Austronemobius, Hegg, 2024

Hegg, Danilo, 2024, Small crickets of New Zealand (Orthoptera: Grylloidea: Trigonidiidae and Mogoplistidae), with the description of two new genera and species, European Journal of Taxonomy 955 (1), pp. 1-87 : 36

Genus Austronemobius gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:35A147A3-82F6-41A2-8A43-532C479E6370

Type species

Austronemobius chelatus gen. et sp. nov.

Etymology

From the Latin ‘ austrālis ’ (adj.), ‘southern’, Austronemobius means ‘Southern Nemobius ’. Austronemobius is male gender.

Diagnosis

Medium-sized Nemobiinae , with body length between 5 and 8 mm. Forewings, hindwings and tympana absent in both sexes. Head small, about as tall as it is wide in frontal view, with large, bulging eyes. Pronotum patterned, with three glabrous, raised areas either side of the median line. Tibia III with three subapical spurs on both inner and outer edges in both sexes. Length of outer ventral apical spur on Tibia III approx. 80% to 90% that of inner ventral apical spur. Outer apical spur on Tarsomere III-1 long, approx. 80% that of inner apical spur. Male genitalia with long, external, articulated pseudepiphallic parameres, modified for clasping ( Fig. 19 ). Ovipositor with lateral valves dotted by numerous, small tubercles at the apex.

Habitat and ecology

Nocturnal, Austronemobius crickets live in moss and in damp leaf litter in forest habitat.

Figures

Fig. 19. Austronemobius chelatus gen. et sp. nov., ♂ genitalia. A. Microscope image of pseudepiphallic sclerite, dorsal view. Heaphy River, Kahurangi National Park (NZAC 03037182). B–F. Micro CT scans. St Arnaud, Nelson Lakes National Park (MPN OR0190). B. Ventral view. C. Longitudinal cross section, posterior-lateral view (45º angle). D. Longitudinal cross section, lateral view. E. Exterior, dorsal view. F. Exterior lateral view. Scale bars = 500 μm.