Griffiniana duplessisae, Naskrecki, Piotr & Bazelet, Corinna S., 2012

Naskrecki, Piotr & Bazelet, Corinna S., 2012, A revision of the southern African katydid genus Griffiniana Karny (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Mecopodinae), Zootaxa 3218, pp. 47-58 : 56-57

Griffiniana duplessisae n. sp.

( Figs. 1 C; 2E–L; 3A, I, L; 4C, D)

Type locality. REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape, Cederberg Wilderness Area, nr. Wolfberg Arch (32°27'56.8''S, 19°16'20.7''E) 17.iii.2008, coll. P. Naskrecki & P. Grant—male holotype ( SAMC)

Diagnostic description (male, except where specified). General characteristics as for the genus, diagnostic characters listed below. This species can be distinguished from its congeners by the development of the tegmina, which in both sexes are reduced, about twice as long as pronotum; the non-stridulatory area of the tegmen is about 2/3 as long as the mirror (Fig E.) The call of the male consists of a series of long echemes lasting about 3.8 s each, separated by gaps slightly shorter than the echemes ( Figs. 4 C, D.)

Legs. Front femur armed with 4–6 spines on anterior and 0–1 spines on posterior ventral margin; front tibia with anterior dorsal margin with 4–6, posterior one with 8–9 minute spines. Mid femur unarmed on posterior and 6–7 spines on anterior ventral margin; mid tibia not noticeably thickened in basal part, with 17 small spines on anterior dorsal and 11 on posterior dorsal margin. Hind femur armed with 6–8 spines on anterior and 4 spines on posterior ventral margin ( Fig. 2 L.)

Wings. Tegmen reduced, 2.2–3.2 times as long as pronotum ( Fig. 3 ); non-stridulatory area of tegmen nearly twice as long as mirror; tegmen distinctly narrowed towards apex; anterior margin rounded. Costal field relatively wide, gradually narrowing towards apex; vein Rs in apical third, without branches; veins Sc and R close together, parallel along their entire length, joint in apical half; mirror large, shape as in Fig. 2 E. Stridulatory file flat, straight, with 84–91 teeth (including minute teeth of anterior end of file), 1.2–1.4 mm long, 0.11 mm wide; hind wing slightly shorter than tegmen ( Fig. 2 F.)

Abdomen. Cercus cylindrical, straight, narrowing towards apex; with small, subapical, inner tooth; paraprocts weakly sclerotized, with small but distinct apical hook; styli cylindrical, about 3 times as long as wide ( Fig. 3 K.) Female subgenital plate broadly trapezoidal, with very shallow apical incision, posterior lobes rounded ( Fig. 3 I.)

Bioacoustics. Males of G. duplessisae call from terminal branches of small bushes, usually sitting no higher than 20–30 cm above the ground. The call consists of long, repeating echemes ( Figs. 4 C, D) lasting 2.6– 5.6 s (3.77± 1.11 s, n=13 at 22°C), separated by silence slightly shorter than the echemes (2.04– 2.58 s.) Each echeme consists of 24–46 syllables (34.1± 7.48, n=14.) The absolute range of frequencies of the call was not measured due to the limitation of the equipment, but an ultrasonic detector registered acoustic signal up to approximately 50 kHz.

Measurements (6 males, 4 females). Body: male 12–15 (13.8±1), female 25.5–29 (27.1±1.4); pronotum: male 2.5–3 (2.7±.3), female 2.5–3.5 (3±.4); tegmen: male 5.5–8 (6.8±.8), female 6–10 (8.1±1.8); hind femur: male 15–18 (16.2±1.2), female 19–19.5 (19.1±.3); ovipositor: 11–13 (11.9±1) mm.

Material examined (23 specimens). Republic of South Africa: Western Cape, Cederberg distr., Algeria, Cederberg Wilderness Area, elev. 670–690 m (32°23'S, 19°5'E), 2006–2007, coll. M.K. du Plessis— 2 females (paratypes), 3 nymph females ( MCZ, SAMC, TMSA); same locality, 6.xii.2005, coll. M.K. du Plessis—1 nymph female ( MCZ); same locality, 9.i.2006, coll. M.K. du Plessis— 1 male (paratype) ( MCZ); Cederberg Wilderness Area, nr. Wolfberg Arch, elev. 1486 m (32°27'56.8''S, 19°16'20.7''E), 17.iii.2008, coll. P. Naskrecki & P. Grant— 1 male (holotype) ( SAMC); Jamaka (Farm Grootkloof), elev. 340 m (32°20'11.8''S, 19°1'14.7''E), 4.v.2006, coll. L. Spearman & J. LaPolla— 1 male (paratype) ( ANSP); same locality, 16–19.iii.2008, coll. P. Naskrecki & P. Grant— 1 female, 4 males (paratypes) ( ANSP, MCZ); Matjiesrivier Nat. Res., nr. Stadsaal caves, (32°31'11.1''S, 19°18'56.5''E), 4.i.2011, coll. P. Naskrecki & C. Bazelet— 2 males (paratypes) ( MCZ, TMSA); Clanwilliam distr., Matjiesrivier Nat. Res., (32.50016°'S, 19.33938°'E), i.2009, coll. M.K. du Plessis— 1 female, 1 male (paratypes), 1 nymph male ( MCZ, SAMC); same locality, xii.2008, coll. M.K. du Plessis—2 nymph females ( MCZ); same locality, xi.2008, coll. M.K. du Plessis—1 nymph female ( MCZ).

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Rika du Plessis, Cape Nature, for her help in our research on the Orthoptera of the Western Cape.

Remarks. G. duplessisae is currently known only from a relatively small area of the Cederberg mountains within the Northwest Fynbos Bioregion (Fynbos Biome.) There it is associated with Olifant Sandstone and Cederberg Sandstone Fynbos vegetation ( Fig. 5 A) ( Mucina and Rutherford 2006.)

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of South African species of Griffiniana: A. G. c a p e n s i s, male; B. G. longipes, male; C. G. duplessisae, female.

FIGURE 2. Diagnostic characters of Griffiniana spp.: A. G. longipes, male right tegmen; B. ditto, stridulatory file; C. G. c a p e n - sis, male right tegmen; D. ditto, stridulatory file; E – L, G. duplessisae: E. male right tegmen; F. stridulatory file; G. male head an pronotum, dorsal view; H. male face; I. male head and pronotum, lateral view; J. ovipositor; K. egg; L. male hind femur.

FIGURE 3. Diagnostic characters of Aprosphylini: A. G. duplessisae, female, dorsal view; B. G. c a p e n s i s, ditto; C. G. p e d e s - tris, female head and pronotum, lateral view; D. ditto, dorsal view; E. ditto, fastigium of vertex; F. Aprosphylus olszanowskii, fastigium of vertex; G. G. pedestris, female subgenital plate; H. G. longipes, ditto; I. G. duplessisae, ditto; J. G. c a p e n s i s, ditto; K. G. longipes, male cerci and subgenital plate; L. G. duplessisae, ditto; M. G. capensis, ditto.

FIGURE 4. Oscillograms of male calls of Griffiniana spp.: A. G. c a p e n s i s, 5 s fragment; B. ditto, 0.5 s fragment; C. G. duplessisae, 5 s fragment; D. ditto, 0.5 s fragment; E. G. longipes, 5 s fragment; F. ditto, 0.5 s fragment.

FIGURE 5. Habitats and distribution of Griffiniana spp.: A. Cederberg Sandstone Fynbos in Matjiesrivier N. R., habitat of G. duplessisae; B. Tanqua Escarpment Shrubland in Tankwa Karoo N. P., habitat of G. c a p e n s i s; C. Noms Mountain Desert in Richtersveld N. P., habitat of G. longipes; D. distribution map of Griffiniana spp.