Pterotiltus apicalis Bolivar 1905
Creators: name: Rowell, C. H. F.
name: Oumarou-Ngoute, Charly
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Orthoptera
Acrididae
Pterotiltus
Pterotiltus apicalis

description: 5. Pterotiltus apicalis Bolívar, 1905
Fig. 15
Pterotiltus apicalis Bolívar, 1905: 226.
Pterotiltus apicalis – Kirby 1910: 387. — Ramme 1929: 315. — Johnston 1956: 258. — Dirsh 1965: 236. — Hollis 1975: 226, fig. 63; mentions apicalis as an examined holotype, thus designating it as lectotype by inference of type.
non Pterotiltus apicalis – Ramme 1929: 315 (erroneously synonomized, actually Pterotiltus nigroantennatus Bolívar 1908 nom. rev. et stat. nov.).
non Pterotiltus apicalis – Ramme 1929: 315 (misidentified, Ramme erected Pterotiltus apicalis rubroantennatus for this specimen, now P. rubroantennatus stat. nov.).
non Pterotiltus apicalis – Johnston 1956: 258 (erroneously synonomized, actually Pterotiltus nigroantennatus Bolívar 1908 nom. rev. et stat. nov.).
non Pterotiltus apicalis – Hollis 1975, fig. 63 (the figure shows an epiphallus, but no male specimen has ever been recorded, it is not known what species Hollis drew).
Type material
Lectotype
EQUATORIAL GUINEA • ♀; Bioko island, Sta. Isabel; [3°44′44″ N, 8°46′28″ E]; Jul. 1901; Escalera leg; MNCN; MNCN_Ent 119719.
Description
Bolívar’s original description (here in translation) is largely devoid of discriminating specific characters:
[Body blackish brown. Anterior part of head, pronotum (except for the large medial transverse surface), first abdominal segment, but not the apical half, yellow, the feet olive yellow; hind knee red; hind tibia olive, except for blue-black spines; condyle reddish with a small brown ring underneath it. Antenna brown with white tips. Eyes chestnut brown]. From the photo of the Madrid lectotype (Fig. 15) the following addition can be made: posterior margin of 6 th abdominal segment, and all more distal segments of abdomen, red in colour.
The antennae were originally described as brown with white tips; Fig. 15 shows that the antennal tips have now aged to yellow-brown.
We could not borrow the lectotype and so are unable to refine further the original description.
Measurements
Bolívar (1905) gives the following values: length of body 22 mm; pronotum 4 mm; hind femur 14 mm.
Remarks
Photographs of the lectotype have been obtained (Fig. 15), but the type itself could not be physically examined. Bolívar (1905) is explicit that his name “ apicalis ” referred to the pale colouration of the tips of the antennae of his type specimen. Unfortunately, this is a character that occurs repeatedly elsewhere in the genus, and so is not diagnostic of this species. His name does not refer to the striking red colouration of the tip of the abdomen or of the hind knees of his type specimen, as might otherwise be assumed. Since 1905, this name has been applied erroneously to several diverse specimens, that are here re-assigned to other taxa.
Distribution
Bioko was formerly known as Fernando Po, and Santa Isabel is now a district of Malabo, the capital city of Equatorial Guinea. As the lectotype is a female, and there are no other members of the type series, we have no knowledge of the male phallic structures or terminalia and therefore cannot determine whether this species is confined to Bioko, or occurs also on the nearby African mainland, e.g., in mainland Equatorial Guinea or in Cameroon or Gabon. However, there is currently no material from these countries to suggest that apicalis might be found there; at present it appears that apicalis is indeed endemic to Bioko.
Status of taxonomic material
Poor. Male unknown, unique lectotype female. Further collections of P. apicalis on Bioko, especially of males, are essential to define this species adequately.
description: Published as part of Rowell, C. H. F. & Oumarou-Ngoute, Charly, 2025, Review of Pterotiltus Karsch, 1893 (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Oxyinae), pp. 1-104 in European Journal of Taxonomy 986 on pages 28-30, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2025.986.2853, http://zenodo.org/record/15235428