Seselia Hugel & Desutter-Grandcolas, 2021

Hugel, Sylvain, Warren, Ben H. & Desutter-Grandcolas, Laure, 2021, The Phalangopsidae crickets (Orthoptera, Grylloidea) of the Seychelles Archipelago: Taxonomy of an ecological radiation, Zootaxa 5047 (3), pp. 201-246 : 211-213

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5047.3.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7052707F-306C-49F4-8BD1-C5BAD9F9C128
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5540757
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/EA4D6374-B94A-FF83-12D2-5C1A359FFA35
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Seselia Hugel & Desutter-Grandcolas
status	gen. nov.

Treatment

Genus Seselia Hugel & Desutter-Grandcolas View in CoL n. gen.

( Figs 3–9 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 View FIGURE 6 View FIGURE 7 View FIGURE 8 View FIGURE 9 )

Type species. Seselia coccofessei Hugel & Desutter-Grandcolas View in CoL , n. gen., n. sp., by original designation.

Distribution. South Western Indian Ocean, endemic to granitic Seychelles.

Included species. Seselia longicercata ( Bolivar, 1912) n. gen., n. comb [ Seychelles, Silhouette], Seselia patellifera ( Bolivar, 1912) n. gen., n. comb [ Seychelles, Mahé], Seselia matyoti Hugel & Desutter-Grandcolas , n. gen., n. sp. [ Seychelles, La Digue], Seselia coccofessei Hugel & Desutter-Grandcolas , n. gen., n. sp. [ Seychelles, Praslin]

Diagnosis. Cuticula not shiny; coloration with a retroocular light pattern continuing on DD lateral sides, often continuing on FW at the angle between dorsal and lateral fields and on abdominal tergites; legs weakly or not an nulated ( Figs 3–5 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 ). Eyes not particularly protruding. Fastigium alongside of head dorsum, not separated from head dorsum by a furrow. Median ocellus dorsal. Maxillary palpi relatively elongate; articles 3-4-5 about the same size. TI with a small inner tympanum, without outer tympanum. TIII with four inner and four outer subapical spurs; three inner and three outer apical spurs. FW slightly longer than pronotum, with only longitudinal veins, identical in males and females ( Fig. 6E–H View FIGURE 6 ). Male. FWs not reaching tergite 1 distal margin. Metanotal gland present ( Fig. 6I–L View FIGURE 6 ); subgenital plate hind margin pointing forward in the middle. Male genitalia ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 ): pseudepiphallic sclerite with a V-shaped distal emargination; pseudepiphallic parameres small, rounded, concave, the concavity facing the distal end. Female. Ovipositor slightly shorter than FIII. Female genitalia ( Fig. 9 View FIGURE 9 ): copulatory papilla weakly sclerotized more of less ring-shaped around a wide aperture.

Description. Size. Medium to large.

General morphology. Fastigium relatively wide, alongside of head dorsum, not separated from head dorsum by a furrow. Eyes not particularly protruding. Median ocellus dorsal, subapical on fastigium; lateral ocelli not very close to each other; distance between one lateral ocellus and median ocellus slightly greater than distance between lateral ocelli. Scape large. Maxillary palpi relatively elongate; articles 3, 4 and 5 about the same size; article 5 the longest, truncate apically. DD with inconspicuous furrows, not shiny; distal margin widely bordered with white setae; LL shallow; angle between DD and LL obtuse. TI with a small inner tympanum; without outer tympanum; two apical spurs similar in size. TII with three apical spurs; apical spurs of similar size or dorsal inner the longest; dorsal outer spur missing. FIII regular. TIII with four inner and four outer subapical spurs; three inner and three outer apical spurs, median spur the longest on both sides, median inner spur reaching the middle of basitarsomere III. TIII serrulated over their whole length with numerous, widely separate, very small spines. Basitarsomeres III very long; two rows of small dorsal spines. FW present and identical in males and females ( Fig. 6E–H View FIGURE 6 ); slightly longer than pronotum, with only longitudinal veins.

Coloration. Figs 3–5 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 , 6A–D View FIGURE 6 , 7 View FIGURE 7 . Variegated yellow and brown; face yellow and brown, wide dark sagittal bands below the eyes and below the fastigium; a faint light stripe below median ocellus, a retroocular light pattern continuing on DD lateral sides, often continuing on FW at the angle between dorsal and lateral fields and on abdominal tergites; legs weakly or not annulated, hind knees darker.

Male. Metanotal gland ( Fig. 6I–L View FIGURE 6 ) present, with one pad of setae on each side; setae sometimes also present on mesonotum. Supra anal plate without glandular areas. Subgenital plate hind margin pointing forward in the middle, forming a small triangular concavity at the distal end of the subgenital plate.

Male genitalia. Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 . Pseudepiphallic sclerite with a V-shaped distal emargination separating triangular pseudepiphallic median lophi (dorsal view); pseudepiphallic median lophi slightly upcurved dorsally (side view); pseudepiphallic parameres small, rounded, concave, the concavity facing the distal end; rami wide, contacting pseudepiphallic sclerite.

Female. Ovipositor slightly shorter than FIII.

Female genitalia. Fig. 9 View FIGURE 9 . Copulatory papilla weakly sclerotized, with three connected sclerites surrounding a large opening.

Habitat. Forest-dwelling species, mostly restricted to preserved forest. Most species are active by night on palm leaves. They hide during the day above the ground, on dry palm leaves.