Arantia (Euarantia) regina Karsch, 1889

Hemp, Claudia & Massa, Bruno, 2017, Review of the African genera Arantia Stål and Goetia Karsch (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae), Zootaxa 4362 (4), pp. 451-498 : 474-475

Arantia (Euarantia) regina Karsch, 1889 ( Figs. 23, 24 , 59 , 86, 87 )

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:464837

Karsch (1889). Berlin Ent. Z., 32: 433, 434.

Type locality: GABON. Sibange Farm. Depository: MfN, Berlin. Kind of type: holotype female. Syn. Arantia (Euarantia) gabunensis Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1891

Brunner von Wattenwyl (1891). Verh. der Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellsch. Wien, 41: 64. Type locality: GABON. Depository: NMW, Vienna. Kind of type: holotype female.

Material examined. GABON. Sibange Farm 15.IX–20.X.1884, D.R. Büttner (♀ holotype of A. regina ) . ♀, holotype of A 3. gabunensis (coll. Brunner, NMW). Boué V.2001, P. Moretto (1♂). N’Toum 28.XI.1984 , 7.VI.1985, A. Pauly (light) (2♀) ( RBINS). CAMEROON . Lolodorf, L. Conradt (♂) ( A. regina ) ( MfN). (1♂, 1♀) ( MNCN). Barombi Station , Preuss (1♀) ( MfN). EQUATORIAL GUINEA . Fernando Póo (Bioko) (1♂, 1♀) ( MNCN). Mukonje Farm, R. Rohde (1♀) ( RBINS) . TOGO. Misahöhe X.1894, Baumann (1♂). BURKINA FASO . Folonzo XII.2012, G. Boano & M. Pavia (2♀). IVORY COAST . Man, Mt. Tonkoui (1200m) 1–4.VII.2014 (light trap), P. Moretto (1♂) ; same locality 24–27.XI.2014 (light trap), P. Moretto (2♂) ; same locality 18–20.VI.2015 (light trap), P. Moretto (4♂, 3♀) ; same locality 4.VI.2016 (light trap), P. Moretto (1♂, 1♀). Khorogo, Koko (347m) 21.VII.2013 (light trap), P. Moretto (4♂). Comoe, Zamou 30.IV.2016 (light trap), P. Moretto (1♀). Taï Nat. Park, Res. Station 13–22.III.2017 (light trap), B. Massa (5♂, 1♀). Taï National Park, Res. Station 16 . III.2 0 17, platform 40m (light trap), B. Massa (1♂). Taï Nat. Park, Res. Station VII–X.2016 (light trap), P. Moretto (7♂). Taï Nat. Park, Res. Station 4.IV.2017 (light trap), P. Moretto (6♂, 3♀); CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC . Dzanga-Ndoki National Park, 11–12.II.2012, 13–14.II.2012, 20–23.II.2012, 24–25.II.2012; border of Lac 1, 13–14.II.2012. Lac 3, 18–19.II.2012; Lac 2, 15–16.II.2012, platform on the canopy 10–11.II.2012. Mboki 14.I.2012 (light trap), P. Moretto (9♂, 4♀) ( BMCP). DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC CONGO . Hombo 22.XII.1970 (2♂), 31.XII.1970 (1♂). Motel de Bahraka 20.X.63, T. De Stefani (1♀) (MRT).

Measurements. Males. Body length: 29.9±2.8; pronotum length: 7.0±0.6; pronotum height: 7.5±0.8; hind femur: 27.3±2.4; hind tibiae: 30.9±3.1; tegmina: 49.5±4.1. Females. Body length: 32.2±1.0; pronotum length: 7.0±0.2; pronotum height: 7.4±0.2; hind femur: 27.9±0.8; hind tibiae: 32.6±1.0; tegmina: 49.4±1.6; ovipositor: 5.2±0.5; tegmina width: 15–19.6; tegmina width/pronotum length: 2.0–2.8.

Characters. A. regina (♀ 39 mm) ( Fig. 23 ) was described on the female only ( Karsch 1889). Giglio Tos (1907) recorded another female of this species from Boko (Democratic Republic Congo). It was described as having broad tegmina with a conspicuous blackish area at the anterior margin of the costal area of the tegmina. In addition the tegmina have 5 small yellowish spots near the base. The veinlets of the tegmina form a clear network of brown veins on green ground. Fore femora have 4 inner ventral spines, mid femora 0–1 outer ventral spine and hind femora 9 outer and 8 inner ventral spines. Male cerci are sinuous and end with an apical sclerotized bulge. Styli are absent. Brunner von Wattenwyl (1891) stated that A. regina agrees fully in habitus and dimensions with A. gabunensis but the latter differs from A. regina in having spines on the fore femora and lacking ivory spots at the anterior margin of the tegmina (however, the holotype has ivory spots on tegmina!). One male, identified as A. regina by Karsch (MfN) lies well within the variability of A. gabunensis , where styli are very small and sometimes invisible. Even though more material should be examined, A. gabunensis is here considered synonymous with A. regina .

Remarks. Brunner von Wattenwyl (1891) described only the female of A. gabunensis ( Fig. 24 ). It is also a species of medium-large size [body length ♀ 34 mm; one ♀ of 44 mm, doubtfully identified, has been cited by Karsch (1891) from Barombi Station, Cameroon]. The anterior margin of the pronotum is straight and two dark spots are present on the lateral keels of the pronotum; a black spot may be present at the base of the tegmina, and some yellow spots are present on anterior margin of the tegmina basally. Radius veinlets are straight. The stridulatory file is short and straight and consists of ca. 40 teeth ( Fig. 59 ). Fore femora are armed with 2 small spines, mid femora unarmed, hind femora have 5 inner black spines ventrally (cf. also Brunner von Wattenwyl 1878). Cerci are sinuous and apically enlarged ( Figs 86, 87 ). Styli are absent.

This taxon is by far one of the most widespread Arantia species in central-western Africa and shows a high variability of characters (in size, spination of legs, etc).

Distribution. Probably widely distributed throughout West and Central Africa (records from Gabon, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic Congo, Togo, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast).

Figures

FIGURES 21–25. Habitus of Arantia (Euarantia) rectifolia (holotype) (21), A. (Euarantia) accrana (= A. rectifolia) (22), A. (Euarantia)regina (23), A. (Euarantia) gabunensis (holotype) (= A. regina) (24), and A. (Euarantia) incerata (holotype) (25).

FIGURES51–62.Stridulatory files of Arantia brevipes (51), Arantia ivoriana n. sp. (52), Arantia simplicinervis (53), Arantia quinquemaculata n. sp. (54), Arantia fasciata from Mt. Kilimanjaro (55), Arantia fasciata from South Africa (56), Arantia rectifolia (57), Arantia tanzanica n. sp. (58), Arantia regina (59), Arantia marmorata (60), Arantia congensis (61) and Arantia melanota (62).

FIGURES 85–95. Cerci of Arantia fasciata from South Africa (85a) and Tanzania (85b), Arantia regina (86, 87), Arantia rectifolia (dorsal and lateral view) (88a, 88b), Arantia incerata (lateral and dorsal view) (89a, 89b), Arantia latifolia (90), Arantia marmorata (91), Arantia congensis (92), Arantia melanota (93a, 93b), Arantia mauritiana (94) and Arantia retinervis (95a, 95b).