Katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) of Gorongosa National Park and Central Mozambique
Author
Naskrecki, Piotr
Author
Guta, Ricardo
text
Zootaxa
2019
2019-10-04
4682
1
1
119
journal article
25307
10.11646/zootaxa.4682.1.1
3981e1e7-9d35-4f45-857c-da0bca835157
1175-5326
3472787
430B98EF-BFCB-4608-A562-DEFA9539C8B2
Cymatomerella spilophora
(Walker, 1870)
http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid:
Orthoptera
.speciesfile.org:TaxonName:4402
(
Figs. 24
F–J, 57G–L)
Diagnostic remarks.
This cryptically grey-brown katydid can be recognized by the cuticle of the legs and thorax covered with dense dark dots (
Fig. 24J
), flattened femora with broad lobes on their ventral margins, and aposematically colored, yellow- and black-banded abdomen (
Fig.
24I
). From
Cymatomer denticollis
it differs in the lack of two distinct lobes on the dorsal edge of mesothoracic femora (
Fig. 24G
), distinctly more curved ovipositor, and the abdominal sterna without the aposematic red coloration (
Fig. 24H
).
Bioacoustics.
Males of
C. spilophora
produce two
types
of calls, which they sometimes combine. Early in the evening (and sometimes during the day) the call is usually in the form of short, 2–
2.6 s
bursts of syllables at the rate of 9–10 syllables/s; mean syllable duration is
0.05413 s
(SD=0.005331, n=38); the peak frequency of the call is 8.7–10.8 kHz (
Figs. 57
G–I). Later at night the call often turns into a long, uninterrupted train of single syllables, produced at the rate of 2–3 syllables/s, with each syllable
0.1511 s
long (SD=0.01996, n=28) (
Fig. 57
J–L).
FIGURE 23.
Mozambican
Pseudophyllinae
: A.
Acauloplax exigua
, male, dorsal view; B. ditto, female, lateral view; C. ditto, male subgenital plate; D. male cerci; E.
Zabalius ophthalmicus
, male, dorsal view; F. ditto, lateral view; G. ditto, male subgenital plate; H. ditto, male, frontal view.
FIGURE 24.
Mozambican
Cymatomerini
: A.
Cymatomera deticollis
, female, dorsal view; B. ditto, metathoracic femur, lateral view; C. ditto, female, ventral view; D. ditto, female in threat display; E. ditto, pronotum, dorsal view; F.
Cymatomerella spilophora
, female, dorsal view; G. ditto, metathoracic femur, lateral view; H. ditto, female, ventral view; I. ditto, male in threat display; J. ditto, pronotum, dorsal view
Distribution and natural history.
C. spilophora
occurs across East and southern Africa, having been recorded from
Tanzania
(
Sjöstedt 1913
),
Mozambique
(
Chopard 1935
),
Zambia
,
Zimbabwe
, and
South Africa
(specimens in Material examined). Like
Cymatomera denticollis
,
it is associated with open woodlands and these two species often occur sympatrically.
C. spilophora
also exhibits a similar defensive behavior, fanning its wings and displaying an aposematically colored abdomen if disturbed.
Measurements (
1 male
,
3 females
).
body w/wings: male 57, female 64; body w/o wings: male 45, female 39; pronotum: male 9, female 9–10 (9.5.7); tegmen: male 46, female 49–50 (49.5.7); hind femur: male 20, female 23; ovipositor:
20 mm
.
Material examined
(
56 specimens
).
Tanzania
:
Lukuledi
, (-10.56, 38.8)—
1 female
(
holotype
of
Cymatomera cornuta
Sjöstedt, 1913
) (
NHRS
)
;
East Africa
[probably Tanzania]—
1 female
(
holotype
) (
BMNH
)
;
Mozambique
:
Cabo Delgado
,
Macomia
,
Quirimbas N.P.
,
Muanona
, elev.
124 m
(
-12.15117
,
40.19542
),
24–25.i.2014
, coll.
P. Naskrecki
,
H. Farooq
, B. Nassongole—
2 females
,
3 males
(
MCZ
)
;
Manica
,
Sussundenga
,
Nhahomba Ranger Station
,
Mussapa
, elev.
606 m
(
-19.585799
,
33.084969
),
26.xi.–2.xii.2018
, coll.
P. Naskrecki
& M. Tomás—
1 female
(
EOWL
)
;
Sofala
,
Beira
, (
-19.8436111
,
34.8388889
),
22.vi.1973
, coll. H.D. Brown—
1 female
(
SANC
)
;
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
; Coutada 12, rd. to Mungari, elev.
164 m
(
-18.32796
,
35.35772
),
2.iv.2017
, coll. M. Castene—
1 female
;
Gorongosa
, GNP,
Chitengo-Vinho
road, (
-18.992
,
34.3526
),
14.iii.2015
, coll. R. Guta—
1 female
;
GNP,
Wilson Laboratory
, (
-18.977761
,
34.35115
),
15–30.xi.2016
, coll. P. Naskrecki—
1 male
;
GNP,
Picada
1, nr. big pan, elev
.
20 m
(
-18.95101
,
34.37322
),
20.xii.2016
, coll. P. Naskrecki & R. Guta—
1 male
;
Gorongosa
Dist.
,
Boa Maria
, (
-19.02261
,
34.18074
),
13.ii.2014
, coll. P. Naskrecki—
1 male
(
EOWL
)
;
Center
for
Environmental Conservation
, elev.
119 m
(
-18.95472
,
34.1775
),
19–21.ii.2014
, coll.
R. Guta
& T. Castigo—
1 female
(
UEMM
)
;
Claud’s Waterfall
campsite (
Site
3), elev.
94 m
(
-19.03011
,
34.67592
),
1–6.v.2013
, coll.
P. Naskrecki
(
Site
3)—
1 female
(
MCZ
)
;
Wilson Laboratory
, GNP,
Chitengo
, (
-18.97775
,
34.351333
),
19.iii.–2.iv.2014
, coll.
P. Naskrecki
& R. Guta—
2 females
(
EOWL
)
;
GNP,
Chitengo
, elev.
29 m
(
-18.98194
,
34.35122
),
17.iii.–5.iv.2013
, coll. P. Naskrecki—
4 females
;
same locality,
17–31.iii.2013
, coll. P. Naskrecki—
3 females
;
same locality,
30.i.–13.ii.2014
, coll. P. Naskrecki—
2 females
,
1 male
(
MCZ
)
;
Gorongosa
Distr.
,
Chitengo
, (
-18.981944
,
34.351222
),
13–31.i.2015
, coll. R. Guta—
2 females
;
same locality,
2–28.ii.2015
, coll. R. Guta—
1 female
,
2 males
;
GRP, E.O.
Wilson Lab Chitengo
, (
-18.9783
,
34.3514
),
9.ii.–4.iii.2015
, coll.
P. Naskrecki
& R. Guta—
4 females
(
EOWL
)
;
Tete
,
Cahora Bassa
,
Brig. Eng.
(
1972–74
), (
-15.5666667
,
32.8333333
),
ii.1974
, coll.
M.C. Ferreira
& G.V. Ferreira—
1 male
;
Cahora Bassa
,
Mutarara
, (-17.4, 35.1),
8.ii.1974
, coll.
M.C. Ferreira
& G.V. Ferreira—
1 female
;
Cahora Bassa
,
Songo
,
Dzunhe
, (-15.59, 32.76),
iv.1974
, coll.
M.C. Ferreira
& G.V. Ferreira—
1 male
(
UEMM
)
;
Zambezi
[?Mozambique]—
1 male
(
syntype
of
Cymatomera brancsiki
Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1895
) (
NMW
)
;
Republic of South Africa
:
Malamda
(?
Mala-mda
), (
-24.8166667
,
31.5666667
),
28.xii.1987
, coll.
M.V.
Drimmelen—
1 female
;
Mpumalanga
,
Manoutsa Park
,
Strijdoms Tunnel
, (
-24.45072
,
30.60702
),
29.v.1976
, coll. M.E. Kieser—
1 female
(
SANC
)
;
Nelspruit
, (
-25.4666667
,
30.9666667
),
ii.1954
—
1 female
(
TMSA
)
;
Singeta Game Lodge
,
Sabi Sand
, (
-24.805
,
31.42611
),
15.iv.1998
, coll. C. Godley—
1 female
(
SANC
)
;
Transvaal
,
Ngwenya Lodge
, (
-25.41667
,
31.86667
),
iv.1996
, coll. G. Bronner—
1 male
(
TMSA
)
;
Pietersburg Dist.
,
Griffin Mine
, (-23.9, 29.383333),
i.1915
, coll.
H.G.
Breyer—
1 female
(
TMSA
)
;
Zambia
:
Mutambara
[Northern Rhodesia],
Feb.1921
, coll. J.M. Springer—
1 male
(
ANSP
)
;
Zimbabwe
:
Birchenough Bridge
, (
-19.9666667
,
32.3333333
),
i.1938
, coll. G. van Son—
1 male
;
Umtali
, 1906, coll. Campbell—
1 female
(
ANSP
)
;
Umtali District
, (
-18.9666667
,
32.6666667
),
8.i.1932
, coll. P.A. Sheppard—
1 female
(
TMSA
)
;
Mashonaland
,
Umtali
, (
-18.9666667
,
32.6666667
) -., coll. A. Bodong—
1 female
;
same locality-
1 male
(
SAMC
)
;
same locality,
xii.1917
, coll. Brauns—
1 female
(
TMSA
)
.