Pseudorhynchus pungens pungens ( Schaum, 1853 )

Naskrecki, Piotr & Guta, Ricardo, 2019, Katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) of Gorongosa National Park and Central Mozambique, Zootaxa 4682 (1), pp. 1-119 : 19-21

Pseudorhynchus pungens pungens ( Schaum, 1853)

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:15409

( Figs. 5F , 7 I–L, 46D–F)

Pseudorhynchus pungens meridionalis Ragge, 1969 syn. nov.

Diagnostic remarks. Among Mozambican Tettigoniidae this species is recognizable by its long, sharply pointed fastigium of vertex that is as long as or slightly longer than the pronotum and carries brown-red or black marking on its underside ( Figs. 7I, J ). Unlike P. hastifer the tip of the tegmen is broadly rounded and the mandibles are light brown in both the green and brown color forms.

Ragge (1969) divided P. pungens into 4 subspecies based on minor differences in the coloration of the head and thorax. In Gorongosa individuals of P. pungens display characteristics that correspond to both the nominative subspecies (individuals with black markings above mandibular joints and black underside of the fastigium) and P. pungens meridionalis (individuals without the black markings and with a lighter underside of the fastigium) ( Figs. 7K, L ). However, these individuals occur sympatrically and synchronically, and may even be found on the same clumps of grass. They also do not display any differences in their acoustic behavior or the morphology of their stridulatory apparatus, and for this reason P. pungens meridionalis is here considered a junior synonym of the nominative subspecies. Whether the remaining two subspecies, P. p. striatus Ragge, 1969 and P. p. werneri Karny, 1907 are valid or also represent cases of color polymorphism remains to be determined.

Distribution and natural history. P. pungens is distributed widely across sub-Saharan Africa ( Ragge 1969), albeit the status of its subspecies remains to be determined. In Mozambique this species is known only from Sofala ( Chopard 1935) and Manica provinces but is likely to be found across the entire country. It is associated with humid habitats covered with tall grasses or sedges where it feeds on both seeds and leaves of these plants. Like other genera of African Copiphorini it is capable of withstanding long periods without feeding thanks to thick deposits of fatty tissue in its abdomen. Remains of P. pungens are frequently found in the roosts of the bat Nycteris thebaica Geoffroy , a species known to pick insects off the ground and vegetation, rather than in flight ( Monadjem et al. 2010).

Bioacoustics. Males call at night, producing short series of syllables (syllable duration 0.27– 0.66 s; n=3), spaced with several minutes of silence. The call is faintly audible to the human ear, with two frequency peaks at 18.5 kHz and 32.0 kHz ( Figs. 46 D–F).

Measurements (3 males, 3 females). — body w/wings: male 54–57 (55.31.5), female 61–65 (63.72.3); body w/o wings: male 37–40 (38.31.5), female 40–45 (432.6); pronotum: male 8–9 (8.3.6), female 9–10 (9.3.6); tegmen: male 35–36 (35.7.6), female 40–43 (41.71.5); hind femur: male 17–21 (18.72.1), female 18–19 (18.7.6); ovipositor: 11–13 (121) mm.

Material examined (81 specimens). Mozambique: coll. Peters— 1 female (holotype of Conocephalus pungens Schaum ) ( ZMB) ; Manica, Sussundenga, Moribane Forest, swamp on Rio Tave , elev. 518 m (-19.74072, 33.32133), 2–8.xii.2018 , coll. P. Naskrecki & M. Tomás— 1 female; Nhahomba Ranger Station, Mussapa , elev. 606 m (-19.585799, 33.084969), 26.xi.–2.xii.2018 , coll. P. Naskrecki & M. Tomás— 2 females, 2 males; Sofala, Cheringoma, Coutada 12, Chironde camp, elev. 156 m (-18.32780, 35.35799), 25.iii.–4.iv.2017, coll. P. Naskrecki, J. Guyton & M. Castene— 1 female, 1 male ( EOWL) ; Infinity Pools, bottom of Nhagutua Gorge , elev. 138 m (-18.63342, 34.81206), 17–20.iv.2013, coll. P. Naskrecki—1 nymph female ( MCZ) ; Nhagutua , road to ranger station, elev. 269 m (-18.68283, 34.81786), 19.iv.2013, coll. P. Naskrecki— 2 females ( EOWL, MCZ) ; Gorongosa , Chitengo , E.O. Wilson Laboratory, elev. 42 m (-18.97775, 34.35130), 15–31.xii.2016, coll. R. Guta— 1 female ; GNP, (-18.95202, 34.37347), 20–25.xi.2017, coll. D. Artur & N. Vicente— 1 female, 1 male; GNP, Bela Vista ranger outpost, elev. 26 m (-18.69470, 34.20853), 5–12.v.2015, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 male ; GNP, Bunga Inselberg, Camp 1, nr. Bunga ranger outpost, elev. 75 m (-18.59989, 34.33686), 21.iv.–5.v.2015, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 male ( EOWL) ; same locality, 21.iv.–5.v.2015, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 female ; GNP, Chitengo , E.O. Wilson Laboratory, elev. 48 m (-18.977722, 34.351333), 12–20.iv.2015, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 male ; same locality, 11.vii.–7.viii.2015, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 male ( MCZ) ; same locality, 1.xii.2016, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 male ; same locality, 1.xii.2016, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 male ; GNP, Chitengo, Wilson Laboratory , elev. 48 m (-18.977722, 34.351333), 15–31.xii.2017, coll. N. Vicente— 1 female, 1 male ( EOWL) ; GNP, Murombodzi Waterfall, nr. Mt. Gorongosa , elev. 842 m (-18.483361, 34.042944), 19.v.2013, coll. P. Naskrecki— 4 females, 6 males ( MCZ) ; GNP, Picada 1, nr. big pan, elev. 20 m (-18.95101, 34.37322), 20.xii.2016 , coll. P. Naskrecki & R. Guta— 3 females; GNP, Picada 2, past 6, elev. 28 m (-18.94467, 34.44177), 5.iv.2016, coll. J. Guyton—2 nymph females ( EOWL) ; Gorongosa Dist., Archway Gorge , campsite, elev. 63 m (-18.95336, 34.61089), 22–29.iv.2013, coll. P. Naskrecki (Site 2)— 1 female ( MCZ) ; Between Bunga camp and Bunga inselberg, elev. 139 m (-18.59973, 34.34301), 21.iv.–5.v.2015, coll. P. Naskrecki and R. Guta— 1 male ( EOWL) ; GNP, Chitengo , elev. 38 m (-18.978808, 34.352606), 5–9.v.2014, coll. R. Guta— 2 females ( EOWL, UEMM) ; Claud’s Waterfall campsite ( Site 3), elev. 94 m (-19.03011, 34.67592), 1–6.v.2013, coll. P. Naskrecki (Site 3)— 2 females ( MCZ) ; Wilson Laboratory, GNP, Chitengo , (-18.97775, 34.351333), 19.iii.–2.iv.2014, coll. P. Naskrecki & R. Guta— 6 females, 2 males ( EOWL) ; GNP, Chitengo , elev. 29 m (-18.98194, 34.35122), 17– 31.iii.2013, coll. P. Naskrecki— 2 females, 3 males ; same locality, 17.iii.–5.iv.2013, coll. P. Naskrecki— 7 females, 7 males ( EOWL, MCZ) ; same locality, 6–31.v.2013, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 female, 1 male ; Nhagutua , elev. 221 m (- 18.64339, 34.81425), 16–20.iv.2013, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 female ( MCZ) ; Gorongosa District, Cec to Civeta Post , elev. 96 m (-18.940333, 34.193472), 29–30.ix.2015, coll. I. Nganhane & R. Guta— 1 male ( EOWL) ; Republic of South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal— 1 male (holotype of P. pungens meridionalis Ragge ) ( ANSP) .

Figures

FIGURE 5. Nymphal instars of Mozambican Tettigoniidae (not to scale): A. Ovonotus abreuae, 2nd instar; B. Enyaliopsis iaculator, 1st instar; C.Acauloplax exigua, penultimate instar; D. Cymatomera denticollis, 5th instar; E. Anarytropteris chirinda, 3rd instar; F. Pseudorhynchus pungens, 3rd instar; G. Plangia graminea, 2nd instar; H. Eurycorypha sp., 1st instar; I. Horatosphaga serrifera, penultimate instar; J. Peringueyella megacephala, 2nd instar.

FIGURE 7. Mozambican Conocephalinae: A. Conocephalus iris, male cerci; B. ditto, male habitus; C. Conocephalus conocephalus, male cerci; D. ditto, male habitus; E. Conocephalus maculatus, male cerci; F. ditto, male habitus; G. Pseudorhynchus hastifer, female face; H. ditto, female habitus; I. Pseudorhynchus pungens, face, green morph; J. ditto, face, pale morph; K. ditto, female habitus, green morph; L. ditto, head and pronotum lateral, pale morph.

FIGURE 46. Oscillograms and power spectra of Mozambican Conocephalinae: A–C. Pseudorhynchus hastifer; D–F P pungens; G–I. Clasma pareiochlora; J–L. Lanista annulicornis.