Scintharista forbesii (Burr, 1899)

Scintharista forbesii (Burr, 1899) View in CoL

Figs 72 View Figure 72 , 73 View Figure 73 , 74 View Figure 74 , 75 View Figure 75

References for Socotra.

Burr 1899 b: 44–45; [as Dissosteira forbesii ]; Burr 1903: 412, 413, 418–419, plate XXV: fig. 1 [as D. forbesii ]; Krauss 1907: 17, 19, 29, plate II: figs 2, 2 A [as Quiroguesia forbesii (sic)]; Popov (in Uvarov and Popov (1957)): 379; Wranik 1998: 171; Wranik 2003: 324, plates 153, 156.

Diagnostic notes.

Scintharista forbesii is an unmistakable member of the genus Scintharista Saussure, 1884 . It is the only species with the basal two-thirds of the hind wings inky black (Fig. 73 View Figure 73 ). The distal one-third of the hind wings is transparent, except for an infumated top. Hind tibiae are red in the distal half.

Taxonomic notes.

Burr (1899 b) named this remarkable species after Dr H. O. Forbes, director of the Liverpool Museum, who led the zoological expedition to Socotra together with Mr W. R. Ogilvie-Grant of the British Museum in 1889 and 1899.

Distribution and occurrence.

Scintharista forbesii is endemic to Socotra, where it is widespread and locally common (Fig. 74 View Figure 74 ). It is found mainly in the Hagher and limestone plateaus, but also on sea-level plains.

A record from Abd el Kuri, collected in January 1899 by Simony, mentioned by Kraus (1907), is not referred to in subsequent literature. This specimen could not be found in the collection in Vienna (H. Bruckner, NMW in litt.). The record has been omitted from the map in Fig. 74 View Figure 74 .

Habitat and biology.

S. forbesii favours dry, open habitats from 10–1000 m a. s. l., mostly on coarse gravel, large boulders and bare rock in high shrubland with succulents, submontane grassland and shrubland, also on boulders in more wooded areas (montane mosaic, Frankincense woodland and forest). Records are from all seasons; nymphs are recorded in January, February and August.

Bioacoustics.

S. forbesii gives distinct flight crepitations when disturbed, similar to its relative S. notabilis (Walker, 1870) (see species account S. notabilis ). The sound of S. forbesii has not been recorded. Members of the Oedipodinae subfamily are known to emit quiet, buzzing sounds during rivalry, courtship and flight ( Roesti and Keist 2009).