Aphonodiacanthus Tonon & Campos, 2025

Almeida, Vitor Tonon De, Souza-Dias, Pedro G. B., Nihei, Silvio Shigueo & Campos, Lucas Denadai De, 2025, Silent crickets: A new genus of Neometrypini from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (Orthoptera: Oecanthidae: Tafaliscinae), Zootaxa 5729 (2), pp. 315-334 : 318

Genus Aphonodiacanthus Tonon & Campos gen. nov.

Type Species. Aphonodiacanthus melanocephalus Tonon, Campos & Souza-Dias sp. nov., here designated.

Species included. Aphonodiacanthus melanocephalus Tonon, Campos & Souza-Dias sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 ), Aphonodiacanthus maculatus Tonon & Campos sp. nov., Aphonodiacanthus chlorops Tonon & Campos sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 ).

Etymology. The name is derived from the greek words aphono- (ἄφωνος) meaning “silent, without voice”, referring to the absence of acoustic communication using forewings in these crickets; di- (δί‑) meaning “two, twice, double”, indicating the paired lateral lobes of the pseudoepiphallus (LLophi); and -acanthus (ἄκανΘα), meaning “thorn, spine”, in reference to the pointed morphology of LLophi.

Distribution. The genus is recorded from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, in the states of Bahia, Paraná, and São Paulo.

Diagnosis. The genus Aphonodiacanthus Tonon & Campos gen. nov. is separated from other genera of Neometrypini by the following characters: lateral ocelli present; forewings very short, not surpassing metanotum; metanotal projections absent. Male genitalia: lateral lobe of pseudepiphallus with short bristles; apex pointed, more sclerotized than basal region; ventral face anterior half with concavity housing pseudepiphallic paramere. Ectophallic fold membranous. Endophallic sclerite: shorter than half of ectophallic apodeme. Female: forewings very short, similar to male. Female genitalia: Copulatory papilla cylindrical, posterior portion not sclerotized.

Description

Figures

FIGURE 1. (A) Aphonodiacanthus melanocephalus Tonon, Campos & Souza-Dias sp. nov., adult male, living specimen (photo: © Pedro G. B. Souza-Dias) (B) Aphonodiacanthus chlorops Tonon & Campos sp. nov., adult male, living specimen (photo: © Leonardo Breder Passalacqua).