Melanogryllus Chopard, 1961

Wang, Ning, Huang, Huateng & Ma, Li-Bin, 2023, Redescription of two species and a new distribution record for China of the genus Melanogryllus Chopard, 1961 and a report of one new species of the genus Velarifictorus Randell, 1964 (Orthoptera: Gryllidae; Gryllinae), Zootaxa 5360 (2), pp. 269-278 : 270-271

Genus Melanogryllus Chopard, 1961

Chinese name: ḡēș

Melanogryllus Chopard, 1961: 276

Type species. Gryllus desertus Pallas, 1771

Diagnosis. Body size medium for Gryllinae , black and densely covered with short hairs. Pronotum broad. Anterior tibiae armed with inner and outer tympanum; posterior femora developed. Genitalia with epiphallus varying in Vshape or U-shape. Females of some species possess short forewings, and the length of the ovipositor variable as to species.

Distribution. China (Xinjiang, Xizang, Yunnan, Taiwan, Guangdong, Hongkong).

Key to the species of Melanogryllus from China

1. Male head and pronotum broad and the forewings reach abdominal apex......................................... 2

- Male head and pronotum narrowed and the forewings do not reach the abdominal apex.............................................................................................................. M. desertus ( Pallas, 1771)

2. The apical field of male forewings broad; females short-winged and the ovipositor longer than half of the body length................................................................................. M. chopardi Bey-Bienko, 1968

- The apical field of male forewings narrowed; females long-winged and the ovipositor shorter than the half of the body............................................................................... M. bilineatus Yang & Yang, 1994