Perugryllus estiron Jaiswara, 2017

Jaiswara, Ranjana & Desutter-Grandcolas, Laure, 2017, Description of two smallest field crickets from South America, Laureopsis nauta Jaiswara gen. nov., sp. nov. and Perugryllus estiron Jaiswara gen. nov., sp. nov. (Orthoptera, Grylloidea, Gryllidae, Gryllinae), Zootaxa 4350 (3) : -

Perugryllus estiron Jaiswara n. sp.

( Figures. 3A–H & 4A–E )

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:500259

Type locality. Peru.

Type material. Holotype: 1 male, Peru, Région de l’Ampiyacu , en av[al] [du] confl[uent] des rios Zumun et Yahuasyacu, Brillo Nuevo, Parc[elle] J, 53 Ans (50A. APRÈS ABAND [ON]), 17.x.1985, chasse jour, L. Desutter, ( MNHN-EO- ENSIF7199 ) . Paratypes, 4 males, 4 females:, 2 males (MNHN-EO-ENSIF7197, 7198); 2 female, (MNHN-EO-ENSIF7001). Same locality, date and collector as the holotype, Monte Alta, 2 males, chasse jour (MNHN-EO-ENSIF7195, 7196). Same locality and collector as the holotype, Monte alta, chasse jour, 2 females, 16.x.1985 (MNHN-EO-ENSIF7002, 7003).

Remark. Species was collected either from a secondary succession forest that grew after 50 years after the end of cultivation, or in plain rain forest (Monte Alta).

Distribution. Peru, Estiron.

Etymology. Species derives its name from its type locality.

Diagnosis. Within the genus, species can be recognized by above mentioned characters.

Description. In addition to the genus characters, species is noticeably smaller in size. Stridulum on FW with 22–29 numbers of teeth (n=2). Basitarsomere III with 4–5 inner and 6–7 outer spines.

South American biodiversity has always been unique (Jenkins et al. 2013). Both the described field cricket species here validate to this point with their remarkably distinct morphological features. For example, presence of spines above subapical spurs on TIII, which was also documented from recently described Gryllinae crickets from Peru (Desutter-grandcolas et al. 2014). More than a thousand species of Gryllinae are known from the Old World and one of the key characters that have long been given to identify and separate this cricket group from others (like Nemobiines, long considered close to Gryllinae , but see Chintauan-marquier et al. 2016) has been the absence of spurs on TIII. Based on recent taxonomic studies there becomes an urgent need to revise the diagnostic keys for families and subfamilies ( Hugel and Desutter-Grandcloas, 2017 in press). Another interesting combination of characters relates to the presence of stridulum but absence tympanum as seen in Perugryllus estiron Jaiswara , n. sp.: both sexes lack tympanum on their TI and females are completely apterous, while males possess forewing with series of teeth on the stridulatory file. This is an interesting combination of features, which would call for observation of mating behavior in this species: do males actually call? Do females locate males acoustically? Or are the forewings of the males producing other kind of mating signals (call? courtship?) that can be perceived by the females without a tympanum?

Figures

FIGURE 3. Perugryllus estiron JaiSwara gen. nov., sp. nov. (A) male in dorSal view, (B) male in lateral view, (C) female in dorSal view, (D) male forewing, (E) face in front view, (F) female Subgenital plate in dorSal view, (G) male Subgenital plate in dorSal view and (H) male Subgenital plate in lateral view. Scale for male and female body length iS 5 mm.

FIGURE 4. Perugryllus estiron JaiSwara gen. nov., sp. nov. Male genitalia (A) dorSal view, (B) ventral view, (C) lateral view. Female genitalia (D) dorSal view and (E) ventral view.