Arachnomimus Saussure, 1897

Jaiswara, Ranjana & Desutter-Grandcolas, Laure, 2021, The genus Arachnomimus Saussure, 1897 (Orthoptera: Phalangopsidae) in India with description of a new subgenus and species from a cave in Chhattisgarh India, Zootaxa 4965 (1), pp. 167-180 : 169-170

Arachnomimus Saussure, 1897

Type species. Arachnopsis nietneri Saussure, 1878

Included species. In addition to Arachnomimus jayanti Jaiswara, sp. nov. described here, 11 species are recognized presently in the genus (Cigliano et al. 2021): A. amboinensis ( Karsch, 1886) , A. annulicornis Chopard, 1936 , A. aureopubescens Wiendl, 1970 , A. bicolor Chopard, 1928 , A. brevipalpis Chopard, 1969 , A. istrapura Gorochov, 2003 , A. jacobsoni Chopard, 1924 , A. lepidus Chopard, 1969 , A. maindroni ( Chopard, 1969) , A. microphtalmus Chopard, 1929 , A. nietneri ( Saussure, 1878) .

Two subgenera have been defined by Gorochov (1996), i.e., subgenus Euarachnomimus Gorochov, 1996 (for amboinensis ) and subgenus Arachnomimus Saussure, 1897 (for the other 10 species). Here, according to unique characters of male genitalia, we define the subgenus Arachnomimus Indimimus Desutter-Grandcolas & Jaiswara , subgen. nov., for A. jayanti Jaiswara sp. nov. (type species) and A. annulicornis Chopard, 1936 . Species known by females only ( aureopubescens , brevipalpis , maindroni , micropthalmus) or which male genitalia have not been described yet ( jacobsoni ), should be classified incertae sedis within the genus Arachnomimus .

Distribution. Apart from one species described from Brazil ( A. aureopubescens , which female syntypes have not been re-examined since its description), Arachnomimus is distributed from Indian subcontinent to Indonesia in the Southeast Asia ( Fig. 1 ). Five species are from Sri Lanka ( annulicornis , bicolor , brevipalpis , istrapura , nietneri ), two from Malaysia ( jacobsoni , microphtalmus ) and one from Ambon, Indonesia ( amboinensis ). Three species are distributed in India, i.e., lepidus and maindroni in Tamil Nadu (South India), and jayanti Jaiswara sp. nov. in Chhattisgarh (Central India).

Arachnomimus Euarachnomimus is known from Ambon island, Arachnomimus Arachnomimus is known from India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia and Arachnomimus Indimimus Desutter-Grandcolas & Jaiswara , subgen. nov. is known only from India.

Habitat. Known from caves ( Karsch, 1886). Arachnomimus has not been observed at night outside caves, but it seems to colonize mainly cave twilight zone.

Key to subgenera of Arachnomimus Saussure, 1897

1. Male genitalia: Pseudepiphallic parameres directly related to inner side of pseudepiphallic ‘arms’, making two large distal structures ( Fig. 2A ).................................................................................... 2

Male genitalia: Pseudepiphallic parameres independent from pseudepiphallic ‘arms’ ( Fig. 2B )............................................................................... Indimimus Desutter-Grandcolas & Jaiswara , subgen. nov.

2. Male genitalia compact, wider than long.................................. subgen. Euarachnomimus Gorochov, 1996

Male genitalia less compact, longer than wide................................ subgen. Arachnomimus Saussure, 1897

Key to the Indian species of Arachnomimus Saussure, 1897

1. Size smaller (FIII <15 mm). Face and cheeks black, shining. Pro, meso, metanotum and first two abdominal tergites blackish with yellow posterior margins........................................................ A. lepidus Chopard, 1969

Large species (FIII> 17 mm). Face and cheeks brown, pronotum and tergite coloration different...................... 2

2. Head whitish above, occiput brown. DD whitish with a wide brown band along the anterior margin. Meso and metanotum rufous brown with whitish posterior margins. Tergites yellowish with about 10 brown spots disposed in a longitudinal line................................................................................ A. maindroni Chopard, 1969

Head light brown. Pronotum with light brown pyriform inscriptions. Pro, meso and metanotum either of the color of body or with light brown patches dorsally. Posterior margin of mesonotum lined with very thin yellowish-brown band; posterior margin of metanotum with a wide, white band. Tergites of abdomen either completely dark brown or light brown ornamented with dark brown spots..................................................................... A. jayanti Jaiswara sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution map of Arachnomimus species in Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Arachnomimus (Arachnomimus) aureopubescens Wiendl, 1970 with its type locality in Lençóis Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil is not shown here.

FIGURE 2. Male genitalia of (A) Arachnomimus nietneri (Saussure, 1878) and (B) A. annulicornis Chopard, 1936. Images adapted from Chopard’s (1936) Fig. 13. Structures highlighted in pink represent pseudepiphallic sclerite and in green pseudepiphallic paramere.