Polyglochin peculiaris Karsch, 1891

Naskrecki, Piotr, 2008, Sylvan katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Pseudophyllinae) of the Guinean Forests of West Africa hotspot: an overview and descriptions of new species, Zootaxa 1712, pp. 1-41 : 20

54. Polyglochin peculiaris Karsch, 1891

( Figs. 5 A–D; 7E–F; 11D)

This species had been known only from the female holotype collected in Sierra Leone, but an additional male was recently collected in Ghana. P. peculiaris is is a moss-mimicking species, probably associated with very humid, mid- to high elevation forests with rich epiphytic flora. The male collected in Atewa Range in Ghana is described below.

Description of male

General. — Body of medium size, robust (fig. 11D).

Head. — Antennae more than twice as long as body; antennal scapus with sharp apical spine. Fastigium of vertex broadly triangular, not reaching apex of antennal sockets; concave dorsally. Frons slightly concave above clypeus, vertical.

Thorax. — Anterior margin of pronotum slightly raised, with small apical tooth. Humeral sinus of pronotum absent; lateral lobe about as long as wide; marginal fold of pronotum smooth; metazona slightly raised; posterior edge of metazona nearly straight (fig. 5A). Pronotum surface weakly granulate. Prosternum with two, widely spaced protuberances; metazona unarmed.

Legs. — Front femur armed on anterior margin with 3 thick spines; genicular lobes of front femur unarmed. Front tibia unarmed dorsally; tympanum bilaterally closed, with narrow slits facing forward. Mid femur armed with 4 spines on anterior ventral margin; genicular lobes of mid femur unarmed. Mid tibia armed dorsally on both margins; distinctly thickened in proximal half. Hind femur with 6 long spines on anterior ventral margin; genicular lobes of hind femur unarmed.

Wings. — Tegmen distinctly surpassing apex of abdomen; distinctly narrowed towards apex; hind wing as long as tegmen. Veins Sc and R parallel along their entire length; Rs branching off in apical third of tegmen. Left stridulatory area coriaceous, without mirror (fig. 7E); right stridulatory area with large, fully developed, circular mirror (fig. 7F). Stridulatory file flat, weakly bent along its entire legth, with 139 teeth, 1.9 mm long, 0.16 mm wide (fig. 5B).

Abdomen. — Cercus bent in apical third, unarmed, apex tapered (fig. 5C). Styli cylindrical, about 4 times as long as wide, slightly divergent. Subgenital plate elongate, narrowly trapezoidal, with small, triangular apical incision (fig. 5D).

Coloration. — Coloration green, mottled with black (fig. 11D); face black; pronotum with dark, triangular pattern in metazona; prozona green; tegmen generally green, with dark spots and network of light secondary veinlets; hind wing fumose; hind legs with darker, transverse bands; abdominal sterna with mottled dark markings; subgenital plate dark; antennae with dark annulation.

Measurements (1 male). — body w/wings: 31; body w/o wings: 28; pronotum: 4; tegmen: 24.5; hind femur: 16 mm.

Material examined. — Ghana: Eastern Region, Atewa Range, Asiakwa (South), elev. 690 m (6°15'44.3''N, 0°33'18.8''W), 11–16.vi.2006, leg. P. Naskrecki (Camp 2)— 1 male ( MCZ); Sierra Leone — 1 female (holotype) ( MZPW).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Polyglochin peculiaris Karsch, male: A. lateral view; B. stridulatory file; C. cerci; D. subgenital plate; Batodromeus richardi (Griffini), male: E. lateral view; F. stridulatory file; G. cerci; H. subgenital plate.