Podoscirtina Saussure, 1878

Gorochov, A. V., 2021, Taxonomy of Podoscirtinae (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). Part 13: new taxa of the subtribe Podoscirtina from Africa, Zoosystematica Rossica (Zoosyst. Rossica) 30 (1), pp. 64-77 : 65-66

Subtribe Podoscirtina Saussure, 1878

Type genus: Podoscirtus Audinet-Serville, 1839 ; Madagascar.

Diagnosis. General appearance ( Figs 1–13 ) rather diverse but typical of Podoscirtini ; all tympana (if developed) open and oval. Male genitalia primitive in structure ( Figs 18–20, 23–25 ): epiphallus large, usually with a pair of posterior lobes diverse in size and shape (sometimes epiphallic apex with additional lobules; Figs 14–16 , 26–28 ); ectoparameres ( Figs 18–20, 23–25 ) sclerotised, movable, long or moderately long, rather thin (stick- or spine-shaped), with acute or hooklike apices (but sometimes ectoparameres possibly lost; Figs 14–16 , 26–28 ); endoparameral apodemes usually large, elongate, connected with both ectoparameres and rachis; rachis also large, elongate or slightly elongate, partly membranous, movable in relation to epiphallus, diverse in shape and structure; formula and rami normally developed (but possibly sometimes strongly reduced), rather diverse in size and shape; formula anteriorly often with narrow median apodeme or apodeme-like projection and posteriorly sometimes fused or articulated with sclerotised parts of rachis.

Remarks. The epiphallus in this subtribe usually possesses one characteristic small or tiny denticle near each apex of posterior epiphallic lobes (or near each apex of their upper lobules). Possibly, this denticle is a synapomorphy for members of the Podoscirtina ( Figs 20 and 25 ). In some genera of this subtribe, such a denticle is always or sometimes indistinct (possibly reduced or lost; Figs 14 and 28 ).

Generic composition. Type genus; Kilimagryllus Sjöstedt, 1909 ; Atruljalia Gorochov, 1988 ; Eupodoscirtus Gorochov, 2004 ; Malgasotrella Gorochov, 2004 ; Spinotrella Gorochov, 2004 ; Ultratrella Gorochov, 2004 ; Zvenellomorpha Gorochov, 2004 ; Neozvenella Gorochov, 2004 ; Brevitrella Gorochov, 2004 , stat. nov.; Stenotrella Gorochov, 2005 ; Ombrotrella Gorochov, 2006 ; Allotrella Gorochov, 2006 ; possibly also the following genera: Parametrypa Brunner-Wattenwyl, 1873 , Paranaudus Saussure, 1878 , Paraphasius Chopard, 1927 and Malawitrella gen. nov.

Podoscirtus , Atruljalia , Eupodoscirtus , Malgasotrella , Spinotrella , Ultratrella , Zvenellomorpha , Neozvenella , Stenotrella , Ombrotrella and Allotrella are known only from Madagascar. The others are African genera, but one species of Brevitrella is known from Madagascar, and Paranaudus includes only P. terebrans (Saussure, 1878) from Zanzibar and P.? micropterus Chopard, 1925 from Madagascar ( Chopard, 1952). However, the generic position of the latter taxon is doubtful ( Gorochov, 2005: 201). Parametrypa viettei Chopard, 1958 from Sao Tome Island in Gulf of Guinea was listed in Parametrypa by Cigliano et al. (2021), but actually it does not belong to this genus as well as to the Podoscirtini . This species belongs to the American tribe Paroecanthini Gorochov, 1986 , judging by the photographs of ovipositor of the holotype of P. viettei (Specimen MNHN-EO-ENSIF6593, 2021). The occurrence of some forest Neotropical genera in West Africa and on the nearest islands is well known (for example, Paragryllus Saussure, 1877 from the subfamily Phalangopsinae Blanchard, 1845 ). The genus Fryerius Uvarov, 1940 from Madagascar, the Seychelles and the Comores was placed in the “ Podoscirtus ” generic group ( Gorochov, 2004), but here it is not included in the subtribe Podoscirtina , because its inner tympanum is slit-like or almost slit-like, and the male genitalia lack a characteristic small denticle on the epiphallic apical part near each of its upper apices.

Comparison. The subtribe differs from the other taxa of Podoscirtini in the above-mentioned primitive characters of its tympana and male genitalia, and in one possible synapomorphy: the presence of characteristic epiphallic denticles in most of its representatives (see above).

Figures

Figs 1–9. Malawitrella gen. nov. and Kilimagryllus, male: 1–3, M. sotshivkoi sp. nov.; 4–6, K. bilobulatus sp. nov. (holotype); 7–9, K. bilobulatus limpopo subsp.nov. Head in front (1, 4, 7); body from above with tegmina directed upwards and aside (2) and with tegmina in rest position (5, 8); right tegmen (3); abdominal apex from above and slightly from behind (6, 9).

Figs 10–17. Malawitrella sotshivkoi sp. nov., male: 10, body from side with tegmina directed upwards and aside; 11, metanotal gland; 12, 13, abdominal apex from above and slightly from behind (12), and from below (13); 14–16, genitalia from side (14), from above (15) and from below (16); 17, spermatophore from side.

Figs 18–28. Kilimagryllus and Parametrypa, male: 18–21, K. bilobulatus sp. nov. (18–20, holotype; 21, paratype); 22–25, K. bilobulatus limpopo subsp. nov.; 26–28, P. pubescens sp. nov. Genitalia from above (18, 23, 26), from below (19, 24, 27) and from side (20, 25, 28); apical part of epiphallus from above (21); spermatophore from side (22).