Gymnobothrus pullus pullus (Karny, 1915), stat. n. et

Popov †, George B., Fishpool, Lincoln D. C. & Rowell, C. Hugh F., 2019, A review of the Acridinae s. str. (Orthoptera: Acridoidea: Acrididae) of eastern Africa with taxonomic changes and description of new taxa, Journal of Orthoptera Research 28 (2), pp. 37-105 : 78

Gymnobothrus pullus pullus (Karny, 1915), stat. n. et comb. n. Figs 272-288

Material.

-TANZANIA: Type locality Dar es Salaam; Sigi, near Amani, 1500' (460 m), V, XI; Morogoro; Mahange dist, Kakara, VI; 2 mi. E. Gilodari, S. of Yasda R.; Ngurdoto, edge of forest, I, IV; Munega Magna; Ngorongoro; Morogoro dist. Bunduki, IX,II,III; Lushoto dist. Soni, 3000' (920 m); Arusha; Usambara; Mpwapwa, 5500' (1675 m); Mwanza; Old Shinyanga; Gibbs Farm, Manyara; Ngorongoro, III, IV, X. KENYA: Samburu dist; Ngong hills, 7000' (2135 m), XI; Nairobi-Limuru, 6000' (1830 m) VII; Karura forest VIII; Lasenie VIII. (NHMUK).

Description.

-Recognition as in key to species. Size (in mm): total length males 12-14, females 16-22. Integument rugulose, prozona coarsely, metazona finely, punctured. Antennae slender, slightly flattened basally; in male longer than, in female subequal to, length of head and pronotum. Compound eye large, protruding and rounded (Fig. 278). Frontal ridge (Fig. 282) rather broad with thick margins. Fastigium of vertex pentagonal, elongate in male (Fig. 279), round in female; foveolae as small shallow pits (Fig. 283). Pronotum weakly compressed in middle, somewhat variable in shape; lateral carinae vary from weak to strong and from roundly inflexed (as in G. temporalis ), to straight and angularly converging (as in G. cruciatus ) (Figs 280, 281, 284-286) and interrupted by all three strong transverse sulci; metazona proportionately broader than in levipes , its hind margin broadly rounded, not emarginate. Tegmina broad, somewhat varying in size and shape (Figs 287, 288). At extremes of tegminal and pronotal variation (Figs 254, 258), some specimens, e.g. from Shinyanga and Manyara, exhibit clinal links with G. rimulatus , which constitutes a remarkable example of a connection between two taxa originally attributed to two different genera. Genital structures typical of group and diagnostically not distinctive.

Coloration in bright contrasting pattern of broad dark and light longitudinal stripes, similar to that in Zacompsa festa ; a dorso-medial ivory-white stripe extending whole length from fastigium to tip of abdomen is flanked by broad dorso-lateral black to blackish-brown stripes extending from antennal socket and including antennae, across genae, pronotal lobes and tegmina, gradually narrowing towards tip of abdomen; below this there is another somewhat narrower pale stripe, extending from lower genae, lower third of pronotal lobes to pleurae; underside is yellowish suffused with a ferruginous tinge, becoming a brighter reddish orange towards tip of abdomen and lower face of hind femora, which are a darker brown above with a black knee; hind tibiae slate-grey to brownish, with a pale sub-basal ring.

Discussion.

-Nominate subspecies is larger and more robust than G. levipes (Karsch, 1896) and also larger than the other two subspecies, pullus minutus (Ramme, 1931) and pullus hemipterus (Miller, 1932).