Brachytrupes, Serville, 1838

Simeu-Noutchom, Alain, Heller, Klaus-Gerhard, Nyobe, Philene Corinne Aude Um & Kekeunou, Sevilor, 2023, Taxonomy review of the genus Brachytrupes (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) with the description of a new species and key to the species, Zootaxa 5336 (3), pp. 373-388 : 385-386

Key to species of genus Brachytrupes

1. Median ocellus absent, small species, body less than 30 mm long and length of hind fermur less than 15 mm ............. 2

- Median ocellus present, medium to large sized species, body more than 30 mm in length, and length of hind femur more than 15 mm .............................................................................................. 4

2. pronotum pale, saddle-shaped, forewings shiny............................................ Brachytrupes testaceus

- pronotum blackish, undulating surface, forewings dark brown.................................................. 3

3. cheeks reddish brown and black marking below each eye absent............................ Brachytrupes calaharicus

- cheeks pale brown with a black marking below each eye...................................... Brachytrupes politus

4 - medium sized species, body length between 30 mm and 40mm, hind femur between 15 and 22 mm in length............. 5

- large sized species, body length more than 40 mm, hind femur more than 20 mm in length........................... 8

5. brownish body, tegmina not reaching the end of the abdomen.................................................. 6

- yellowish body, tegmina extending beyond the abdomen...................................................... 7

6 - pronotum wider than long, anteriorly subdilated, and median line in the fore half absent, wings barely reaching the middle of the abdomen..................................................................... Brachytrupes grandidieri

- pronotum longer than broad, not subdilated anteriorly, with a short smooth pale median line in the fore half, wings extending beyond the apex of tegmina........................................................... Brachytrvpes chopardi

7. Immense head, broader than pronotum in front; pronotum quite short, mirror more sharply angled anteriorly and its dividing vein arched.................................................................... Brachytrupes megacephalus

- small head, broad as the enlarged pronotum in front, pronotum quite long, mirror, more rounded and its dividing vein regular............................................................................. Brachytrupes mauritanicus

8. tegmina extending beyond the abdomen, pronotum black above................................................ 9

- tegmina not extending beyond of the abdomen, pronotum brown or pale above................................... 10

9- pronotum sinuous or wrinkled, widened anteriorly and narrow posteriorly, hind femora distinctly longer............... 11

- pronotum smooth and black, with a yellow spot on the lateral margin, posterior margin as wide as the anterior; hind femora distinctly shorter than in others huge species...................................... Brachytrupes bapaensis sp. nov.

10. reddish body, brown pronotum sinuate, and furrowed in the middle....................... Brachytrupes acuminipennis

- light fawn body, pale yellow pronotum and smooth......................................... Brachytrvpes tropicus

11 - blackish-chestnut body; black front head, head anteriorly compressed and trituberculate, pronotum without spots above, hind legs black, hairy at the back........................................................... Brachytrupes vastatrix

- yellow body; black and white front head, head anteriorly wider and most excavated, pronotum with 2 pyriform red spots above. Hind leg brown to yellow with little or hairless at the back................................... Brachytrupes colosseus