A review of the Acridinae s. str. (Orthoptera: Acridoidea: Acrididae) of eastern Africa with taxonomic changes and description of new taxa
Author
Popov †, George B.
Author
Fishpool, Lincoln D. C.
Author
Rowell, C. Hugh F.
text
Journal of Orthoptera Research
2019
28
2
37
105
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/jor.28.29312
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/jor.28.29312
1937-2426-2-37
Sumba I.
Bolivar
, 1909
Sumba
I.
Bolivar
, 1909: 288, 289.
Type species.
-
Sumba roseipennis
I.
Bolivar
, 1912: 78, by subsequent designation (I.
Bolivar
1912
).
Description.
-Diagnosis in key to genera above.
Discussion.
-While
Rhabdoplea
and
Panzia
can be defined on a suite of narrowly variable characters,
Sumba
is defined on characters subject to a wider range of variation. These include sculpturing of the integument which, in
Sumba
, varies from relatively fine (but always distinct) to very coarse and rugulose, although never showing the distinctive regular parallel ribbing of
Rhabdoplea
. Likewise, wing shape and venation show a wide range of variation
from
narrow with sparse reticulation (as in
S. roseipennis
, which is similar to
Rhabdoplea
), to broad with sparse reticulation (as in
S. granulifera
, which is similar to
Panzia
). Table 3 summarizes geographical variation in selected morphometric ratios.
The genus was first described by I.
Bolivar
(1909)
in a key without any species included. In 1912 he described the first species,
Sumba roseipennis
. The present study reduces
S. longicornis
Ramme to a synonym of
S. roseipennis
and describes
Sumba exilis
sp. n. from the
Ngaoundere
area of north central CAMEROON and western UGANDA.
Sumba
species fall into two distinct clusters: first, the widespread
S. roseipennis
species group consisting of closely related taxa, which are also similar in appearance to
Rhabdoplea
(includes
S. rubripes
and
S. exilis
sp. n.), and second, three species in the
S. semicarinata
species group, also including
S. punctata
and
S. granulifera
, together with the fourth,
S. callosa
(transferred from
Rhabdoplea
), which are local, rather distinctive endemics, of which
S. granulifera
shows some similarity to
Panzia uvarovi
.