Eurycorypha ligata Hemp, 2017

Hemp, Claudia, 2017, New Eurycorypha species (Orthoptera: Tettigonoidea: Phaneropteridae; Phaneropterinae from East Africa, Zootaxa 4358 (3), pp. 471-493 : 484

Eurycorypha ligata Hemp, 2017

( Fig. 16–17 )

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:493549

This species was described on a male from Kazimzumbwi Forest Reserve and a couple of museum individuals in the British Museum London from Dar es Salaam. More individuals of this species now became available from the Uluguru Mountains of Tanzania. In difference to the male of E. ligata from the coast being contrastingly coloured with light to yellowish green veins on dark green ground the Uluguru individuals were of more uniform green colour with the joints of the legs pinkish ( Fig. 16 ).

Description of the female. Similar to male in body shape and size but slightly larger and more roundish ( Fig. 16 B ). The ovipositor is not as strongly up-curved as in many other Eurycorypha species and appears more slender ( Fig. 17 A ). The subgenital plate is flap-like, rounded at its posterior margin. Medially a deep groove is present and laterally at the base of the ovipositor triangular flaps are conspicuous ( Fig. 17 B ).

Diagnosis. Females can be distinguished by their subgenital plates having a deep groove medially and a rounded posterior margin. Species in which the females subgenital plate also have a median groove in East Africa all have indentated posterior margins, e.g. E. resonans , E. meruensis or E. pseudomeruensis n. sp. Morphological very similar to female E. ligata is the female of the recently described E. kenyensis having a flap-like subgenital plate with a round posterior margin (compare Massa 2016 Fig. 9B ) with a median groove and additionally triangular processes basally at the ovipositor. Females thus can only be assigned to species level either by locality ( E. kenyensis is only known from Tharaka Matiri in Kenya, while E. ligata is a coastal species in Tanzania and also known from the Uluguru Mountains) or in association with males that are morphologically very different in both species.

Figures

FIGURE 16. Male (A) and female (B)E. ligata, population from the Uluguru Mountains with pinkish joints.

FIGURE 17. Morphological details of female E.ligata A. Lateral view on ovipositor B. Subgenital plate.

FIGURE9. Morphologicaldetails of male E.divertata n. sp. Lateral(A)and dorsal(C) view on abdominal apex B. Subgenital plate D. Stridulatory file.