Pseudorhynchus pungens pungens (Schaum 1853)

A small green or light brown species with elongated fastigium of vertex, brown mandibles and apically broadly rounded tegmina. Fastigium sharply pointed, as long or slightly longer than pronotum, with brown or black markings on the ventral side.

Original description in:
Schaum, H. 1853. Übersicht der von ihm in Mossambique beobachten Orthopteren nebst Beschreibung der neu entdecken Gattungen und Arten durch Herrn Dr. Hermann Schaum. Bericht über die zur Bekanntmachung geeigneten Verhandlungen der königlich Preussischen Akademie Wissenschaften zu Berlin, 2
Also (with illustration) in: Schaum. 1862. In Peters. Zoologie V. Insecten und Myriapoden. Naturwissenschaftliche Reise nach Mossambique auf Befehl seiner Majestät des Königs Friedrich Wilhelm IV in den Jahren 1842 bis 1848 ausgeführt 126
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/103636#page/156/mode/1up
Translated from Latin: The apex of the head is very long horizontal, below the base tuberculate-toothed, the apex is sharp, the humeral sinus of the prothorax is a little deep, the apex of the elytra is rounded. Female ovipositor suberect, abdomen short.

Redescription & illustrations in:
Ragge, D. R. 1969. A revision of the African species of Pseudorhynchus Serville (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology, 23, 167 - 190. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. part. 15133
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/partpdf/15133
Diagnosis: Dark pigmentation of underside of head variable, fastigium of vertex sharply pointed at tip. Ovipositor relatively short.
Body length: males 41.6-62.8 mm; females 50.4-71.9 mm.

Illustrations:
https://treatment.plazi.org/GgServer/html/03D8878EFC63D92FCCFE570BFB1B30DF
http://orthoptera.archive.speciesfile.org/Common/basic/Taxa.aspx?TaxonNameID=1134248&Next=Taxa.aspx

Distribution: Across sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar.
Type locality: Mozambique (Sofala, Gorongosa)

Habitat & ecology:
Pseudorhynchus pungens is associated with humid habitats such as reeds and tall grasses in wetlands. It is also also found in seasonally inundated savannahs. All Pseudorynchus species are grass-feeders feeding on leaves and reproductive parts of the plant.

iNat observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/200256795

Posted on March 21, 2024 05:09 PM by traianbertau