Bullacris, Roberts, 1941

Gordon, Mikhaila L., Colville, Jonathan F., Engelbrecht, Adriaan & Couldridge, Vanessa C. K., 2024, Ancient Grasshoppers: A revision of the genus Bullacris (Orthoptera: Pneumoridae), Zootaxa 5474 (4), pp. 301-354 : 328-329

Dichotomous Key to Bullacris Species

Males

1 (2) Antennae slightly club-like widened at apical part ( Fig. 12 A ). Supra-anal plate comparatively short and widely angular ( Fig. 17 ).......................................................................................... unicolor

2 Antennae filiform ( Fig. 12 B ). Supra-anal plate comparatively long and narrow, angular............................. 1

3 Pronotum in profile highly accurate...................................................................... 6

4 (5) Pronotum in profile regularly accurate. Third episternum with brown patch and third abdominal tergite with 6–9 stridulatory ridges. Size smaller (42–52 mm) ( Fig. 28 )......................................................... intermedia

5 (4) Arc of pronotum, in profile, lower in prozona. Third episternum without brown patch and third abdominal tergite with 9 stridulatory ridges. Size larger (45–58 mm) ( Fig. 30 ).............................................. membracioides

6 (3) Pronotum in profile low arcuate. Elytra each with white spot. Third abdominal tergite with 8 stridulatory ridges ( Fig. 15 )............................................................................................. boschimana

7 Pronotum in profile regularly arcuate. Third abdominal tergite with 9–10 stridulatory ridges........................ 10

8 (9) Pronotum without callosities. Veinlets of reticulation of elytra is the same colour as membrane. Sides of abdomen with ocellate pattern or uniform ( Fig. 23 )........................................................................ discolor

9 (8) Pronotum with whitish callosities. Veinlets of reticulation of elytra darkened. Sides of abdomen with ocellate and marble pattern ( Fig. 26 )................................................................................. serrata

10 (8) Arc of pronotum in profile lower in prozona. Third abdominal tergite with 13 stridulatory ridges. Size smaller (41–46 mm) ( Fig. 20 )........................................................................................... obliqua

Females

1 Arc of pronotum in profile comparatively high........................... …………………………………………… 4

2 (3) Smaller size (42 mm) ( Fig. 29 ).................................................................. intermedia

3 (2) Larger size (51–60 mm) ( Fig. 31 )............................................................. membracioides

4 Arc of pronotum in profile comparatively low.............................................................. 1

5 (6) Pronotum narrow, slender ( Fig. 18 )................................................................. unicolor

6 Pronotum comparatively wide, robust..................................................................... 5

7 (8) Pronotum without dorsal callosities or with only traces of them ( Fig. 24 )................................... discolor

8 (7) Pronotum with dorsal callosities forming oblique whitish stripes............................................... 7

9 (10) Dorsum of pronotum with convex sides and comparatively low obtuse median carina ( Fig. 27 ).................. serrata

10 Dorsum of pronotum with slightly concave sides and sharp median carina........................................ 9

11 (12) General colouration, greenish. Sides of abdomen with four rows of small whitish, oblique spots ( Fig. 21 ).......... obliqua

12 (11) General colouration, pale brownish or green. Side of abdomen with two rows of large whitish spots or irregular form or uniform in colour ( Fig. 16 )........................................................................... boschimana

Figures

FIGURE 12: Antennae comparison, Bullacris unicolor have a club-like shape (A), whereas all other Bullacris species have a filiform shape (B).

FIGURE 15: Bullacris boschimana male showing; (A): full image of specimen, (B): dorsal view of the pronotum, (C): end of abdomen side view, (D): front view of head, (E): stridulatory ridges, (F): acoustic call from the Richtersveld and (G): a live image of the species (Image and sound recording by: Piotr Naskrecki).

FIGURE 16: Bullacris boschimana female showing; (A & B): live images of the species (Images by: Piotr Naskrecki), (C): full image of type specimen, (D): front view of head, (E): dorsal view of the pronotum and (F): end of abdomen side view.

FIGURE 17: Bullacris unicolor male showing; (A & B): live images of the species (Images by: Vanessa Couldridge & Mike Cawood), (C): full image of specimen, (D): dorsal view of the pronotum, (E): end of abdomen side view, (F): front view of head, (G): stridulatory ridges and (H): acoustic calls from several locations.

FIGURE 18: Bullacris unicolor female showing; (A): a live image of the species (Image by: Vanessa Couldridge), (B): full image of specimen, (C): front view of head, (D): dorsal view of the pronotum and (E): end of abdomen side view.

FIGURE 20: Bullacris obliqua male showing; (A): live image of the species (Image by: Vanessa Couldridge), (B): full image of specimen, (C): dorsal view of the pronotum, (D): end of abdomen side view, (E): front view of head, (F): stridulatory ridges and (G): acoustic calls from several locations.

FIGURE 21: Bullacris obliqua female showing; (A): live image of the species (Image by: Vanessa Couldridge), (B): full image of specimen, (C): front view of head, (D): dorsal view of the pronotum and (E): end of abdomen side view.

FIGURE 23: Bullacris discolor male showing; (A): live image of the species (Image by: Darryl Lampert), (B): full image of specimen, (C): dorsal view of the pronotum, (D): end of abdomen side view, (E): front view of head, (F): stridulatory ridges and (G): acoustic calls from several locations.

FIGURE 24: Bullacris discolor female showing; (A & B): live images of the species (Images by: Vanessa Couldridge), (C): full image of specimen, (D): front view of head, (E): dorsal view of the pronotum and (F): end of abdomen side view.

FIGURE 26: Bullacris serrata male showing; (A): full image of specimen, (B): dorsal view of the pronotum, (C): end of abdomen side view, (D): front view of head, (E): stridulatory ridges, (F & G): live images of the species (Images by: Vanessa Couldridge and Alan Weaving) and (H): an acoustic call from Grahamstown.

FIGURE 27: Bullacris serrata female showing; (A & B): live images of the species (Images by: Fiona Hellman), (C): full image of specimen, (D): front view of head, (E): dorsal view of the pronotum and (F): end of abdomen side view.

FIGURE 28: Bullacris intermedia male showing; (A): live image of the species (Image by: Lizzi Tarr), (B): full image of specimen, (B): dorsal view of the pronotum, (C): end of abdomen side view, (D): front view of head, (E): stridulatory ridges and (F): an acoustic call from Port St Johns.

FIGURE 29: Bullacris intermedia female showing; (A): full image of specimen, (B): front view of head, (C): dorsal view of the pronotum and (D): end of abdomen side view.

FIGURE 30: Bullacris membracioides male showing; (A): full image of specimen, (B): front view of head, (C): end of abdomen side view, (D): dorsal view of the pronotum, (E): stridulatory ridges, (F): live image of species (Image by: Vanessa Couldridge) and (G): an acoustic call from Inchanga.

FIGURE 31: Bullacris membracioides female showing; (A & B): live images of species (Images by: Vanessa Couldridge), (C): full image of specimen, (D): front view of head, (E): dorsal view of the pronotum and (F): end of abdomen side view.