Annotated List of Caelifera (Orthoptera) of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Abstract

A list of the Caelifera (Tetrigoidea, Eumastacoidea, and Acridoidea) of Mt Kilimanjaro is presented. A total number of 139 Caelifera was recorded for this mountain, of which 8 species belonged to Tetrigidae, 5 to Eumastacoidea and 126 to Acridoidea. Of the 126 Acridoidea, 2 species belonged to the family Pamphagidae, 14 to the family Pyrgomorphidae, and 3 to the family Lentulidae. The family Acrididae is comprised of 107 species; only one species was recorded for the subfamilies Spathosterninae, Oxyinae, and Euryphyminae, two species within Tropidopolinae, 4 species within Coptacridinae, 5 species each within Hemiacridinae and Calliptaminae, and 7 species each in Eyprepocnemidinae and Cyrtacanthacridinae. The majority of species were found within the four subfamilies Gomphocerinae and Catantopinae (each 14 species), Acridinae (21 species), and Oedipodinae (25 species). Mt Kilimanjaro harbors about 25% of the Acridomorpha species recorded for Tanzania. Together with Mt Meru, with which Kilimanjaro is connected by a ridge at submontane level, 9.4% of the Caelifera are endemics.