Phlugidia usambarica Hemp, 2002

Hemp, Claudia, 2013, Annotated list of Tettigoniidae (Orthoptera) from the East Usambara Mountains Tanzania and new Tettigoniidae species from East Africa, Zootaxa 3737 (4), pp. 301-350 : 328

Phlugidia usambarica Hemp, 2002 ( Fig. 17 )

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:14470

Distribution: Tanzania, East Usambara Mountains.

Ecology & Biology: see Hemp (2002); Hemp (2013b). A frequent species from November to about March along the Zigi Trail at about 450 m a.s.l. in the East Usambaras where it prefers broad leafs. The song of P. usambarica is in the ultrasonic range and thus not perceivable to the unaided human ear. Individuals of this species were recorded between elevations of 450 to over 1000 m in the East Usambara Mountains. At higher elevations individuals seem to prefer forest clearings or forest edge along roads where the iridescent coloured insects bask in the sun on broad leaves of understory vegetation (Hemp 2013b).

Remarks: In alcohol samples collected by McKamey et al. in the Kwamgumi forest reserve at elevations between 150–220 m in July 1995 numerous adults and nymphs of P. usambarica were identified. Thus P. usambarica also occurs on the foothills of the East Usambara Mountains and obviously inhabits also higher trees in lowland forest communities.

Figures

FIGURE 17. Female Phlugidia usambarica, Zigi Trail, East Usambara Mountains.