Pendleburyella Chopard, 1969

Tan, Ming Kai, Muhammad, Amira Aqilah & Wahab, Rodzay Bin Haji Abdul, 2023, The taxonomy and bioacoustics of the elusive crickets from the genus Pendleburyella Chopard, 1969 (Gryllidae: Pentacentrinae), Zootaxa 5277 (1), pp. 131-148 : 134-137

Genus Pendleburyella Chopard, 1969

Chopard, 1969: 217

Type species. Pendleburyella testacea Chopard , by original designation ( Fig. 3 )

Diagnosis (new). Small brown crickets. Among Pentacentrinae , this genus differs most prominently by the male FWs with a fully developed stridulatory apparatus (the diagonal vein substraight, three oblique veins in the harp area, a large mirror with a distinct dividing vein). The male genitalia: the pseudepiphallus [epiphallus] is elongated and gently narrows posteriorly into two tongue-shaped, obtuse lobular pseudepiphallic lophi [posterolateral epiphallic lobe]. The pseudepiphallic parameres [ectoparameres] are strongly sclerotized, elongated and forming dorsal and ventral subacute processes. The ectophallic fold [rachis] is weakly sclerotized, forming a process with an acute apex pointing perpendicular to the pseudepiphallus (in profile view). The endophallic sclerite [formula (= mold of spermatophore attachment plate)] is small and elongated, with two lateral arms. The ectophallic apodeme [endoparameral apodeme] is very long.

Redescription. Small cricket, generally brown or yellow brown ( Figs. 1 , 4 , 5 ). Head rounded, a little wider than anterior margin of pronotum, with dorsum slightly flattened, vertex sloping, very finely pubescent ( Figs. 6A, 6B ). Frontal rostrum dark-coloured, about two times as wide as scapes, with apex truncated (in dorsal view) ( Figs. 6A, 6B ). Eyes globular, feebly projected anteriorly in dorsal view ( Figs. 6A, 6B ). Antennae inserted at level midpoint of eye in anterior view ( Figs. 6C, 6D ). Median ocellus round and small; lateral ocelli oval, located near eyes ( Figs. 6C, 6D ). Maxillary palpi with apical segment longest and expanded (triangular or slightly broadening apically); with subapical segment cylindrical and shorter than apical and third segments ( Fig. 7 ). Face brown, in anterior view about 0.7–0.8 times as tall as wide ( Figs. 6C, 6D ). Pronotal disc brown about 1.6–2.0 times as wide as long, widening posteriorly (posterior margin about 1.3–1.6 times as wide as anterior margin); anterior margin of disc nearly straight to broadly concave; posterior margin of disc nearly straight to slightly convex ( Figs. 6A, 6B ). Pronotal lateral lobe about 1.8–2.3 times as long as high ( Fig. 7 ). TI slightly swollen; with inner and outer tympana open and having oval tympanal membrane. TIII with 3 inner and 4 outer long subapical spurs; with 2–4 denticles between spines; 4 denticles before most proximal spines; and with 2 inner spurs (apical spines) longer than corresponding 3 outer ones. Legs generally pale brown. Thoracic and abdominal segments yellow brown to brown ( Figs. 6E, 6F ).

Male. FWs covering abdomen and slightly surpassing apex of FIII. Colouration: yellow brown, with veins darker ( Fig. 8 ). Venation: 1A vein transverse, faintly curved; diagonal substraight, with three distinct oblique veins in harp area; posterior two oblique vein more or less straight and long, anteriormost vein distinctly shorter and running nearly perpendicular to 1A. Mirror about 1.1–1.5 times as long as wide, dividing vein curved at basal end ( Fig. 8 ). Lateral field around 7–10 branches on Sc ( Figs. 6E, 6F ). Hind wings clearly surpassing FWs.

♁ genitalia as shown in Fig. 9 : Pseudepiphallus [epiphallus] elongated, gently narrowing posteriorly. Posterior end of pseudepiphallus produced into two lobular pseudepiphallic lophi [posterolateral epiphallic lobe], in dorsal view tongue-shaped; emarginated between latero-apical lobules in dorsal view; in profile variable (e.g., cylindrical or flattened), with a few setae. Pseudepiphallic paramere [ectoparamere] strongly sclerotized, elongated with dorsal and ventral processes (emarginated in profile); each process tapered into a slender and slightly hooked-like apical third with apex acute. Ectophallic fold [rachis] weakly sclerotized, rather long but weakly sclerotized, pointing perpendicular to pseudepiphallus; in profile tapering into acute apex. Endophallic sclerite [formula (= mold of spermatophore attachment plate)] small and elongated, with two lateral arms. Ectophallic apodeme [endoparameral apodeme] widened posteriorly, otherwise long, slender and substraight. Rachis weakly sclerotized.

Distribution. Malay Peninsula, Borneo

Figures

FIGURE 1. Pendleburyella J adult among the leaf litter in Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre, Brunei Darussalam. The specimen was uncollected but identified as presumably Pendleburyella eirmosa sp. nov.

FIGURE 3. Pendleburyella testacea J holotype: habitus in dorsal (A) and lateral (B, C) views; labels (D). Scale bars: 2 mm.

FIGURE 4. Pendleburyella pimela sp. nov. J adult from Singapore: dorsal habitus when alive.

FIGURE 5. Pendleburyella pimela sp. nov. (A) and Pendleburyella eirmosa sp. nov. (B) J dorsal habitus. Scale bar: 5 mm.

FIGURE 6. Pendleburyella J morphology: head and pronotum in dorsal view (A, B), face in anterior view (C, D), body in lateral view (E, F). Pendleburyella pimela sp. nov. (A, C, E); Pendleburyella eirmosa sp. nov. (B, D, F). Scale bars: 1 mm (A–D), 5 mm (E, F).

FIGURE 7. Pendleburyella J head and pronotum in lateral view: Pendleburyella testacea (A), Pendleburyella vicina (B), Pendleburyella pimela sp. nov. (C), Pendleburyella eirmosa sp. nov. (D), Pendleburyella sp. 1 (E), Pendleburyella sp. 2 (F). Scale bar: 2 mm.

FIGURE 8. Pendleburyella J FWs: Pendleburyella testacea (A), Pendleburyella vicina (B), Pendleburyella pimela sp. nov. (C), Pendleburyella eirmosa sp. nov. (D), Pendleburyella “intermedia” (E), Pendleburyella sp. 1 (F), Pendleburyella sp. 2 (G). Scale bar: 2 mm.

FIGURE 9. Pendleburyella J genitalia: Pendleburyella pimela sp. nov. (A–C) and Pendleburyella eirmosa sp. nov. (D–F) in dorsal (A, D), ventral (B, E) and lateral (C, F) views. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.