Anarytropteris chirinda Rentz, 1988

Naskrecki, Piotr & Guta, Ricardo, 2019, Katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) of Gorongosa National Park and Central Mozambique, Zootaxa 4682 (1), pp. 1-119 : 48

Anarytropteris chirinda Rentz, 1988

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:4057

( Figs. 4F , 5E , 21 A–J, 48G–I)

Diagnostic remarks. A large, dark brown katydid, with brachypterous males and apterous females ( Figs. 21I, J ), identifiable by the combination of the pronotum with strongly pronounced lateral carinae forming an hourglass pattern (the posterior portion of the pronotum distinctly wider than in A. fallax ) ( Fig. 21F ), thick, hook-like cerci ( Fig. 21B ), and short but distinctly inflated tegmina (taller and more coriaceous than in A. fallax ) ( Figs. 21G, H ).

Bioacoustics. Males call at night from low trees and bushes, usually several meters above the ground. They are distinctly less prone to disturbance than calling males of A. fallax . The call consists of short echemes with syllables produced at the rate of 12 syllables/ (at 25°C); mean syllable duration is 0.006011 s (SD=0.0001853, n=89); the call is broad spectrum, with most energy between 8.2 and 28.1 kHz ( Figs. 48 G–I). The call, produced by males only at night, is quite loud and audible to the human ear from several meters.

Distribution and natural history. Originally known only from Mt. Chirinda in Zimbabwe ( Rentz 1988), this species has now been recorded also from Manica and Sofala provinces in Mozambique. Like A. fallax , it prefers humid understory of closed canopy forests, such as the Moribane Forest in Chimanimani Mountains and riverine forests along Rio Murombodzi on Mt. Gorongosa . This species is omnivorous, feeding both on insects and plant material. Females lay eggs in the soil, in open, sandy patches on the forest floor ( Fig. 4F ).

Measurements (2 males, 3 females). body: male 30–33 (31.52.1), female 30–45 (36.37.8); pronotum: male 14, female 12–14 (13.31.2); tegmen: male 6; hind femur: male 27–29 (281.4), female 27–34 (29.73.8); ovipositor: 20–26 (223.5) mm.

Material examined (19 specimens). 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— 1 female, 1 nymph female ( EOWL); Sofala, Gorongosa , GNP, Bela Vista ranger outpost, elev. 26 m (-18.69470, 34.20853), 5–12.v.2015, coll. P. Naskrecki— 2 females; GNP, Mt. Gorongosa , lower slopes, elev. 1105 m (-18.46556, 34.05202), 21– 22.vii.2015, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 female, 2 males; GNP, Murombodzi Waterfall, nr. Mt. Gorongosa , elev. 842 m (- 18.483361, 34.042944), 19.v.2013, coll. P. Naskrecki— 3 females; Gorongosa Dist., GNP, Mt. Gorongosa , southern slope, elev. 1236 m (-18.462417, 34.053139), 18–20.vi.2012, coll. P. Naskrecki (Mt2)— 1 female, 4 nymph females, 2 nymph males; GNP, Mt. Gorongosa , elev. 1649 m (-18.35597, 34.09622), 18.v.2012, coll. P. Naskrecki—1 nymph female ( MCZ); ZIMBABWE: Mt. Chirinda, 19.xi.1909 — 1 male (holotype) ( BMNH).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Egg laying behavior in Mozambican Tettigoniidae: A. Arantia tanzanica, female laying an egg; B. ditto, female covering an egg with masticated bark; C. ditto, an exposed and covered egg; D. Ovonotus incisus; E. Enyaliopsis iaculator; F. Anarytropteris chirinda.

FIGURE 5. Nymphal instars of Mozambican Tettigoniidae (not to scale): A. Ovonotus abreuae, 2nd instar; B. Enyaliopsis iaculator, 1st instar; C.Acauloplax exigua, penultimate instar; D. Cymatomera denticollis, 5th instar; E. Anarytropteris chirinda, 3rd instar; F. Pseudorhynchus pungens, 3rd instar; G. Plangia graminea, 2nd instar; H. Eurycorypha sp., 1st instar; I. Horatosphaga serrifera, penultimate instar; J. Peringueyella megacephala, 2nd instar.

FIGURE 21. Anarytropteris chirinda: A. stridulatory file; B. male cerci; C. titillator in the phallic membrane; D. titillator; E. female subgenital plate; F. male head and pronotum, dorsal view; G. male tegmen, lateral view; H. male left tegmen, dorsal view; I. male, lateral view; J. female, lateral view.

FIGURE 48. Oscillograms and power spectra of Mozambican Tettigoniidae: A–C. Ruspolia differens; D–F. R. ampla; G–I. Anarytropteris chirinda; J–L. A. fallax.