Fiancogryllacris Cadena-Castañeda, 2024

Cadena-Castañeda, Oscar J. & Quintana-Arias, Ronald Fernando, 2024, Studies of Raspy Crickets: The Status of the Wingless American gryllacridines (Orthoptera: Gryllacrididae), Zootaxa 5419 (4), pp. 563-583 : 570-574

Fiancogryllacris Cadena-Castañeda n. gen.

Type species. Fiancogryllacris rivimeridionalis ( Karny, 1937) n. comb., here designated.

Etymology. This new genus is dedicated to our dear friend and orthopterist Marcos Fianco (Universidade Federal do Paraná). The gender of the name is being established as neuter.

Description. Small to medium size (body length 12–15 mm). Coloration. Body ocher, without distinctive spots or stripes ( Figs. 4–7 ). Head. Space between antennal sockets 1.5 times wider than the antennal scape; ocelli yellow, rounded, and small; maxillary palps elongated, third and fifth segment similar in size, fourth segment a little smaller than the previous ones, fifth segment dilated at the apex; labial palpi slim, apex of the last segment noticeably dilated and with rounded apex ( Fig. 4A ). Thorax. Pronotum narrow and smooth, with quadrangular disc, anterior margin rounded, posterior margin almost straight ( Fig. 4B ); lateral lobes rectangular, wider than high, with V-sulcation decided; auditory spiracle below the lower margin of the lateral lobe of the pronotum armed with a conical fold, attached on the mesothorax ( Fig. 4A ). Sternum lobes are rounded and narrow, without prolongations; mesosternum quadrangular with the anterior margin 1.5 wider than the posterior one; metasternum triangular and narrow. Legs. Fore coxa armed with a spine dorsally. Fore and mid femora unarmed; fore and middle tibiae with four medium-sized spurs on each ventral margin and one spur on each side of the ventral-apex ( Figs. 4A, B ); hind femur ventrally armed with 5–6 small and dark spines; hind tibia armed with small spines dorsally, apex with three spurs on each side, being the upper and mid one the longer and similar in length ( Fig. 4A ). Wings. Alar rudiments on meso- and metanotum present. Abdomen. Stridulatory apparatus present on the sides of the first and second tergites. Last tergite is moderately divided dorsally in the middle by a thinner area in comparison to the rest of the segment ( Figs. 4C, D ); posterior margin with a short bifid extension, distally with two spines ( Figs. 4C, E ); on the lateral margins of the posterior margin scapula-shaped, inner rounded, and with a spine, and outer angled ( Fig. 4D ). Cerci almost cylindrical and shorth ( Figs. 4C, D ). Paraprocts and epiproct unmodified. Subgenital plate quadrangular, little divided at apex and without stylli ( Fig. 4E ).

Female. Tenth tergite without modification. Cerci cylindrical and thin ( Figs. 4A , 6A, B ); ovipositor almost as long as the hind femur, slightly curving upward, margins smooth, apex slightly pointed ( Figs. 5A, B , 6A, B ). Subgenital plate triangular without modifications, apex rounded.

Distribution. Southern Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná states, and possibly São Paulo.

Comparison. Fiancogryllacris n. gen., superficially could be confused with other genera and species of wingless grillacrids, but is distinguished from the other American members of the tribe Gryllacridini , by the absence of stylli on the male subgenital plate ( Figs. 4E ). No other genera known in the region has a bifid projection that protrudes in the middle of the last abdominal segment ( Fig. 4C, E ). The most similar, but probably analogous, are the projections of the Asian species of the genera Diaphanogryllacris Karny, 1937 and Microlarnaca Gorochov, 2004 .

The new genus is differentiated from Neortus stat. resurr., because it lacks the denticulations of the posterior margin of the last tergite ( Fig. 4D ). Fiancogryllacris n. gen., do not have brown or black bands on the thorax and abdomen, as occurs in Camptonotus species ( Fig. 7 ).

Fiancogryllacris n. gen., differs by Camposgryllacris n. gen. (two genera with similar distribution that could overlap), the fore and middle tibiae have four ventral spurs on each ventral margin, and the hind femur is slender ( Figs. 4A, B , 5A, C , 6A, B ); in contrast, Camposgryllacris n. gen., which only has three spurs on each ventral margin of the fore and middle tibiae, and a very robust hind femur.

Specimens studied. Male. Brasil, Paraná. Guaratuba, Estr. Castelhanos, Rio São João , 300 m. 25°48’44’’S, 48°54’56’’W. 01-II-2007. P. Grossi .

Measurements. LB: 15, Pr: 3, HF: 11, HT: 10, SP: 1.5.

Comments. The type species of this new genus was originally included in Neoeremus , so it is proposed here as a new combination, becoming effective: Fiancogryllacris rivimeridionalis ( Karny, 1937) n. comb. (= Neoeremus rivimeridionalis Karny, 1937 ). This species was described based on two syntype females, labeled as “Rio Gr. Do Sul, Stieglmayr”, which were studied by T.H. Hubbell, who designated a lectotype that was not formally published, only accompanies one of the specimens on handwritten red labels. We will follow Hubbell’s designation, the female specimen with the handwritten label “To be designated lectotype T.H. Hubbell 1960.” We officially designate it as lectotype ( Fig. 5 ), and the second female with the recurved abdomen and open jaws is selected as paralectotype ( Fig. 6 ).

On the other hand, another species that fit the diagnostic characters of the males of this genus is Neanias americanus Bruner, 1915 , the only male type was lost, and its location has not been traced since its original description, in a similar way as has happened with some species described by Lawrence Bruner, which were exchanged to the ANSP collection, for type specimens of Lepidoptera ( Cadena-Castañeda & Cortes-Torres 2013). For this reason, N. americanus , currently included in Camptonotus , must belong to Fiancogryllacris n. gen., the status of nomen dubium is suggested, as the type specimen is lost, and it is possibly the same species as F. rivimeridionalis n. comb., since it is distributed close to the known distribution of the latter species ( Map 2 ).

Figures

MAP 2. Camposgryllacris australis n. comb. and Fiancogryllacris rivimeridionalis n. comb., distribution.

FIGURE 4. Fiancogryllacris rivimeridionalis (Karny, 1937) n. comb., male. A. Habitus in lateral and, B. dorsal views. C. Terminalia in dorsal, D axial and, E ventral views respectively.

FIGURE 5. Fiancogryllacris rivimeridionalis (Karny, 1937) n. comb., female lectotype. A. Habitus in lateral and, B. dorsal views. C. Head and thorax in lateral view. D. Labels. (© H. Braun).

FIGURE 6. Fiancogryllacris rivimeridionalis (Karny, 1937) n. comb., female paralectotype. A–B. Habitus in lateral and, C. dorsal views. D. Frons and fore legs. E. Labels. (© H. Braun).

FIGURE 7. Fiancogryllacris rivimeridionalis (Karny, 1937) n. comb., female alive. (© M. Fianco).