus short, strongly flattened dorso-ventrally, less than twice as long as wide, bent downwards when seen from side; with basal inner tooth distinctly narrowed towards its apex and with subapical tooth large, blunt, and distinctly separate from apex of cercus ( Figs. 17E, F View FIGURE 17 ). Phallus with well developed, strongly sclerotized, unpaired titillator; with small basal plate, evenly narrow stem, and small apical part as seen from above; apical third of titillator strongly flattened laterally ( Figs. 17G, H View FIGURE 17 ). Subgenital plate with posterior part strongly elongated, diverging into two narrow, incurved lobes and with narrow, spine-like process between them, about as long as third of lobe ( Fig. 17B View FIGURE 17 ); dorsal part of subgenital plate with two small, vertical protrusions at base of apical lobes ( Fig. 17I View FIGURE 17 ); styli minute and stub-like, about as long as wide. Female subgenital plate with posterior emargination wide and shallow, about as wide as posterior lateral lobes ( Fig. 16B View FIGURE 16 ).

Coloration. Coloration light green; head yellow to green, occiput dark, almost black; pronotum green with distinct dark dots in metazona; legs green except for yellow tarsi; ovipositor dark brown, apex almost black. ( Figs. 16 View FIGURE 16 C–E).

Bioacoustics. The call of O. incisus consists of short, 0.5– 0.9 s trains of syllables produced at the rate of 20–30 syllables/sec; (at 22°C); mean syllable duration is 0.01954 (SD=0.00200, n=84), with the frequency peak at 14.6–22.6 kHz ( Figs. 49 View FIGURE 49 A–C). The call, produced by the males only at night, is soft and barely audible to the human ear.

Distribution and natural history. O. incisus is likely restricted in its distribution to the mountainous area on the border of Zimbabwe and Mozambique, in their respective provinces of Manicaland and Manica, from Mt. Selinda and across Chimanimani Mountains. Like its congener, this species is found in humid, shaded habitats, usually on low vegetation, albeit individuals have been seen in large numbers on tree Aidia micrantha (K. Schum.) Bullock ex F. White several meters above the ground. Adults are likely present only during the wet season, beginning in late November. They have been observed feeding on the flowers of a perennial shrub Pseuderanthemum subviscosum (C.B. Clarke) Stapf , although it is likely that they also supplement their diet with insects. Females have been seen depositing eggs inside dried vine stems ( Fig. 4D View FIGURE 4 ). Adults have only been observed at the beginning of the rainy season in December.

Measurements (5 males, 6 females). body: male 22.4–24.4 (23.1.8), female 24–29 (26.91.8); pronotum: male 12.1–13.7 (12.9.7), female 12.3–13.3 (12.9.4); tegmen: male 3.9; hind femur: male 11.7–18.8 (16.62.8), female 18.4–19.7 (19.5); ovipositor: 9.1–11.4 (10.31) mm.

Material examined (17 specimens). Zimbabwe: Manicaland, Mount Selinda (-20.45, 32.7166667), 11.xii.1952, coll. G. v. Son— 1 female (holotype)( SANC) ; Mozambique: Manica, Sussundenga, Moribane Forest, swamp on Rio Tave , elev. 518 m (-19.74072, 33.32133), 2–8.xii.2018, coll. P. Naskrecki & M. Tomás— 9 females, 6 males, 1 nymph male ( EOWL) GoogleMaps .