Phlesirtes melanocercus Hemp

Hemp, Claudia & Heller, Klaus-Gerhard, 2017, The genus Phlesirtes Bolivar, 1922 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae, Conocephalini; Karniellina), a review of the genus with data on its bioacoustics and the description of new species, Zootaxa 4244 (4), pp. 451-477 : 469-470

Phlesirtes melanocercus Hemp n. sp.

( Fig. 5 I; Fig. 13 A, B; Fig. 16 )

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:496073

Holotype male. Uganda, northern side Mt Elgon , clearing in forest plantation, 2100 m, November 2011 ; acoustics CH 7493. Depository MfN.

Paratypes. 1 female, same data as holotype. Depository MfN.

Additional paratype material. 2 males, 2 female nymphs, same data as holotype. Collection C. Hemp.

Description. Male. Mix of green, brown and black. Conspicuous is the deep black abdomen in males. Also fastigium verticis black and not brown as in most other Phlesirtes species. Abdomen. Space formed between processes of last abdominal tergite almost rectangular or square, processes bent down-wards ( Fig. 13 A). Inner branches of cerci stout, slightly inflated midway ( Fig. 13 B). Cerci completely black.

Female. Predominantly of brown-black colour with little green on the pronotal lobes. Ovipositor typical for genus. Subgenital plate as in Fig. 5 I.

Diagnosis. Comparatively large species. The deep black abdomen including the cerci reminds of species of the genus Melanoscirtes . Only in P. ngorongorensis n. sp. also males with a black abdomen and black fastigium verticis occur (although most individuals are of rather dark brown colour than deeply black as found in P. melanocercus n. sp.). The space formed between the processes of the 10th abdominal tergite are rhombic in P. ngorongoroensis n. sp. but rectangular to almost square in P. melanocercus n. sp.

Measurements male (mm) (N=3). Length of body 9.0–10.0, length of pronotum 4.3–4.7, length of anterior femur 2.5–2.6, length of posterior femur 8.8–9.6, visible part of elytra from above 0.2–1.5.

Measurements female (mm) (N=1). Length of body 13.5, length of pronotum 3.7, length of anterior femur 3.0, length of posterior femur 12.0, ovipositor 14.

Habitat and distribution. Uganda, N Elgon. Montane grasslands and grassy forest clearings, 2100 m.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Subgenital plates of female Phlesirtes species A – N and O. Lateral view on ovipositor of P. gladiolus n. sp. A. P. chyuluensis n. sp. B. P. elgonensis n. sp. C. P. gladiolus n. sp. D. P. hanangensis n. sp. E. P. keniensis n. sp. F. P. kinangopa n. sp. G. P. laikipiaensis n. sp. H. P. limuru n. sp. I. P. melanocercus n. sp. J. P. merumontanus, northern Kilimanjaro K. P. ngongensis n. sp. L. P. ngorongoroensis n. sp. M. P. nou n. sp. N. P. timboroa n. sp.

FIGURE 13. Detail images of last abdominal tergites and cerci of male Phlesirtes species. A, B. P. melanocercus n. sp. C, D. P. merumontanus, Monduli Range E, F. P. ngongensis n. sp. G, H. P. ngorongoroensis n. sp. I, J. P. nou n. sp. K, L. P. timboroa n. sp.

FIGURE 16. Distribution of Phlesirtes species in East Africa with major mountains and mountain ranges indicated.