Eurycorypha flexata, Hemp, 2017

Hemp, Claudia, 2017, New Eurycorypha species (Orthoptera: Tettigonoidea: Phaneropteridae; Phaneropterinae from East Africa, Zootaxa 4358 (3), pp. 471-493 : 482-483

Eurycorypha flexata n. sp.

( Figs. 13–15 )

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:500280

Holotype male. Tanzania, East Usambara Mountains , Lutindi Forest Reserve , February 2017. Depository MfN . Paratype female, Tanzania, East Usambara Mountains , Zigi Trail, February 2017. Depository MfN .

Further paratype material: 1 male, same data as holotype . 2 females, East Usambara Mountains , Zigi Trail, July 2016 and February 2017 . 1 male, East Usambara , Nilo Forest Reserve, April 2016. Collection C. Hemp.

Description. Male. General habitus & colour. Comparatively large Eurycorpyha species with elongate tegmina. Green with net of yellowish veins and light green patches on dark green ground on femora ( Fig. 13 A ). Yellowish to white line starting on genae of face through eyes, along lateral edges of pronotal disc and over part of tegmina. Head and antennae: Scapus green, antennae green to whitish, very thin. Fastigium of vertex about 2.5 times as wide as scapus of antenna. Fastigium of vertex meeting equally broad fastigium of frons along well developed horizontal line with shallow median sulcus; face with callous and sharp frontogenal carinae giving face triangular shape; eyes typical for Eurycorypha , elongate and oval, with green, white and reddish colour. Thorax: Pronotum with well developed smoothly rounded lateral edges; surface of pronotal disc slightly rugose. Anterior margin of pronotum broadly and shallowly incurved, while posterior margin broadly rounded. Wings: Both pairs of wings fully developed; tegmina elongate, evenly rounded at tips, about 3.2 times longer as broad. Alae shiny with green area near tips which surpass tegmina when folded. Stridulatory file as in Fig. 14 D . Legs: Fore coxa with spine. Fore femora on outer ventral side with 4 spines, mid femora with 3 slender spines on outer side. Hind femora distally at outer side 3–4 spines. Hind tibiae with four rows of densely set short spines and three slender apical spurs on each side. Abdomen: Light green without any pattern. Last abdominal tergite posteriorly with a downcurved flap ( Fig. 14 A, B ). Cerci thick and short, apices curved inwardly and sclerotized ( Fig. 14 A ). Subgenital plate u-shaped incised at posterior margin; with median ridge ( Fig. 14 C ).

Female. As male with same body shape ( Fig. 13 B ) and spination. Ovipositor well developed, comparatively large and not as strongly curved up-wards ( Fig. 15 A ). Subgenital plate tri-angular with rounded posterior margin. Lateral beside subgenital plate two shallow bulges are present ( Fig. 15 B living specimen, arrow points at these bulges). Figure 15 C shows the flexed back subgenital plate of a preserved female. The arrow points at the lateral bulges.

Nymphs. The nymphs resembled small black ants after hatching and fed on strawberry leaves, salad and Taraxacum officinale leaves. During the first three stages Eurycorypha nymphs look like ants also exhibiting ant behaviour in nervously fidgeting with their legs and antennae. As in all investigated Eurycorypha species where nymphs are known, from the 4th instar onwards the nymphs loose their ant-like appearance changing to leaf mimicry.

Measurements (mm).- Male (N = 3). Body length 19–24.8. Median length of pronotum 5–5.4. Posterior femur length 15.5–15.7. Length of tegmina 32–33.7. Width of tegmina 10–11.

Measurements (mm).– Female (N = 3). Body length 18–26. Median length of pronotum 5–5.5. Posterior femur length 15–16. Length of tegmina 30–32. Width of tegmina 9–11. Lateral length of ovipositor 7.5–8.

Diagnosis. E. flexata n. sp. is one of the three species from the East Usambara Mountains with a similar habitus: comparatively large and elongated. At its posterior margin the 10th abdominal tergite is expanded to form a plane, down-curved structure ( Fig. 14 A, B ). Females have a flap-like subgenital plate, evenly rounded at its posterior margin and small bulges laterally beside the subgenital plate. A similar subgenital plate is found in E. combretoides which has a different body shape and occurs in savannah woodlands while E. flexata n. sp. is adapted to wet lowland forest.

Habitat. Lowland wet forest.

Etymology. Because of the down-flexed 10th abdominal tergite from Latin: - flexus, bent.

Distribution. Tanzania, East Usambara (Zigi Trail, Nilo and Lutindi Forest Reserves).

Figures

FIGURE 13. Eurycorypha flexata n. sp. male (A) from the Nilo Forest Reserve and(B) female, from the Zigi Trail in the East Usambara Mountains.

FIGURE 14. Morphological details of male Eurycorypha flexata n. sp. Semilateral view on male abdominal apex with posteriorly produced flap-like and down-curved 10th tergite of freshly killed specimen (A) and preserved insect (B) C. Subgenital plate D. Stridulatory file (scale bar 0.3 mm).

FIGURE 15. Morphological details of female E. flexata n. sp. A. Lateral view on ovipositor B. Subgenital plate of freshly killed specimen C. Subgenital plate of preserved specimen with flexed back subgenital plate. Arrows point at lateral bulges. Scale bar 2 mm.