New and little known crickets of the subfamily phalangopsinae (Orthoptera,Gryllidae): 5. Neotropical taxa of the tribe Paragryllini

One new genus, two new subgenera, and eight new species from Ecuador, Brazil, and Venezuela are described. The former genus Hattersleya Nischk et Otte is considered as a subgenus of the genus Neoacla Des. Acla multivenosa Chop., A. reticulata Chop., A. vicina Chop., Selvacla choreutes Otte, S. salvator Otte, S. alsiosus Otte, and S. sophos Otte are transferred to the genus Neoacla, and Desutteria epiplatys Nischk et Otte, to the genus Silvastella Des.-Gr. New data on the geographical and ecological distribution of some species are given.     

New and little known phalangopsinae (Orthoptera,Gryllidae): 7. Neotropical taxa of the tribes Paragryllini and Luzarini

Three new genera, one new subgenus, and 13 new species (Strogulomorpha separata sp. n., S. davidi sp. n., S. proxima sp. n., Luzarida lata sp. n., Luzara venado sp. n., L. sapani sp. n., Ucayacla pulchella gen. et sp. n., Peruzara atalaya gen. et sp. n., P. loreto sp. n., Amazonacla imitata gen. et sp. n., A. primitiva sp. n., Leptopsis (Leptopsis) ucayali sp. n., and L. (Aberracla subgen. n.) morona sp. n.) are described. The composition of the tribes Paragryllini and Luzarini and of the genera Luzarida Heb. and Luzara Walk is discussed. The new synonymies Luzarida Hebard, 1928 = Ecuazarida Nischk et Otte, 2000, syn. n.; Lerneca Walker, 1869 = Doposia Otte et Perez-Gelabert, 2009, syn. n.; Nemoricantor Desutter-Grandcolas et Hubbell, 1993 = Kumalorina Otte et Perez-Gelabert, 2009, syn. n. are given. The systematic position of some previously described species is corrected.     

New and little known crickets of the subfamily phalangopsinae (Orthoptera, Gryllidae): 3. Indonesia, the Philippines, and Seychelles

Two new subgenera and eight new species of the subfamily Phalangopsinae are described from Sulawesi, Supiori, Mindoro, Palawan, Sumatra, and Cousin islands. Two former subgenera, Longizacla and Brevizacla, are considered as genera. The new synonymy for a subgenus of the genus Luzonogryllus is established. Diagnostic characters and systematic position of some taxa are discussed.     

New and little-known crickets of the subfamily Phalangopsinae (Orthoptera,Gryllidae). 11. The genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Parendacustes</Emphasis> (Part 2)

Discussions concerning the composition of the genus Parendacustes Chop., in particular, its subgenus Minizacla Gor., are continued. Eleven new taxa of this subgenus are described: P. trusmadi sp. n., P. mulu sp. n., P. brevispina sp. n., P. modispina sp. n., P. longispina sp. n., P. forficula sabah subsp. n., P. doloduo sp. n., P. buton sp. n., P. pallescens sp. n., P. kendari sp. n., and P. lindu sp. n. New data on P. makassari Gor. are also provided.     

New and little-known crickets of the subfamily phalangopsinae (Orthoptera,Gryllidae): 4. Neotropical genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Uvaroviella</Emphasis>

The former genera Acla Heb., Aclodes Heb., and Paraclodes Des.-Grand., are considered subgenera of the genus Uvaroviella Chop. Five new subgenera and nine new species of this genus from Ecuador and Guyana are described. Two new species names are proposed due to the secondary homonymy, and one old species name was resurrected from synonymy as a replacement name. Lectotype for U. cavicola Chop. is designated. New data on the geographical and bitopical distribution of some species are given. The paper is based on the material from the collections of the Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg (ZIN), and the Natural History Museum, London (NHM).     

New and little-known crickets of the subfamily Phalangopsinae (Orthoptera,Gryllidae). 10. The genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Parendacustes</Emphasis> (Part 1)

The composition of the genus Parendacustes Chop. and of its two subgenera is briefly discussed. Nine new taxa of the nominotypical subgenus are described: P. berezini sp. n., P. arachne sp. n., P. pahangi borealis subsp. n., P. sylvestris sp. n., P. tkatshevae sp. n., P. tawau sp. n., P. tiomani sp. n., P. ectoparameralis sp. n., and P. magnispeculum sp. n. New data on the distribution of P. p. pahangi Gor. and considerations on the generic position of P. latifrons Chop. and P. lifouensis Desutter-Grandcolas are also provided.     

Microsatellites in the striped ground crickets,Allonemobius (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)

Polymorphic di‐, tri‐ and tetranucleotide repeats were examined in Allonemobius to determine whether they could serve as useful markers in studies of sperm precedence, population genetics and hybrid zone structure. Ten microsatellite DNA loci were sufficiently polymorphic to be used for paternity tests and showed no evidence of linkage disequilibrium or deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium in Allonemobius socius. Nine of 10 of these microsatellites can be amplified from three other Allonemobius species, suggesting that these markers will have widespread utility in this ground cricket genus.     

Bioacoustics of the Neotropical Eneopterinae (Orthoptera,Grylloidea, Gryllidae)

In members of the cricket subfamily Eneopterinae (Orthoptera, Grylloidea), songs with powerful high-frequency (HF) harmonics have evolved, which likely represents a distinctive acoustic adaptation. In this study, we analysed or reanalysed the songs of the three eneopterine genera present in the Neotropics to evaluate whether they also possess high-amplitude HF components. We present new data and combine several lines of evidence to interpret or reinterpret the calling signals of a representative species for each genus. We used new recordings in order to detect and analyse potential HF components of the songs. Stridulatory files were measured, and stridulation was studied using high-speed video recordings. The results suggest that all eneopterine genera from the Neotropics use HFs to communicate, based on the rich harmonic content of their songs. Strikingly, the Neotropical eneopterines possess high dominant frequencies, recalling the patterns observed in the tribe Lebinthini, the most speciose tribe of the subfamily distributed in the Western Pacific region and in Southeast Asia: Ligypterus and Ponca show dominant harmonic peaks, whereas Eneoptera possesses unique features. The three species under study, however, deal differently with HFs.     

Study of four Neotropical species of tree crickets Oecanthus Serville, 1831 (Orthoptera,Gryllidae) using cytogenetic and molecular markers

Karyotypes in the worldwide subfamily Oecanthinae show variations in diploid number, chromosome morphology, and sex-chromosome system. This study described the chromosome set and phylogenetic relationships of four Neotropical species, Oecanthus lineolatus, O. valensis, O. pallidus, and O. pictus. We used classical cytogenetics and Bayesian Inference for phylogenetic reconstruction, using the mitochondrial genes COI, 12S rRNA, and 16S rRNA; and analyzed the phylogenetic patterns of changes in chromosome numbers, using ChromEvol. We observed differences in chromosome number among species and two different sex-chromosome systems. Oecanthus pictus showed 2n = 21, X0♂/22, XX♀; O. lineolatus, 2n = 20, XY♂/XX♀; and O. valensis and O. pallidus, 2n = 18, XY♂/XX♀. The karyotype of Oecanthus was asymmetric, one group with large chromosomes and variation in heterochromatin distribution, and another with small acrocentric chromosomes. The phylogenetic tree recovered two main groups: one with the Palearctic species and another with species from different bioregions, but with low posterior probability. The Neotropical species grouped separately, O. valensis and O. pictus with Nearctic and Ethiopian species, and O. pallidus and O. lineolatus in another, well-supported clade. Together, the phylogenic and chromosome data suggest descending dysploidy events during the evolution of the group. Keywords: Insect, karyotype, Chromosome, Bayesian Inference, Oecanthinae     

Calling song and selective phonotaxis in the field crickets,Gryllus firmus andG. pennsylvanicus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)

The field cricket species, Gryllus firmusand G. pennsylvanicus,occur in a mosaic hybrid zone that roughly parallels the eastern slope of the Appalachian mountains in the northeastern United States. It is important to know what role, if any, the calling song plays in mate choice in sympatric and allopatric populations. In this report, we present results on the variability of calling song properties along transects across this hybrid zone. We also present the results of experiments on phonotactic selectivity of females from an allopatric population of G. firmus.The male calling song of allopatric G. firmuswas significantly slower in temporal rhythm (i. e., chirp and pulse repetition rates) and lower in pitch (i.e., dominant frequency) than that of allopatric G. pennsylvanicus.Calling song properties of males recorded in the hybrid zone varied considerably in temporal and spectral properties. In two-stimulus (choice) phonotaxis experiments, allopatric females of G. firmuspreferred synthetic calling songs with conspecific pulse repetition rates over songs that had lower and higher pulse rates. This preference persisted even when the sound pressure levels of alternative stimuli were unequal. Therefore, allopatric females of G. firmuscan discriminate between conspecific and heterospecific calling songs. Whether or not this same selectivity is present in sympatric populations remains unclear. Investigations of phonotactic selectivity in other allopatric and sympatric populations of both species are currently under way.     

New and Little-Known Crickets of the Subfamily Phalangopsinae (Orthoptera,Gryllidae). 14. The Subtribes Phaeophilacridina and Paragryllodina subtrib. n.

Entomological Review - Two new species of the genus Phaeophilacris Walk., belonging to the tribe Phalangopsini, as well as a new subtribe, genus, and species of the tribe Paragryllini, are...     

Karyotypes of two American field crickets: Gryllus rubens and Gryllus sp. (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)

The karyotypes of Gryllus rubens (Scudder) and Gryllus sp. collected in the US were studied using conventional Giemsa staining and two differential staining methods. Both species had a chromosome complement of 2n = 28 + XX/XO, and the X chromosome was large and metacentric. In addition, nucleolus organizer regions (NOR) were detected in the short arm of one pair in the two species, and the NOR showed variation in size. The two species had species‐specific chromosome configuration and C‐banding patterns. In Gryllus sp., the chromosome configuration showed polymorphism in size and type among individuals, and the distal C‐bands of Gryllus sp. were larger than those of G. rubens.     

Nucleolar DNA in oocytes of crickets: representatives of the subfamilies Oecanthinae and Gryllotalpinae (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)

A large extrachromosomal mass of Feulgen positive material, the DNA body, has been visualized in early prophase oocytes of crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) representative of the closely related subfamilies Gryllinae and Nemobiinae. A similar structure is present in oocytes of representatives of two subfamilies of crickets (subfamilies Oecanthinae and Gryllotalpinae) which taxonomically and phylogenetically are quite separate from those mentioned previously. In situ hybridization demonstrates that the body contains amplified copies of genes coding for ribosomal RNA. Unlike the DNA body in early diplotene oocytes of representatives of the subfamily Gryllinae, which is closely associated with the developing nucleolar apparatus, the DNA body in oocytes of the Oecanthinae and Gryllotalpinae cannot be demonstrated during diplotene. In the Oecanthinae, the nucleolar apparatus of early diplotene stage oocytes is composed of four to seven separate structures, the ribonucleoprotein of which has a characteristically lamellated appearance. During late diplotene, these nucleoli give rise to many smaller structures which are distributed throughout the germinal vesicle. In early diplotene stage oocytes of Scapteriscus acletus (Subfamily: Gryllotalpinae), the nucleolar apparatus consists of a single compact mass of ribonucleoprotein. In contrast to the oocytes of all other crickets that have been studied, the nucleolus of S. acletus remains single throughout diplotene. In situ hybridization analysis indicates that the amplified genes coding for rRNA which are localized in the DNA body of early prophase oocytes become incorporated into this compact nucleolar mass. Differences in nucleolar structure appear to reflect differences in the organization of amplified genes coding for rRNA.     

New and little-known crickets of the subfamily phalangopsinae (Orthoptera,Gryllidae). 9. The african genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phaeophilacris</Emphasis>

The genus Phaeophilacris Walk. is divided into two subgenera: Phaeophilacris s. str. and Speluncacris Sjöst. The latter name, originally proposed as a generic one and synonymized with Phaeophilacris s. l., is restored as a subgeneric name. The former genera Opilionacris Sjöst. and Cavernacris Sjöst. previously synonymized with Phaeophilacris s. l. are considered as synonyms of the subgenus Speluncacris. Four new species (Ph. (S.) malawi sp. n., Ph. (S.) boldyrevi sp. n., Ph. (S.) dmitrievi sp. n., and Ph. (S.) gigantea sp. n.) and three new subspecies (Ph. (S.) bredoides mangochi subsp. n., Ph. (S.) bredoides mutinondo subsp. n., and Ph. (Ph.) townsendi aethiopica subsp. n.) of the genus Phaeophilacris are described.