Phryganogryllacris unicolor Liu & Wang, 1998

He, Zhu-Qing, Yin, Zi-Xu, Hu, Tian-Hao, Huo, Qing-Bo & Liu, Xing-Yue, 2023, The northernmost record of macropterous Gryllacrididae species in the world, Zootaxa 5339 (4), pp. 397-400 : 398-399

Phryganogryllacris unicolor Liu & Wang, 1998

Phryganogryllacris unicolor Liu & Wang, 1998: 70 ; Liu & Zhang, 2005: 93; Li et al., 2004: 511; Bian et al., 2021: 244.

Distribution: China: Henan (holotype), Gansu, Hebei, Sichuan. Records from Gansu and Sichuan need to confirm, and these were not cited by Bian et al. 2021.

New distribution records:

Photo records by the authors in this study: 1 female, Heigou, Dandong, Liaoning, China (40°10.50'N, 124°18.02'E), light trap, 30-VII-2022, Liu Xing-Yue ( Fig. 1 ) ;

Photo record: 1 male & 1 female, Wucenglazi , Helan, Liaoyang, Liaoning, China (40°59.48'N, 123°28.95'E, alt. 291 m), light trap, 28-VI-2018, Huo Qing-Bo ( Fig. 2 ) .

Specimens : 1 male, Fenglingu , Guanmengshan, Benxi, Liaoning, China (41°6.85'N, 124°14.10'E, alt. 514 m), 26- VII-2023, coll. He Zhu-Qing ( Fig. 3–9 ) .

iNaturalist records:

1 male, Xinbin , Fushun, Liaoning, China, 41°45.97'N, 124°36.78'E, 2-VIII-2022, cute_cat, photo#174048151 ;

1 female, Labagoumen , Huairou, Beijing, China, 40°57.06'N, 116°30.68'E, 15-VII-2022, carabus, photo#174840199 ;

1 female, Baihuashan , Mentougou, Beijing, China, 39°50.32'N, 115°34.48'E, 21-VII-2020, straybird726, photo#129101860 ;

1 female, Tuoliangshan , Pingshan, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China, 38°43.26'N, 113°48.25'E, 9-VIII-2020, seventeennature, photo#102399333 ;

1 female, Dengfeng , Zhengzhou, Henan, China, 34°29.18'N, 112°55.51'E, 16-VI-2014, qwpool, photo#143639197 .

The morphological features of the specimens from Liaoning ( Figs. 1–9 ) is completely consistent with those described by Liu and Wang (1998). Moreover, four records from different localities of Liaoning provide strong evidence for its natural distribution ( Fig. 10 ). These records indicate that this species emerges as adults in June, July and August, which is similar to other records from Beijing, Henan and Hebei ( Liu & Wang 1998, Li et al. 2014, iNaturalist 2023). In Japan, N. testaceus overwinters as nymph stage ( Ichikawa et al. 2006). Whether P. unicolor overwinters as nymph stage is unknown and more observations are needed.

Loss of wings occurs in many insect groups ( Roff 1990; Wagner & Liebherr 1992). In Japan, N. testaceus is apterous occurring as north as Hokkaido, and Eugryllacris japonica (Matsumura & Shiraki 1908) is macropterous occurring as north as Honshu. In Korea, E. japonica is only distributed in south area, such as Chungcheongnam-do, Jeollanam-do, Gyeongsangnam-do and Jeju-do ( Kim et al. 2014; Storozhenko et al. 2015), while N. testaceus can be found in north areas. In North America, C. carolinensis is apterous occurring as north as Point Pelee National Park, while Brachybaenus studti (Griffini, 1911) is macropterous occurring as north as central Mexico (iNaturalist 2023, photo#25301207). It seems that macropterous gryllacridid individuals do not occur as far north in some areas as do apterous gryllacridids. In China, P. unicolor possesses wings and occurs as north as Liaoning. However, Chinese apterous species, such as Apterolarnaca (Bianigryllacris) biloba (Liu, Bi & Zhang, 2010) and Melaneremus laticeps (Karny, 1926) , only are known as far north as Tianmu Mountain in southeastern China ( Bian et al. 2021). Moreover, other northern species in China are all relatives of P. unicolor , such as P. laoshanica Yin, Wang & Shen, 2021 and P. sheni Niu & Shi, 1999 . All their life cycles are still unknown. Their special overwintering biology seems well worth researching.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Distribution of Phryganogryllacris unicolor Liu & Wang. Data from Liu & Wang 1998, Liu & Zhang 2005, Li et al. 2014, iNaturalist records and this study.

FIGURES 1–2. Photo records of Phryganogryllacris unicolor Liu & Wang. 1 one male and one female from Wucenglazi, Helan, Liaoyang, Liaoning, China, photo by Huo Qing-Bo, 2 one female from Heigou, Dandong, Liaoning, China, photo by Liu Xing-Yue.

FIGURES 3–9. Specimens of Phryganogryllacris unicolor Liu & Wang from Fenglingu, Guanmengshan, Benxi, Liaoning, China. 3 photo by He Zhu-Qing when alive, 4 face in front view, 5 left forewing, 6 stridulatory pegs on left side, 7 dorsal view of abdominal apex, 8 ventral view of abdominal apex, 9 right hind tibia and tarsomeres.