Claudiagryllacris, Cadena-Castañeda, 2019

Cadena-Castañeda, Oscar J., 2019, A proposal towards classification of the Raspy Crickets (Orthoptera: Stenopelmatoidea: Gryllacrididae) with zoogeographical comments: An initial contribution to the higher classification of the Gryllacridines, Zootaxa 4605 (1), pp. 1-100 : 12

Claudiagryllacris n. gen.

Diagnosis: Size and shape of body more or less similar to those other medium size gryllacridines as Afrogryllacris and Echidnogryllacris (16–20 mm.) ( Fig. 33 ). Head with a medium size and ovoid median ocellus, lateral ocelli with similar size but more rounded than the median ocellus, space between antennal cavities as wide as scape ( Figs. 34, 35 ); fore coxae with a small and unarticulated spine, legs moderately long, slender, with four pairs of movable ventral spines on fore and middle tibiae; wings well developed, long and surpassing considerably the apex of abdomen. Abdomen without traces of femoro-abdominal apparatus; 10 th abdominal tergite of the male covered partially the epiproctus and with the posterior edge little obtuse prolongated; paraprocts and cerci simple; male subgenital plate rectangular, wider than long, with simple styles and with a prolongation on the middle of the notch (based on only male known to this genus) ( Fig. 36 ). Female abdomen with unspecialized tergites; female genital plate simple and triangular; ovipositor long and slightly curved, rather thin and with narrowly rounded (almost acute) apex ( Fig. 33 ).

Included species: Type species: Claudiagryllacris finoti (Karny, 1932) n. comb. and three additional species: C. stigmata ( Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1888) n. comb., C. lemur (Griffini, 1909b) n. comb., C. fryeri ( Bolívar, 1912) n. comb. (all species previously placed in Niphetogryllacris ).

Etymology: Dedicated to Dr. Claudia Hemp as a recognition for her contributions to African Orthoptera knowledge and for her willingness to provide aid and data for this research, plus typical termination— gryllacris common to genera of this family.

Comparison: The new genus differs from the African genera and others related taxa in a modest prolongation of the male abdominal apex, hooks absent (well developed in Afrogryllacris ) and middle prolongation on the notch of the male subgenital plate. The females of this genus differ from the others by its longer and thin ovipositor in contrast of the medium size, up-curved and acute ovipositor of Echidnogryllacris . Also Claudiagryllacris differs from Pissodogryllacris (other genus found in Madagascar and adjacent islands too), for its hyaline wings, in Pissodogryllacris the wings are opaque.

Distribution: Madagascar.

Figures

FIGURES 33–36. Claudiagryllacris n. gen. 33–34. Habitus and frons of C. stigmata n. comb. 35. Frons and 36. male terminalia in ventral view of C. finoti n. comb.