Austrodontura capensis ( Walker, 1869 )

Naskrecki, Piotr & Bazelet, Corinna S., 2011, A revision of the South African katydid genus Austrodontura Fontana & Buzzetti (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae), Zootaxa 2873, pp. 51-59 : 54-56

Austrodontura capensis ( Walker, 1869)

( Figs. 1 A–K)

Walker 1869: 242 >> Odontura capensis

Ragge 1980: 104 >> Odontura capensis

Fontana and Buzzetti 2004: 452 >> Austrodontura capensis Fontana and Buzzetti 2004: 452 >> Austrodontura raggei syn. n.

Type locality. Republic of South Africa [“S. Africa”] – female holotype ( BMNH)

Diagnostic description (male, except where specified). General characteristics as for the genus, diagnostic characters listed below. This species can be distinguished from its congener by the development of the tegmina, which in both sexes are distinctly longer than wide and at least as long as the pronotum ( Figs. 1 B, D); the presence of at least 7 small stridulatory files on the female right tegmen ( Fig. 1 J), and the spacing of stridulatory teeth in the male, which are more densely spaced in the proximal (closer to the posterior margin of the tegmen) end ( Fig. 1 K).

Thorax. Lateral carinae of pronotum rounded but well-defined, distinctly bent inwards around median sulcus when seen from above ( Fig. 1 B); ratio of pronotum length to its minimum width (as measured between lateral carinae) at least 1.7 in male and 1.8 in female ( Fig. 1 D). Lateral lobe about 2 times as long as high, its posterior edge broadly rounded to nearly straight.

Legs. Front tibia with dorsal anterior dorsal margin with 3–4, posterior one with 6–7 minute spines; both ventral margins armed with 4 minute spines. Genicular lobes of mid femur often armed with minute spine on anterior lobe but sometimes unarmed. Apex of hind tibia with 1 pair of dorsal and 2 pairs of ventral spurs.

Wings. Tegmen slightly longer than pronotum, oval and distinctly narrowing towards apex ( Fig. 1 H); stridulatory file weakly bent, 1.55–1.7 mm long, 0.07–0.08 mm wide, with 83–95 teeth; teeth on proximal end of file more densely spaced than on distal end ( Fig. 1 K). Female tegmen longer than wide, surpassing posterior margin of 1st abdominal tergite, oval, apex rounded ( Fig. 1 I); posterior margin of tegmen with 7–9 short stridulatory files nearly perpendicular to M; each file with 8–12 small, peg-like teeth ( Fig. 1 J).

Abdomen. Subgenital plate with narrowly triangular incision as deep as at least 1/3 of plate ( Fig. 1 E); female subgenital plate widely triangular ( Fig. 1 F).

Coloration. Coloration straw green ( Figs. 1 A, C), antennae brown, concolorous; antennal scapus without markings; face pale green or with two pale, vertical stripes. Pronotum green with narrow, yellow-brown stripes marked with 3–5 black, elongate spots along lateral carinae; lower margin of lateral lobe often white; tegmen with distinct dark brown patches, with costal area green, lighter than rest of wing. Legs green; hind femur green, upper half sometimes light yellow-brown; abdominal sterna yellow-green, without dark markings; abdominal terga green with minute dark dots, often abdomen with two white or yellow longitudnal stripes on each side; subgenital plate without markings; ovipositor green.

Measurements (8 males, 7 females). Body: male 13.2–15.5 (14.3±.8), female 15.5–21 (17.6±2.1); pronotum: male 3.6–4 (3.9±.1), female 3.9–4.2 (4±.1); tegmen: male 3.8–4.5 (4.1±.3), female 3–4 (3.7±.4); hind femur: male 15.1–18 (16.6±1.2), female 16.6–19 (17.6±.8); ovipositor: 4–5 (4.5±.4) mm.

Material examined (32 specimens). Republic of South Africa: “S. Africa”— 1 female (holotype) ( BMNH); Eastern Cape, Amatola Distr., ~ 64km ENE of Grahamstown, ~ 5km W of Peddi, elev. 270 m (33°14.477'S, 27°6.359'E), 21.xii.2009, coll. K. Hill, D. Marshall & M. Villet— 1 female, 2 males ( MCZ); same locality, 15.i.2011, coll. P. Naskrecki & C. Bazelet — 7 females, 5 males ( ANSP, MCZ, SAMC, TMSA); Fort Fordyce Nature Reserve, main road, elev. 787 m (32°41'17.7''S, 26°31'6.8''E), 21.i.2011, coll. P. Naskrecki & C. Bazelet—5 nymphs, 2 females, 4 males, 4 nymphs ( ANSP, MCZ, SAMC); same locality, 21.i.2011, coll. P. Naskrecki & C. Bazelet— 1 male ( ANSP); Gardiner’s Drift, Adelaide, (32°42'S, 26°18'0''E), iii.1954, coll. SAMC staff— 1 male ( SAMC); Goshen nr. Cathcart, (32°15'S, 27°7'0''E), iii.1954— 2 females, 2 males ( SAMC).

Remarks. Fontana and Buzzetti (2004) described A. raggei based on a single male specimen collected in the “Bizana Province”, which showed some differences in the shape of the lateral lobe of the pronotum from the female holotype of A. capensis . However, having examined over 30 specimens from 5 locations in the Eastern Cape it appears that the perceived differences fit well within intraspecific variation observed in the populations of this species. The differences in the width of the fastigium of frons illustrated by Fontana and Buzzetti also fall within the variation observed in a single population of this species. Therefore we feel that A. raggei should be considered a junior synonym of A. capensis .

A. capensis can be found on low vegetation, such as clumps of grass or short bushes, along roads or edges of thickets. In Fort Fordyce Nature Reserve this species could be found primarily on the side of the road that received more shadow during the day from the surrounding mountains and on low, herbaceous vegetation around water seeps on the mountain slopes. We were unable to record the stridulation of this species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Diagnostic characters of Austrodontura capensis (Walker): A. male; B. male pronotum and tegmina, dorsal view; C. female; D. female pronotum and tegmina, dorsal view; E. male cerci and subgenital plate; F female subgenital plate; G. ovipositor; H. male right tegmen; I. female, ditto; J. female stridulatory files; K. male stridulatory file.