Ruspolia ampla Walker 1869

Ruspolia ampla (Walker, 1869)

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera.speciesfile.org:TaxonName:15355

(Figs. 11A, B, 48 D–F)

Diagnostic remarks. The most robust species of all Mozambican Ruspolia spp., with the stridulatory area of the tegmina distinctly wider than the pronotum (Fig. 11B). The proximal area of the stridulatory area on the left tegmen (between the stridulatory vein A 1 and around A 2) always with a distinct dark spot in both green and brown forms of this species. The dorsal surface of the stridulatory vein has nearly parallel edges, with little attenuation on both ends, with 87 teeth (Fig. 11A).

Bioacoustics. The call of this species is exceptionally loud and can be heard from a distance of several hundred meters. Males call both during the day and at night, producing long, uninterrupted trains of syllables (mean syllable duration 0.0695 s, SD=0.0028; n=22) at the rate ranging from 11 to 12 syllables/sec (at 17°C), with the frequency peak at about 9.3. kHz (Figs. 48 D–F).

Material examined (5 specimens). Mozambique: Sofala, Gorongosa, GNP, Murombodzi Waterfall, nr. Mt. Gorongosa, elev. 842 m (-18.483361, 34.042944), 19.v.2013, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 female, 1 male; same locality, 21–22.v.2015, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 female, 1 male (MCZ); Gorongosa Dist., GNP, nr. Nhascuvo outpost, (- 19.062639, 34.232194), 24–28.vi.2014, coll. G. Daniel, I. Nganhane & R. Guta— 1 male (EOWL).