2026/06/30 by Alain Christel Wandji, Jeanne Agrippine Yetchom Fondjo, Martin Husemann +4 · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Orthoptera Research and Taxonomy #Subterranean biodiversity and taxonomy #Scarabaeidae Beetle Taxonomy and Biogeography
paper · pdf · doi:10.3897/afrinvertebr.67.195122
openalex publication_date 2026/06/30 · openalex created_date 2026/07/01 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/05
Occidentosphena Kevan, 1956 is an Afrotropical grasshopper genus that currently comprises two described species, namely Occidentosphena ruandensis (Rehn, 1914) and Occidentosphena uvarovi (Rehn, 1942). This study reports the first occurrence of O. ruandensis in Cameroon based on specimens collected on Mt. Manengouba. The species was previously known only from the Eastern Afromontane region and Lake Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This new finding significantly expands the known distribution of the genus Occidentosphena into West and Central Africa. We also provide re-descriptions of both species based on material collected in the Cameroon Volcanic Line, and present detailed descriptions of the male genitalia of both taxa for the first time. Additionally, we clarify the diagnostic traits for the two species based on external morphological characters and male genital structures. Overall, our results improve the biogeographical knowledge and taxonomic resolution of this poorly known genus.