Fulvoscirtes kilimandjaricus Sjostedt 1909

Fulvoscirtes kilimandjaricus (Sjöstedt, 1909)

(Fig. 5 D, E)

Distribution. Tanzania; endemic to Mt Kilimanjaro (Sjöstedt 1909).

Described as Xiphidion kilimandjaricus from Mt Kilimanjaro by Sjöstedt (1909).

Habitat. Sjöstedt 1909. Hemp C. 2005. Common species on Hyparrhenia grasslands and grassy patches within the submontane plantation belt of the southern slopes, south-eastern and south-western slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro. Rarely also in Bulbostylis grasslands of the montane zone.

Song. Continuous sequence of echemes, mostly in the ultrasonic range. The calling song of the three species of the F. kilimandjaricus group (F. kilimandjaricus, F. l e g u m i s h e r a, F. sylvaticus) consists of groups of syllables (echemes), separated from the next by a distinct interval (Hemp et al. 2012). All other species of the genus Fulvoscirtes have songs with a continuous sequence of syllables, except for F. fulvus fulvus where the continuous sequences of syllables is interrupted by irregular gaps.

Molecular phylogeny: The sister taxon to Fulvoscirtes is Acanthoscirtes, the majority of Fulvoscirtes species (8 species known) being confined to submontane grasslands of mountains in East Africa, while Acanthoscirtes species (three species, one undescribed one) occupy niches in savanna habitats in northern Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. F. kilimandjaricus is the sister taxon to F. s y l v a t i c u s, and these both are the sister taxa to F. l e g u m i s h e r a. All three species have evolved on different sides of the geologically young volcano Kilimanjaro (Hemp et al. 2012).

Altitudinal range at Mt Kilimanjaro: 1100–1400– 1800–2000 m.

Records: 78