Phalangopsidae crickets from Tropical Africa (Orthoptera, Grylloidea), with descriptions of new taxa and an identification key for African genera
Author
Desutter-Grandcolas, Laure
text
Zootaxa
2015
3948
3
451
496
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3948.3.5
48fd46c1-a333-45ef-85fd-bb89451998da
1175-5326
241857
809AC895-779E-419D-8EBE-071F0ACCD72E
Key to African genera of
Phalangopsidae
Remarks.
Larandeicus
has three apical spurs on TI, set in a close triangle. It is consequently clear that this taxon does not belong to the family
Phalangopsidae
sensu
Desutter-Grandcolas
et al.
(submit.), defined after the clade E of
Chintauan-Marquier
et al.
(2013
,
2015
) phylogeny. It should be transferred to the temporary family
Gryllidae
, grouping the clades F and G of the above mentioned topology.
Hirpinus
(one species, Southern Africa) has been synonymized with
Homoeogryllus
by
Saussure (1878)
, and later reconsidered as a valid taxon in the catalogues of
Kirby (1906)
and
Chopard (1968)
. Both genera are actually very similar morphologically. As the
type
of
Hirpinus afer
Stål, 1855
could not be observed to confirm the status of the genus, both genera are considered in the key below.
Zaora
(one species, Southern Africa) has been positioned in the key according to the diagnosic characters given by Walker (1869) throughout his whole paper and according to the pictures of the
type
specimen of
Zaora morbillosa
Walker, 1869
made by S. Hugel (pers. comm.). The two other species described by Walker (op. cit.) have been transferred either to
Amphiacusta
Saussure, 1874
, or to
Endacusta
Brunner
von Wattenwyl, 1873.
Saussure (1878)
transferred
Zaora morbillosa
to
Gryllomorpha
: according to its morphology,
Zaora morbillosa
actually looks close to this last genus. If confirmed, this relationship would enhanced the distribution of the
Gryllomorphini
to Southern Africa, while is is presently known from the Mediterranean region only.
Gryllomorpha
,
Petaloptila
and
Hymenoptila
are included in the key below, even if the last genus could not be used for molecular studies.
1. TIII with less than 4 subapical spurs on one or both sides of TIII................................................ 2
- TIII with 4 pairs of subapical spurs........................................................................ 4
2. FWs short in both males and females, not covering the whole abdomen, and close to the body (
Fig. 15
A, B). Wings lacking. Male venation: harp with several concentric veins, mirror reticulated (
Figs 15
E, 16B). Female venation: Dorsal field with strong longitudinal veins (
Figs 15
F)...............................................
Paragryllodes
Karny, 1909
p.p.
- FWs much longer than the body in both males and females, and very wide in males (except in
Homoeogryllus cavicola
Chopard, 1950
). Wings most often well-developed and longer than the FWs. Male venation: Mirror distinct and well-developed....................................................................................................... 3
3. Species flattened (subcorticolous). Pronotum transverse. Maxillary palpi very short. TIII subapical spurs very short and close to TIII apex. Male stridulatory apparatus: mirror crossed by more than 5 circular, parallel veins. Male TIII: dorsal apical spur swollen, glandular. Male genitalia: pseudepiphallus elongate.......................
Paragryllus
Guérin-Méneville, 1844
- Species not flattened (cavicolous). Pronotum saddle-like. Maxillary palpi elongate. TIII subapical spurs long and more widely distributed over TIII length. Male stridulatory apparatus: mirror crossed by 2 transverse veins. Male TIII: dorsal apical spur not swollen. Male genitalia: pseudepiphallus short and transverse (unknown in
Hirpinus
).....................................................................................
Homoeogryllus
Guérin-Méneville, 1847
,
Hirpinus
Stål, 1855
4. Fastigium below the level of the vertex, from which it is separated by a transverse furrow (
Fig. 15
B)................................................................................................
Paragryllodes
Karny, 1909
p.p.
- Fastigium at the same level as the vertex; no transverse furrow.................................................. 5
5. Clypeus bulging....................................................................................... 6
- Clypeus straight....................................................................................... 8
6. Both male and female apterous......................................................
Gryllomorpha
Fieber, 1853
- Female apterous, but male with narrow FWs, not reaching abdomen midlength and almost without a lateral field; venation made of few, strong longitudinal veins.................................................................... 7
7. Male: subgenital plate long, high and split apically; supra-anal plate glandular (characters also found in
Gryllomorpha
)....................................................................................
Hymenoptila
Chopard, 1943
- Male: subgenital plate high, but short and truncate apically; metanotum and supra anal plate glandular....................................................................................................
Petaloptila
Pantel, 1890
8. Males and females apterous (female unknown in
Zaora
Walker, 1869
). TI without a tympanum on both inner and outer sides..................................................................................................... 9
- Males and females variously winged, FWs always present at least in males (even if very reduced as in
Upupagryllus subapterus
Desutter-Grandcolas
,
n. sp.
). Tympanal condition variable.............................................. 10
9. Fastigium very wide, much wider than the scape (Fig. 18B). Head rounded. Eyes small and flat, regressed. FIII with an apical filiform part (Fig. 18C)..................................................................
Zaora
Walker, 1869
- Fastigium distinctly more narrow (
Fig. 1
B), about as wide as the scape. Head vertical, not rounded dorsally. Eyes small, but not regressed. FIII without an apical filiform part (
Fig. 1
G)...................
Afrophaloria
Desutter-Grandcolas
, n. gen.
10. Fastigium very narrow, much longer than wide.............................................................. 11
- Fastigium wider, not very narrow even when longer than wide, rounded......................................... 12
11. Male FWs rounded, with an acute "spine" on outer margin..........................
Stalacris
Desutter-Grandcolas, 2012
- Male FWs long and narrow, without acute spines......................................
Phaeophilacris
Walker, 1870
12. Species with long FWs and HWs, the HWs longer than the FWs, both covering or going beyong the abdomen........... 14
- Species with shorter wings, the FWs not covering the whole abdomen (very reduced in
Upupagryllus subapterus
Desutter- Grandcolas, n. sp.).................................................................................... 13
13. Species stout, with short and thick legs (
Fig. 12
A, B). Maxillary palpi short, last joint truncated amost apically (
Fig. 13
A, J). Male FWs very reduced, flap-like (
Upupagryllus subapterus
Desutter-Grandcolas
,
n. sp.
), or well developed and wide over the body (
Upupagryllus alatus
Desutter-Grandcolas
,
n. sp.
); in this last case, stridulum complete with a mirror distinctly wide and flat (
Fig. 13
K). Male genitalia symmetrical, with two thick and elongate pseudepiphallic distal lobes (
Fig. 14
). Female apterous (
Fig. 12
B). Female copulatory papilla sclerotized, short and cylindrical, with or without a pair of membranous distal lobes (
Fig. 13
)...........................................................
Upupagryllus
Desutter-Grandcolas
, n. gen.
- Small, but elongate species, with very thin legs (
Figs 8
A, 11A). Last joint of maxillary palpi elongate and deeply curved dorsally (
Fig. 9
A). Male FWs narrow; stridulum complete with a mirror almost as long as wide (
Figs 8
E, 9B). Male genitalia asymmetrical, with a long pseudepiphallic lobe extending far beyond subgenital plate distal margin (
Figs
8
I, 10). Females with narrow FWs (
Fig. 10
). Female copulatory papilla very long, membranous and plicated (
Fig. 9
J).........................................................................................
Phasmagryllus
Desutter-Grandcolas
, n. gen.
14. TIII serrulation strong and distributed along the whole TIII length, above and between the subapical spurs. Distal margin of pronotum DD strongly sinuated. Species brown to dark brown, with uniformly dark brown legs. Species known from
Madagascar
only...................................................................
Prosecogryllus
Brancsik, 1892
- TIII serrulation very sparse, present above subapical spurs, but lacking or very few between the subapical spurs. Distal margin of pronotum DD slightly sinuate. Species coloration variegated brown and yellowish, with ringed legs. Species distributed in
continental Africa (one species from the
Seychelles
)......................................................... 15 15. TIII: inner subapical spurs longer and longer toward tibia apex, the lower spur more than twice as long as the spur 4, and nearly as long as inner dorsal apical spur. Tympana present, and TI widely and asymetrically swelled at tympanum level. Male supra anal plate with thick spines (
Subtiloria
Gorochov, 1999
, some
Schizotrypus
Chopard, 1954
: see
Gorochov, 2003
)........ 16
- TIII: inner subapical spurs more equal in length; lower subapical spur much shorter than inner dorsal apical spur. Tympana not as developed. Male supra anal plate without thick spines................................
Kameruloria
Gorochov, 2003
16. Posterior margin of male subgenital plate rounded (see
Gorochov 2003
).....................
Heterotrypus
Saussure, 1878
- Posterior margin of male subgenital plate more or less deeply indented........................................... 17
17. Male subgenital plate wide apically (see
Gorochov 2003
).................................
Subtiloria
Gorochov, 1999
- Male subgenital plate narrower and deeply notched apically (see
Gorochov 2003
).............
Schizotrypus
Chopard, 1954