Sphingonotus (Neosphingonotus) canariensis Saussure, 1884

Sphingonotus (Neosphingonotus) canariensis Saussure, 1884 View in CoL

Fig. 78 View Figure 78

References for Socotra.

Popov (in Uvarov and Popov (1957)): 376; Wranik 1998: 171; Wranik 2003: 323, plate 157.

Diagnostic notes.

Sphingonotus (N.) canariensis is the only member of the subgenus Neosphingonotus Benediktov, 1998 , present in the Archipelago. Thickened cross veinlets between the radial and medial veins in the tegmina characterise the subgenus. The intercalary and radial veins are not serrated. The supra-anal plate is triangular or rounded ( Husemann et al. 2011).

S. canariensis is a somewhat darker- and uniformly coloured, brownish member of the genus with broad, coarse bands on the tegmina. The hind wings are hyaline and characterised by a narrow complete dark fascia continuing on the anal fan, a feature lacking in other Sphingonotus species in the Archipelago, apart from Sphingonotus (S.) balteatus (Serville, 1838) , which has very broad fasciae and a violet base of the hind wing (Fig. 88 View Figure 88 ). Sphingonotus (S.) insularis ( Popov, 1957) has short dark fasciae not covering all anal veins in the basally bluish hind wing and a unique habitus, very different from S. canariensis (see species account S. insularis ).

Distribution and occurrence.

The type locality of Sphingonotus (Neosphingonotus) canariensis is considered Cape Verde (Huseman 2020). S. canariensis is widespread in northern Africa, reaching Kenya in the south and parts of the Arabian Peninsula (Huseman 2020). On Socotra, the taxon is apparently rare (or under-recorded) and only collected on two sites in 1953 by Popov and on one site by us in 2010 (Fig. 78 View Figure 78 ).

Habitat and biology.

All collecting sites are open, gravelly plains with low Croton - Jatropha shrubland. RAF Camp and Hadiboh Plain are around 25 m a. s. l. and Wadi Shilhin is at 281 m a. s. l. Records are from January, April and December.

Bioacoustics.

Members of the Oedipodinae subfamily are known to emit quiet, buzzing sounds during rivalry, courtship and flight ( Roesti and Keist 2009). The sound of this species is unknown.