Afroanthracites lutindi Hemp C., 2015

Hemp, Claudia, Heller, Klaus-Gerhard, Warchałowska-Śliwa, Elżbieta, Grzywacz, Beata & Hemp, Andreas, 2015, Ecology, acoustics and chromosomes of the East African genus Afroanthracites Hemp & Ingrisch (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae, Conocephalinae, Agraeciini) with the description of new species, Organisms Diversity & Evolution (New York, N. Y.) 15 (2), pp. 351-368 : 355-356

Afroanthracites lutindi Hemp C. n. sp.

Holotype male, Tanzania, West Usambara Mountains , Lutindi Forest, 1300 m, March 2014; depository MfN.

Paratypes: 1 female, same data as holotype; depository MfN . 1 male, 1 female, same data as holotype, depository: BMNH .

Further paratype material: 2 males, 7 females, same data as holotype ; 2 males, 3 male nymphs, same data as holotype but October 2014. Collection C. Hemp.

Description: male. General colour pattern predominantly green with a conspicuous orange patch on tenth abdominal tergite ( Figs. 2, 3 and 4 ). In living insect posterior margin of pronotum with light blue broad fascia, fading to greenish colour in preserved insect. Head and antennae: fastigium verticis acute conical, shorter than scapus. Face uniformly green, labrum and mandibles dull orange to brownish ( Fig. 4 ). Antennae long, about 6 cm. Scapus green with black posterior margin, antennal segments 1–3 shiny black, remaining segments beige to light brown ( Figs. 2, 3 and 4 ). Thorax: pronotum rugose, rounded, posterior area slightly inflated. Tegmina completely hidden under pronotum, reduced to stridulatory area and a short apical flap, wider than long. Legs: fore femora with three outer ventral green spines with brown tips, unarmed on inner side. Hind femora with four outer and no inner ventral spines. Fore and mid tibiae armed with 4–5 slender spinules on both ventral margins. Hind tibiae with four rows of spines getting distally denser. Abdomen: tenth abdominal tergite shield-like and broad with evenly curved posterior margin, conspicuous orange with green margin in living insect; posterior margin of 9th abdominal tergite bordered dark. Tergites of abdomen 1–9 green, sternites orange. Last abdominal tergite elongated, anterior yellow part shield-like broad, posterior part with elevated margins, medially with bulging ridge, parted by broad furrow at posterior margin ( Fig. 9e ). Cerci with stout base then laterally compressed with outer conical branch and elongated and strongly laterally compressed inner branch with bidentate tip ( Fig. 10d ). Subgenital plate elongated, divided into two posteriorly up-curved lobes with short styli ( Fig. 10b, f ).

Female: general habitus and colour pattern as male with long and stout ovipositor, moderately up-curved ( Fig. 5). Subgenital plate broad, medially slightly incurved at posterior margin ( Fig. 8b ). Cerci roundish inflated at base and thin and slender in last third.

Measurements, males (mm) (n =3). Body length 20–22. Length of pronotum 7.6–8.2. Length of hind femur 12.0–13.0.

Measurements, females (mm) (n =4). Body length 18.0– 25.0. Length of pronotum 6.5–7.8. Length of hind femur 12.5–15.0. Length of ovipositor 11.0–13.0.

Diagnosis: morphologically similar to A. viridis Hemp, Ingrisch & Ünal, 2013 from the East Usambara Mountains. From all other Afroanthracites species distinguished by its vivid green colouration and the orange tenth abdominal tergite in both sexes. Differentiated from A. viridis by the elongated tenth abdominal tergite with bifurcate tip. In A. viridis , the tenth abdominal tergite is shield-like with an evenly rounded posterior margin ( Fig. 9d ). In A. viridis , the disc of the pronotum is brown with two short lateral black fasciae while the pronotal disc is uniformly green with a light blue posterior margin in A. lutindi n. sp. ( Figs. 2, 3 and 4 ). The females of A. viridis and A. lutindi n. sp. are morphologically similar. As in males, they may be distinguished by their colour pattern, A. viridis having a brown disc of the pronotum while it is green with a light blue posterior margin in A. lutindi n. sp. ( Fig. 5). The subgenital plate in A. lutindi n. sp. is only slightly posteriorly incurved ( Fig. 8b ) while in A. viridis the median incision is deeper.

Distribution: Tanzania; West Usambara Mountains. At present, only known from the Lutindi Forest.

Song: see Bioacoustics ( Figs. 12 , 13 and 15 ).

Ecology and Biology: active at night. Predaceous, feeds on other insects.

Habitat: on branches of bushes and trees and herbaceous vegetation in humid submontane forest. Lutindi Forest receives a mean annual precipitation of 1600 mm.

Figures

Fig 13 Sonogram and power spectrum of calling song of Afroanthracites viridis

Fig. 3 Male A. lutindi n. sp., dorso-lateral view on pronotum

Fig. 4 Male A. lutindi n. sp., lateral view, note orange part of tenth abdominal tergite, orange clypeus and coloration of eyes and antennae

Fig. 9 Dorsal view on male abdominal apex of Afroanthracites species. a A. montium. b A. usambaricus. c A. jagoi. d A. viridis. e A. lutindi n. sp. f A. uluguruensis. g A. discolor. h A. pseudodiscolor n. sp.

Fig. 10 Morphological details of male Afroanthracites species. a, c, e A. pseudodiscolor n. sp. b, d, f A. lutindi n. sp. a, b Lateral view on abdominal apex. c, d Left cercus. e, f Subgenital plate

Fig. 8 Female subgenital plates of a A. pseudodiscolor n. sp. and b A. lutindi n. sp.

Fig. 12 Oscillograms of calling songs of Afroanthracites species and Afroagraecia brachyptera

Fig. 15 Power spectra of male calling songs of Afroanthracites species and of Afroagraecia brachyptera. a Species occurring syntopically at Lutindi. b Species occurring syntopically at Mazumbai. c Remaining species