Morgenia spathulifera Griffini, 1908

Massa, Bruno, Heller, Klaus-Gerhard, Warchalowska-Śliwa, Elzbieta & Moulin, Nicolas, 2018, The tropical African genus Morgenia (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae, Phaneropterinae) with emphasis on the spur at the mid tibia, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 65 (2), pp. 161-175 : 163

Morgenia spathulifera Griffini, 1908 Figs 5 , 11 , 23 , 32 , 43 , 44

Morgenia spathulifera Griffini, 1908. Mem. Soc. entom. Belgique, Bruxelles 15: 209.

Morgenia spathulifera Type locality: Bussanga (Democratic Republic of Congo) ( RBINS, Bruxelles).

Material examined.

Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bussanga 14.XI.1905 (1♂ syntype); Ngowa 9.I.1939 (1♂), J. Mertens ; Cameroon, Mukonje Farm, R. Rohde (1♀ syntype); Mt Koupe 31.I-8.II.1983 (1♂), J. van Stalle ( RBINS) ; Ivory Coast, Tai Nat. Park , Res. Station 13.III.2017 (1♂) (light), B. Massa; Taï Nat. Park, Res. Station 22.III-4.IV.2017 (2♂) (light), P. Moretto (BMPC) .

Distribution.

M. spathulifera is presently known from Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ivory Coast ( Griffini 1908, Massa 2017). We presume that it covers central and western tropical forests of Africa.

Remarks.

M. spathulifera may be easily separated from other known species by the ratio length/width of the tegmina (6.4-6.8). It is also characterised by the presence of small grey dots on the tegmina and costal area of the tegmina with a net of small cells (Figs 5 , 11 ). The stridulatory area of the left tegmen is protruding below its posterior margin and it is composed of the stridulatory file and has a raised parallel posterior bulge (Fig. 11 ). The mirror of the right tegmen is smaller than in M. hamuligera (Fig. 11 ). The stridulatory file is 1.2 mm long, arched and composed of ca. 60 densely spaced teeth (Fig. 23 ). The inner ventral spur of mid tibiae is more apical, short, up- and incurved and does not exceed the base of the first tarsal article; its length is about 2.5-3.0% the length of tibia. On the outer ventral margin of the mid tibiae, three close short spines are present (Fig. 32 ).

Figures

Figures 5 - 8. Habitus of the male of Morgenia spathulifera (5), M. angustipinnata sp. n. (6), M. melica (7) and M. modulata (8) (left side).

Figures 9 - 14. Stridulatory area of left tegmen and mirror of right tegmen of the male of Morgenia hamuligera (9), M. rubricornis (10), M. spathulifera (11), M. lehmannorum sp. n. (12); habitus of M. hamuligera after Brunner von Wattenwyl (1878) (13) and of M. rubricornis after Sjoestedt (1913) (14). Arrow shows the particular net of small cells in the costal area of tegmina of M. spathulifera, present also in M. lehmannorum sp. n.

Figures 23 - 26. Stridulatory file of the left tegmen in the male of Morgenia spathulifera (23), M. angustipinnata sp. n. (24), M. melica (25) and M. modulata (26).

Figures 27 - 34. Mid tibia showing the inner spur in the male of Morgenia hamuligera (27), M. rubricornis (28), M. plurimaculata sp. n. (29), M. lehmannorum sp. n. (30), M. angustipinnata sp. n. (31), M. spathulifera (32), M. melica (33) and M. modulata (34).

Figures 39 - 44. Cerci and subgenital plate of male of Morgenia lehmannorum sp. n. (39 lateral, 40 ventral), M. plurimaculata sp. n. (41 lateral, 42 ventral) and M. spathulifera (43 lateral, 44 ventral).