Apteroscirtus dundoensis Hemp & París 2021, n. sp.
Creators: name: Hemp, Claudia
name: París, Mercedes
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Orthoptera
Tettigoniidae
Apteroscirtus
Apteroscirtus dundoensis

description: Apteroscirtus dundoensis n. sp. Hemp, C.
Holotype male. Angola, Dundo (Lunda); A. De B. Machado B. Machado, February 1948 (MNCN _Ent 305876). Depository: MNCN.
Paratypes: 1 female, same data as holotype, but June 1948 (MNCN _Ent 305877). 1 female, Angola, Rio Tchinguvos Lunda, Machado, July 1948 (MNCN _Ent 305878). Depository: MNCN.
Description. Male. From its general body shape and colour a typical Apteroscirtus species: stout with long dark brown legs, body also dark brown with a dorsal light yellowish to hazel brown fascia on the abdomen and part of the head (Fig. 1 A, B). Head and antennae.—Antennae about twice the body length. Fastigium verticis with median indentation forming two small rounded bulges (Fig. 2 A, B). Fastigium verticis abruptly forming acute angle to face merging into frons of face without clear separation. Thorax.—Pronotum cylindrical with clearly discernible sulci dividing pro- and mesozona; disc of pronotum evenly rounded, mottled brown. Tegmina not discernible. Legs.—Legs long and slender, base of hind femur stout. Hind femora surpassing apex of body considerably, hind tibiae as long as femora. Tympana of fore tibiae oval and open on both sides. Abdomen.—Abdominal tergites smooth, medially with dark marking. Cerci stout, rounded and short (Fig. 2 C, D). Subgenital plate a typical fork, rather stout and short (Fig. 2 D); without styli.
Female. Larger than male but with the same colour pattern but comparatively shorter antennae (Fig. 1 C, D). Bulges of fastigium verticis not as well-developed as in male but more smooth (Fig. 3 A, B). Pronotum broad with sulci clearly discernible on pro-, and mesozona; evenly rounded. No signs of tegmina, as male apterous. Legs as in male. Dorsum of abdomen as in male, medially with median dark markings. Ovipositor slender and slightly upcurved at posterior part (Fig. 3 D). Subgenital plate a broad shield (Fig. 3 C).
Measurements. (mm) Males (n = 1): Body length: 23 (including subgenital plate); Median length of pronotum: 4.56; length of hind femur: 25.
Measurements. (mm) Females (n = 2): Body length: 27–29; Median length of pronotum: 5.2–5.4; length of hind femur 31.6–32.3; ovipositor: 20.3–21.2.
Diagnosis. In its general habitus similar to the stout A. densissimus Hemp, 2020 from the Nguru Mountains in Tanzania and thus different from the more fragile built A. planidorsatus Hemp, 2013 and the smaller but also stoutly built A. cristatus Hemp, 2013 from the West Usambara Mountains. A. densissimus, however, has clearly developed median ridges dorsal on the abdomen while in A. dundoensis n. sp. the dorsal abdomen is smooth (but with a dark patch medially on each tergite). A. inalatus (Karsch, 1886) differs from all other Apteroscirtus species in having tegmina. A. ruwenzoricus Rehn, 1914 is a small species with a very rounded body shape. Medially on the tergites of the abdomen small ridges are typical while A. dundoensis n. sp. is larger and has no ridges medially on the tergites of the abdomen. Differentiated from the similar shaped and geographically adjacent occurring A. denudatus Karsch, 1891 by the fastigium verticis being more straight and edgy (forming two almost triangular structures when seen from the front, Fig. 4 A, B) in males of A. denudatus and small median knobs dorsally on the abdominal tergites (smooth in A. dundoensis n. sp.). The male subgenital plate in A. denudatus is short, hardly surpassing the cerci (Fig. 4 C), while it is longer and clearly surpassing the cerci in A. dundoensis n. sp. (Fig. 2 C, D). In females of A. denudatus the fastigium verticis has an almost straight margin (Fig. 4 D, E), hardly divided in the middle and a subgenital plate not as broad but longer than in A. dundoensis n. sp. (Fig. 4 F).
Etymology. Named after the city Dundo in northern Angola.
Distribution. Angola, Dundo.
description: Published as part of Hemp, Claudia & París, Mercedes, 2021, A new species of Apteroscirtus Karsch, 1891 (Ensifera, Tettigoniidae, Mecopodinae) from Angola, pp. 287-291 in Zootaxa 5052 (2) on pages 287-291, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5052.2.8, http://zenodo.org/record/5568708