Neometrypus Desutter, 1988

Campos, Lucas Denadai De & Souza-Dias, Pedro G. B., 2021, Hidden in the bushes: uncovering the diversity of the genus Neometrypus Desutter 1988 n. status (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Paroecanthini: Tafaliscina) in Neotropical forests, Zootaxa 5060 (4), pp. 451-488 : 455-456

Neometrypus Desutter, 1988 n. status

Neometrypus n. status was included as a subgenus of Cylindrogryllus by Gorochov (2017). However, there are evident characters that support elevating this taxon as a genus. Unlike Cylindrogryllus Saussure, 1878 , Neometrypus n. status has a larger body ( Neometrypus males ~ 17mm, Cylindrogryllus males ~ 10mm) and FWs covering only the metanotum (absent in N. amazonus and N. couriae n. sp.). In Cylindrogryllus , the FWs are longer, covering the metanotum and two first abdominal tergites.According to Gorochov (2017), the ocelli are absent in Cylindrogryllus . They are present in Neometrypus n. status. The lateral ocelli are well-developed and rounded, the median ocellus is absent or reduced. Within Neometrypus n. status, the male metanotum bears a median trapezoidal or triangular projection crossing the entire metanotum, the LLophi in the male genitalia have an internal membrane, and the female copulatory papilla is cylindrical. In Cylindrogryllus , the median projection is half-size of the metanotum, the LLophi in the male genitalia do not have an internal membrane, and the female copulatory papilla is triangular. Besides the short FWs, these characters are more similar to Brazitrypa Gorochov, 2011 than Cylindrogryllus , indicating that Neometrypus n. status is closer to Brazitrypa than Cylindrogryllus . A preliminary phylogenetic tree including both genera corroborate the new status of Neometrypus (Campos et al. in prep.).

EMENDED DIAGNOSIS. Body medium size, covered by bristles; lateral ocelli large, rounded; median ocellus reduced or absent; TI auditory tympana absent. FWs translucent, short, covering only metanotum, posterior margin rounded, with vestigial veins almost no discernible; absent in N. amazonus and N. couriae n. sp. TIII subapical spurs 5/4, apical spurs 3/3; apical spurs longer on inner side. Male: metanotum with median projection longer than wide, crossing the entire metanotum longitudinally, trapezoidal or triangular in dorsal view. Male genitalia: anterior margin of pseudepiphallic sclerite upcurved in lateral view; MLophi absent, LLophi inner margin membranous; PsP posterior margin bilobate; EctF weakly sclerotized, short; End flattened dorso-ventrally, longer than wide, posterior margin less sclerotized than anterior; endophallic apodeme absent. Female: ovipositor upcurved; apex of ovipositor arrow-like, lateral margins slightly serrulated. Female genitalia: copulatory papilla cylindrical, slightly curved downwards in lateral view.

TYPE SPECIES. Neometrypus amazonus Desutter, 1988 .