Amytta savannae, Hemp, Claudia & Heller, Klaus-Gerhard, 2017

Hemp, Claudia & Heller, Klaus-Gerhard, 2017, Revision of the genus Amytta (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae, Meconematinae) and new species from East Africa, Zootaxa 4263 (2), pp. 295-317 : 310-311

Amytta savannae n. sp. Hemp

( Figs. 11 A, 12)

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:496658

Holotype male, Tanzania, Mt Kilimanjaro, southern slopes, Rau Forest near Moshi , lowland forest, 800 m, July 2015. Depository MfN.

Paratype female, Tanzania, Mt Kilimanjaro, Mabungu Hill , savanna woodland, 910 m, July 2014. Depository MfN.

Further paratype material: 1 male, Tanzania, Mt Kilimanjaro, Uchira , savanna woodland, 870 m, July 2015. Collection C. Hemp.

Description. Male. General body shape and colour: Reduced tegmina and wings ( Fig. 12 A), uniformly light yellowish-green. Behind eyes two lateral yellow lines continuing to pronotum. Eyes brown to reddish-brown. Head and antennae: Fastigium of vertex smooth, about as long as half the length of scapus; with blunt apex. Antennae thin, whitish. Eyes circular, prominent. Cuticle of pronotum shiny. Elytra reduced to broad lobes. Stridulatory area hidden under pronotum. Alae tiny, narrow lobes. Thorax and legs: All femora unarmed. Fore and mid tibiae with open tympanum, with 4–5 outer and inner spines, apical with a minute pair of spurs. Abdomen: Last abdominal tergite with median process ( Fig. 12 B). Cerci thick with dorsal flange, ending in two laterally flattenend lobes ( Fig. 12 B, C). Subgenital plate longish, as in Fig. 12 C. Titillator stout with central thin thorn-like hook.

Female. General body shape, size and colour as male with longer tegmina covering abdomen by about 2/3 of its length. Ovipositor slender and smooth, almost straight ( Fig. 12 D). Supra-anal plate divided into two parts ( Fig. 11 A). Subgenital plate shield-like broad.

Measurements

males (n = 2)

Body length 13–14 Median length of pronotum 5.2–5.4 Length of hind femur 8.6

Length of elytra 2.0–2.8

females (n = 1)

Body length 12.5

Median length of pronotum 4.1

Length of hind femur 9.1

Length of elytra 5.6

Length of ovipositor 9.0

Habitat. Woodland savanna and lowland forest, 800– 910 m.

Distribution. Tanzania, Mt Kilimanjaro.

Diagnosis. Males have shortened tegmina and a short process at the posterior margin of the 10th abdominal tergite. The only other Amytta species with shortened tegmina and a process on the last abdominal tergite is A. kilomeni n. sp. The 10th abdominal tergite of A. kilomeni n. sp. is longer and more strongly down-curved. A. savannae n. sp. is found in the tree layer of lowland forest and savanna woodlands while A. kilomeni n. sp. occurs in the herb layer of the submontane to montane zone in the North Pare Mountains.

The female of A. savannae n. sp. is distinguished from other species with shortened tegmina by the supra-anal plate which is split into two lobe-like parts. In A. judithae n. sp. the tegmina and wings are longer than body length and the supra-anal plate not split into two parts although it has a deep median depression and the lateral parts are strongly tube-like bulged giving the impression that also here two parts are formed.

Etymology. Named after its habitat, genitive form of savanna.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Abdominal apices of female Amytta species. Arrows point at supra-anal plate. A. A. mramba n. sp. with bi-lobed supra-anal plate B. A. judithae n. sp. with deep median groove on supra-anal plate.

FIGURE 12. Morphological details of Amytta savannae n. sp. A. Head, pronotum and shortened tegmina of male B. Abdominal apex of male, dorsal view C. Ventral view with subgenital plate D. Female ovipositor.