Velarifictorus Randell, 1964

Meena, Ashok Kumar, Swaminathan, Rajamani & Swaminathan, Tatiana, 2022, First report of the female Acanthogryllus asiaticus Gorochov, 1990 (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Gryllinae) from India and updated description of two crickets of Gryllini, Zootaxa 5125 (2), pp. 144-156 : 145-148

Subgenus Velarifictorus Randell, 1964

Velarifictorus, Gorochov, 2001: 319 ; Storozhenko, 2004: 206, Storozhenko and Paik, 2007:99; Kim, 2013:298; Storozhenko, Kim and Jeon, 2015: 114.

Diagnosis: Body form large to rather small. Head very large, upper half of head almost globular. Pronotum with parallel sides, somewhat widening in front. Male genitalia: hind margin of epiphallus with relatively long median projections, which is directed backwards. In this subgenus about 91 species occur worldwide; of these, 44 species have been reported from Asia-tropical, including the Indian subcontinent and the Indo-China region ( Cigliano et al., 2022).

Velarifictorus (V.) raychaudhurii ( Bhowmik, 1967) [Plates: I (a) & (b)]

Scapsipedus raychaudhurii Bhowmik. 1967 . J. Zool. Soc. India 20: 124.

Velarifictorus raychaudhurii, Vasanth. 1993 . Rec. Zool. Surv. India, Misc. Pub., Occas. Paper 132(1-6): 43.

Velarifictorus raychaudhurii, Ingrisch & Garai. 2001 . Esperiana 8: 758.

Scapsipedus raychoudhurii (mis-spelt), Shishodia, K. Chandra & S.K. Gupta. 2010. Rec. Zool. Surv. India, Misc. Pub., Occas. Paper 314:203.

Material examined: 6 ♂, India, Meghalaya, Khasi hills W, 04. vi.2013, 25° 31’ 0.12’’ N, 91° 16’ 0.12’’ E, 1499 m .; from Grasses / Tea; coll. R. Nagar , U Shillong, 08.vi.2013, 25° 34’ 33.6’’ N, 91° 52’ 58.8’’ E, 1495 m .; from Grasses; coll. R. Nagar (1) & Jhabar Mal (2), RRTC Rib Bhoi, 03.vi.2013, 25° 54’ 0’’ N, 91° 53’ 0’’ E, 1955 m .; from Grasses; coll. R. Swaminathan, Dawki , 06.vi.2013, 25° 11’ 0’’ N, 92° 1’ 0’’ E, 26 m .; from Grasses; coll. R. Swaminathan .

Additional description: Lateral ocelli clearly connected by a yellow band. Maxillary palpi, I and II segments yellowish in colour, remaining segments are externally whitish and internally dark in colour, length of III and IV maxillary palpi is almost equal, while the V one is little longer than the previous segments. Fore tibiae with externally oval shaped and internally small spot like tympanum, but in some specimens, internal tympanum is less visible. Mirror longer than wide, but in some specimens length and width almost equal. Apical field of tegmina well developed with 2 to 4 longitudinal veins and with clear reticulations. Dorsal side of the abdomen and cerci are dark brown, while abdomen is yellowish in colour on the ventral side.

Genitalia: Supra-anal plate (SAP) cap-shaped, semi-membranous with small to large hair, anterior half wider than long and also having a small brown depression, apex of supra-anal plate is rounded. Subgenital plate is little wider than long, anterior half membranous and posterior half semi-membranous. When the subgenital plate is dorsally pressed it appears W-shaped, but apico-laterally rounded on both sides. Epiphallus is bridge-shaped and longer than wide, anterior margins of epiphallus sinuate and posterior half of epiphallus is trilobate dorsally, the lateral lobes narrow, apex blunt, but with small to long hair; middle lobe of epiphallus shorter and wider than lateral lobes and distinctly round, slightly or little deeply notched in the middle. Epiphallic apodemes are narrow present at the antero-lateral aspect of epiphallus, closely attached to epiphallus and is sinuate. Ramus is paired elongate, rod-shaped, forming the antero-lateral projection of epiphallus. Ventrally, ectoparameres are longer than lateral lobes and middle lobe of epiphallus and closely attached to lower side of epiphallus by membranes, ectoparameres are anteriorly divided, narrow in inner side and wide in outer side; anteriorly ectoparameres are slender-shaped, but in middle wider, more bulbous and posteriorly narrow, presenting small teeth-shaped, pointed apex, curved upward and facing towards middle lobe of epiphallus. Principal ectoparameral apodemes are elongate, apically joined together to each other, appearing compressed dorsally, inverted W-shaped and laterally J-shaped. Apices of virga extend to 1/4 th of anterior ectoparameres with acute apex. Spermatophore, as given in Figure (9).

Female: Unknown

Measurements (mm) Male: Body length 12.0-13.50; head length 3.5, width 4.0; pronotum length 2.10-3.75, width 3.50-4.25; tegmina 7.0-7.50; hind femur 8.0-10.0 and hind tibia 5.50-6.25.

Remarks: Velarifictorus raychaudhurii was initially described as Scapsipedus raychaudhurii by H. K. Bhowmik in the year 1967 from India. According to OSF ( Orthoptera Spices File ) and while browsing online, this species has been included in the genus, Scapsipedus Saussure, 1877 ; however, in our view and as per earlier published papers of Vasanth (1993) and Ingrisch & Garai (2001) this species belongs to the genus, Velarifictorus (Velarifictorus) Randell, 1964 . Both the genera differ slightly morphologically, but their male genitalia are significantly different.

In the genus Scapsipedus Saussure, 1877 , the following is important: male genitalia; epiphallus is triangular in shape or elongate, wider and almost V-shaped and the epiphallus is dorsoventrally flattened and if we view ventrally and laterally, posterior middle lobe of the epiphallus is longer than the lateral lobes. While, in the genus, Velarifictorus (Velarifictorus) Randell, 1964 , as follows, the male genitalia epiphallus is bridge-shaped and wider than long, posterior half of epiphallus is dorsally trilobate, middle lobe of epiphallus shorter and wider than lateral lobes and distinctly round, slightly or little deeply emarginated in middle of apex. Ventrally, ectoparameres are longer than lateral lobes.

Distribution: Asia-tropical, Indian subcontinent, India (West Himalaya, Uttarakhand and Meghalaya).

Figures

PLATE I (a). V. (V.) raychaudhurii ♂ (1-5): 1. Male; 2. Head & pronotum dorsal view; 3. Tegmina; 4. Supra anal plate; 5. Subgenital plate