Arantia (Euarantia) tanzanica, Hemp & Massa, 2017

Hemp, Claudia & Massa, Bruno, 2017, Review of the African genera Arantia Stål and Goetia Karsch (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae), Zootaxa 4362 (4), pp. 451-498 : 472-474

Arantia (Euarantia) tanzanica n. sp. ( Figs. 20 , 58 , 85b )

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:500642

Material examined and depository. TANZANIA. Tabora, Puge Simbo Forest Reserve, submontane forest, February 2016 (♂ holotype) ( MfN) . Central Tanzania , East Chenene Forest Reserve, 80 km north of Dodoma, Miombo woodlands, March 2015 (♂ paratype) (CHB).

Measurements. Male (N=2). Body length: 28.1–32.0; pronotum length: 7.2–7.3; pronotum height: 7.2–7.3; hind femur: 28.2; hind tibia: 28.4–31.2; tegmina length: 53.5–53.6; tegmina width: 13.5–13.6; length/tegmina width: 4.0; width tegmina/length pronotum: 1.9.

Diagnosis. A. tanzanica n. sp. is larger than A. rectifolia , has broader wings, and a different stridulatory area on the left tegmen (compare Figs 19 and 20 ). The stridulatory file is much longer in A. tanzanica n. sp. consisting of 90–110 teeth, being large in the middle and more widely spaced and smaller and more densely set at both sides while A. rectifolia has a comparatively short stridulatory file with more regular densely set 80 –85 small teeth (compare Figs 57 and 58 ). The fastigium verticis also differs between both species: A. rectifolia has a fastigium that is narrow triangular with a deep sulcus while in A. tanzanica n. sp. the fastigium verticis has posteriorly a broad base then narrowing suddenly midway and is more shallowly sulcate. Also the spination of the legs is different between both species. Otherwise both species are morphologically very similar.

Description. Male. General habitus and colour pattern. Large to medium sized species with broad wings, predominantly green with pair of dark patches lateral on posterior part of pronotum. Head and antennae. Eyes oval-roundish, dark. Antennae long and thin, tawny. Fastigium of vertex forming a ridge with a broad base suddenly narrowing anteriorly; sulcate; fastigium of frons conical; both fastigia separated by deep gap. Thorax and legs. Fore coxa without spine. Tympana of fore tibiae open on inner side, conchate on outer side, whole area slightly inflated. Fore femora on inner side with two ventral black spines, mid femora unarmed, hind femora with 4 inner and 8 outer black-tipped spines. Fore tibiae with 1 dorsal spine on apical part of inflated part anterior of tympana and 2 spinules more proximally. 2 pair of spurs; ventrally with double row of irregular set of 1–4 blacktipped spines. Mid tibiae with ventral row of 7–8 irregular set pairs of spines and 2 pairs of spurs. Hind tibiae tetragonal with 4 rows of numerous and irregularly set spines; dorsal 1 pair of spurs, ventral 2 pairs. Anterior margin of pronotum broadly rounded. Disc of pronotum slightly depressed on posterior part. Posterior margin of pronotum slightly incurved. Tegmina broad with evenly rounded posterior margin. At costal area pattern of ivorycoloured net of veins on dark ground. Stridulatory file on underside of left tegmen long, sinuous ( Fig. 58 ); teeth in the middle larger and more widely spaced than at both ends. Abdomen. Cerci long and slender with club, sinuous at apical part and decussate. Club hairy with inner part black. Subgenital plate longer than wide and tiny dot-like styli.

Female. Similar to male but a bit larger. Only obtained specimen could not be preserved.

Etymology. After the country of Tanzania.

Habitat and song. Canopy dweller of Miombo woodlands in Tanzania. Its song is similar to A. fasciata , consisting of single chirps produced during night hours from the forest canopy.

Distribution. At present only known from the East Chenene Forest (80 km north of Dodoma) and Puge Simbo Forest (Tabora) Reserves of Central Tanzania. Probably more widespread in suitable habitats (Miombo woodlands).

Figures

FIGURES 19–20. Dorsal view of stridulatory area of Arantia (Euarantia) rectifolia (19) and A. (Euarantia) tanzanica n. sp. (holotype) (20).

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).