Studies on chevron crickets: Morphological redescription of Chilean red cricket Cratomelus armatus Blanchard, 1851 (Orthoptera: Anostostomatidae).

An updated diagnosis for Cratomelus is provided, accompanied by a key to the identification of species. Cratomelus armatus is redescribed, including the genital structures, which were unknown until now, being a significant contribution to the morphological differentiation of this taxon of chevron crickets, giving additional data that will allow the future to differentiate them from the other anostostomatids of the world.

Studies on Neotropical crickets: A new Anurogryllina genus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Gryllinae).

Andeogryllus n. gen. including two new species from the inter-Andean slopes and valleys of the Magdalena and Cauca rivers of Colombia are described. This new genus is similar to Zebragryllus in their habitus, differed by not have white stripes on the body or antennae and by a modified pseudoepiphallic sclerite. The genus Atsigryllus (Atsigryllae group) is located in the subtribe Anurogryllina, highlighting the secondary reduction of the median lobe. An updated key is provided for the genera of the subtribe Anurogryllina and the species of the new genus.

Studies on Neotropical crickets: New species and notes on the classification of Field Crickets genera Anurogryllus and Gryllus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Gryllinae).

In this contribution to the American Field and Short-tail crickets, two new species from the continental and insular area of Colombia are described. Anurogryllus (Urogryllus) edithsantosum n. sp. from the Meta department, is more related to some Caribbean species, and its genital structure fits the morphological current definition of the subgenus Urogryllus, although it has pseudepiphallic median lophi covered with hairs, as it happens in the species of the subgenus Pilosogryllus. The same way, Gryllus (Gryllus) providiensis n. sp. from Providencia Island, San Andres Archipelago is described, this new species has thick hairs on the pronotum as Gryllus (Gryllus) assimilis (widely distributed in America), as well as the color pattern of the cephalic capsule; but the new species is smaller in size, and has a particular organization in the harp veins of the tegmina, which only resembles Gryllus (Gryllus) marchena from the Galapagos Archipelago (Ecuador), from which it differs markedly in its morphology. Finally, the status of the Gryllus species, distributed in Latin America and the Caribbean, is reviewed, and it is recorded which species have acoustic records, and from here we start with the review of this peculiar genus in Latin America.

Studies on Raspy Crickets: A new Andean Hyperbaenini genus (Orthoptera: Gryllacrididae: Hyperbaeninae).

Mikrohyperbaenus n. gen. is the first Andean genus for the tribe Hyperbaenini, the other genera such as Hyperbaenus and Dibelona inhabit the low and humid lands of South America. The new genus is distinguished by the structure of the male terminalia and the apex of the labial and maxillary palps, which are unusually naked or without the cuticle, that covers the other body segments. Mikrohyperbaenus n. gen. is a monotypic genus, found in the surroundings of the Zapatoca municipality, Santander, Colombia, a territory inhabited in the past by the Guane indigenous people, for which the new species Mikrohyperbaenus guane n. gen. et n. sp. is dedicated to that particular Pre-columbian indigenous people.

Colonization of different biomes drove the diversification of the Neotropical Eidmanacris crickets (Insecta: Orthoptera: Grylloidea: Phalangopsidae).

The phylogeny of the cricket genus Eidmanacris is used to analyse its historical distribution and diversification in three South American biomes: Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, and Chiquitano Dry Forest. A morphological phylogeny with all the 29 species of Eidmanacris and the Geographically explicit Event Model (GEM) is used to explain their colonization and diversification through three different biomes and their ancestral habitats and distributional areas. We analysed ecologically-significant characters, such as body size and metanotal characters, to test whether if morphology, habitat, or behaviour are connected. The relations of these features with the colonisation of wetter or drier biomes based on the distributional area, phylogeny and diversity of the genus were also tested. The results show that the ancestral distribution of the genus was the Atlantic Forest, and that biome occupancy, habitat, size, and mating behaviour evolved congruently through the phylogeny, drawing a coherent pattern of changes through Eidmanacris evolution toward the colonisation of drier biomes. Our results indicate that gallery forests could play a key role in the distribution and diversification of Eidmanacris species.

A Novel Head Capsule Labial Gland Lobe in the Black Field Cricket (Orthoptera: Gryllidae).

We describe a pair of labial gland lobes on either side of the retrocerebral complex in the head of the Australian black field cricket, Teleogryllus commodus Walker. As the retrocerebral complex includes the corpora cardiaca and corpora allata, hormones secreted by these glands can be absorbed by these lobes. These lobes of the labial gland are connected to the thoracic lobes via a relatively long duct that enters the main duct draining the thoracic lobes. Measurement of the flow rate of dye from head to thorax in the ducts is rapid, suggesting that these glands may serve as a transport system into the thoracic region. Both serotonin and adipokinetic hormone are shown to be present in the lobes near the retrocerebral complex and the ducts of the thoracic lobes, but whether this connection between the head and thorax acts as a hormone transporter is still unclear.

The Tree Cricket Neoxabea brevipes Rehn, 1913 (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Oecanthinae) from the Brazilian southern Atlantic Forest: morphology, bioacoustics and cytogenetics.

In this paper we improve the morphological description of the tree cricket Neoxabea brevipes Rehn, 1913 and a new occurrence record for the species at the São Francisco de Paula National Forest Conservation Unit, State of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. Morphological characterization is provided together with illustrations emphasizing the most significant diagnostic features, such as the metanotal gland, abdominal specializations and phallic sclerites. The calling song was field recorded, comprising a continuous trill with dominant frequency of 3.6 kHz (19.7°C). The karyotype was described for the first time to Neoxabea Kirby, 1906, including diploid number of 2n=26, with two sexual chromosomes.

First Occurrence and Paleo-Ecological Implications of Insects (Orthoptera: Ensifera Gryllidae) in the Romualdo Member of the Santana Formation, Eo-Cretaceous of the Araripe Basin.

The Romualdo Member of the Santana Formation, a lithostatigraphic unit attributed to a marine intrusion, is famous for its preserved fossils in calcareous concretions, which stand out for their diversity and excellent preservation levels. This paper aims to record the first occurrence of the Class Insecta in the Romualdo Member of the Santana Formation of the Araripe Basin, as well as to describe and discuss the paleo-ecological implications of such finding. The first occurrence of the order Orthoptera (family Gryllidae) is presented for this unit. This new species is attributed to the genus Araripegryllus, that lasted throughout the deposition of the Crato Member, which is under the Romualdo Member. In reference to its statigraphic origin, the specimens was named Araripegryllus romualdoi sp. nov.

New species of tree cricket Oecanthus Serville, 1831 (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Oecanthinae) from Reserva Natural Vale, Espírito Santo, Brazil, with chromosome complement.

A new species of the genus Oecanthus Serville, 1831 from Reserva Natural Vale, state of Espírito Santo, Brazil is described. The new species differs from other of this genus in characteristics of the pseudepiphallus main lobe, endophallic sclerites, posterior median lobe of the metanotal gland and black spots on the femora and tibiae. The chromosome number is 2n=16+XY♂=18 and 2n=16+XX♀=18, and this complement present one pair of autosomes less than the other five cytological studied species.

First occurrence of Nemobiinae crickets in the Lesser Antilles (Orthoptera, Grylloidea, Trigonidiidae), with the descriptions of three new species.

The occurrence of Nemobiinae crickets (Grylloidea, Trigonidiidae) in the Lesser Antilles is attested here for the first time, by the descriptions of three new species of Absonemobius Desutter-Grandcolas, 1993 from Guadeloupe, St. Lucia and St. Vincent: Absonemobius septentrion n. sp., Absonemobius lucensis n. sp. and Absonemobius vincenti n. sp., and the discovery of Hygronemobius Hebard, 1913 in Guadeloupe. The generic attribution of several nemobiine species described from the Caribbean and from Southern Central America are also reviewed: Nemobius elegans Otte, 2006 from Costa Rica and Pteronemobius sanaco Otte & Perez-Gelabert, 2009 described from Belize are transferred to Hygronemobius; Hygronemobius darienicus Hebard, 1913 described from Panama is transferred to Absonemobius Desutter-Grandcolas, 1993; Hygronemobius epia Otte & Perez-Gelabert, 2009 does not belong to Hygronemobius, but is temporarily kept in this genus as incertae sedis.

A new genus of predatory katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Listroscelidinae) from the Amazonian Rainforest.

Most of the predatory katydids Listroscelidini species known were described from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Here a new genus and species from the Amazonian Rainforest is described. Based on its morphological characteristics, this new genus represents an intermediate form between two closely related genera, Listroscelis Serville and Monocerophora Walker.

A new genus and species of cricket from the Chapada Diamantina National Park, northeastern Brazil (Grylloidea: Phalangopsidae; Luzarinae).

A new genus and species of Luzarinae cricket (Grylloidea, Phalangopsidae) is described from the Chapada Diamantina National Park, Bahia State, northeast Brazil. Sishiniheia diamantina, n. gen. n. sp. is described based in characters of external morphology and male genitalia and is characterized by the reduced FWs, absence of stridulatory file, thick longitudinal venation and the thin, pointed and curved pseudepiphallic arms.

A new species of Eidmanacris Chopard, 1956, with notes on its distribution in Brazilian caves (Phalangopsidae, Luzarinae).

The genus Eidmanacris comprises 19 species distributed through Brazil, Bolivia ad Paraguay. In Brazil, the genus has a broad distribution, but its occurrence in Brazilian caves is poorly known; the only species recorded is E. alboannulata for the cave "Gruta da Toca", Itirapina municipality, São Paulo State. In this study I describe a species, E. lencionii Bolfarini, n. sp., with a discussion on its distribution in Brazilian caves, and its relation with the hypogean environment. The type material is deposited in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo (MZSP) and the Laboratório de Estudos Subterrâneos da Universidade Federal de São Carlos (LES/UFSCar).

Little walking leaves from southeast Ecuador: biology and taxonomy of Typophyllum species (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae, Pterochrozinae).

Eight katydid species of the leaf-mimicking specialist genus Typophyllum were found in the southeast of Ecuador in an area comprising part of the eastern Andean cordillera and foothills toward the Cordillera del Cóndor in elevations between 850 and 3000 m. They are described along with the peculiar calling songs and other interesting aspects of their biology. Three of these species are new: T. morrisi sp. nov., T. onkiosternum sp. nov. and T. vignoni sp. nov. A fourth species represented by a single male is possibly new as well. In males and females of a species considered as identical with T. egregium Hebard 1924, which was previously known from a unique female specimen, was found a remarkable variation of coloration, in addition to the striking sexual dimorphism typical for the genus, with the females being twice as large as the small males. The latter is related to the curious mating behaviour, which is documented for this species and T. erosifolium Walker 1870. The two other species found in the region are T. bolivari Vignon 1925 and T. mortuifolium Walker 1870. The calling songs of four species were recorded. In T. erosifolium and T. morrisi sp. nov. the sounds are almost pure sine waves at the lower boundary of ultrasound. In T. egregium and T. onkiosternum sp. nov. the spectrum of the carrier frequency is broader, which might be related to lower and denser vegetation at higher elevation. Based on the intraspecific variety found in T. egregium and T. erosifolium, which includes variation in tegmina shape and venation pattern, are established several syonymies among Typophyllum species from western South America. T. erosifolium is found to be identical with T. peruvianum Pictet 1888 syn. nov. Additionally are considered identical T. inflatum Vignon 1925 and T. gibbosusm Vignon 1925 syn. nov., T. trigonum Vignon 1925 and T. quadriincisum Vignon 1925 syn. nov., and finally T. lacinipenne Enderlein 1917 and T. acutum Vignon 1925 syn. nov. and T. undulatum Caudell 1918 syn. nov. The discussion treats the problematic taxonomy of the little walking leaves, bioacoustics, the pre-copulatory riding behaviour, the sophisticated mimesis, and very briefly the uncertain position within the katydid phylogeny.

New species of Eidmanacris Chopard, 1956 from Brazil (Orthoptera: Phalangopsidae: Luzarinae).

With 15 described species, Eidmanacris is one of the largest Luzarinae genera from South America. In Brazil, 12 species occur in two large biomes, the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado. Here, we describe four new species of Eidmanacris from Brazil: E. bernardii Nihei & de Mello, n. sp., E. papaveroi Nihei & de Mello, n. sp., E. simoesi Nihei & de Mello, n. sp., and E. eliethae Nihei & de Mello, n. sp., from Cerrado (E. bernardii n. sp.), and the other from Atlantic Forest. The type material is deposited in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo (MZSP) and the Zoology Department Insect Colletion (Coleção de Insetos do Departamento de Zoologia), Botucatu campus of São Paulo State University, UNESP.

A new species of tree crickets Oecanthus (Orthoptera, Gryllidae, Oecanthinae) in tobacco plantation from Southern Brazil, with body color variation.

We provide herein a description of a new species of Oecanthus collected from the tobacco plantation in southern Brazil, municipality of São Lourenço do Sul, State of Rio Grande do Sul. Description focused metanotal gland features, phallic sclerites, and calling song. A large sampling of individuals was distributed into four groups according to body and appendages color and dotted. We also rank all kind of marks present in the scape and pedicel. We compare linear morphometric variables of the metanotal glands and tegmina, as well as calling song parameters between groups in order do define all of them as the same species. Photographs and measurements are provided.

Endecous peruassuensis n. sp. (Orthoptera: Grylloidea: Phalangopsidae) from caves of Eastern Brazil: evidence of isolation in the subterranean realm and discussion about troglomorphisms.

We describe a new species of the genus Endecous Saussure (1878), recorded at the Lapa do Cipó and Olhos d'Água caves, which are located in the Itacarambi municipality, Minas Gerais state, Eastern Brazil. Another species, E. aguassay Mews, 2008 was recordedin the surroundings of the caves. The genus Endecous corresponds to the most common cricket in Brazilian hypogean environments. In general, these crickets inhabit the areas around cave entrances up to the aphotic zones of caves. The genus Endecous is the only cave cricket to present troglobiomorphosis, i.e., an apterous condition. The distribution of the new species is limited to these two caves, which suggests an endemism in this karst system similar to the distribution of other endemic animals, such as harvestmen and amblypygid arachnids. This species is the sixth troglobitic one described for Olhos d'Água cave, which sets this cave as a spot of subterranean fauna in Brazil.

Pizacris: a new genus and two new species of Luzarinae cricket close to Guabamima de Mello, 1992 and Mellopsis Mews & Sperber, 2010 (Orthoptera: Grylloidea: Luzarinae).

Here we describe a new genus and two new species of Luzarinae crickets (Grylloidea, Phalangopsidae) from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest of Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro States (Brazil). We describe Pizacris Souza-Dias & Desutter-Grandcolas, n. gen., transfer the species Mellopsis zefai Mews & Sperber, 2010 to P. zefai (Mews & Sperber, 2010) n. comb., redescribe this species based in topotypes and, since the type series is lost, designate a neotype. We also describe the second species of this genus, P. carioca Desutter-Grandcolas & Souza-Dias n. gen., n. sp. The new genus is characterized by the dark brown uniform coloration with strikingly white joints 4 and 5 of maxillary palpi, reduced FWs, without stridulatory file and, mainly, the absence of the pseudepiphallic arms in male phallic complex. We provide a brief discussion about the morphology of male genitalia in Pizacris Souza-Dias & Desutter-Grandcolas, n. gen. and related genera, Guabamima de Mello, 1992 and Mellopsis Mews & Sperber, 2010. We also provide an identification key for these genera and notes about the reproductive behavior of P. zefai (Mews & Sperber, 2010) n. comb.

Redescription of Argizala brasiliensis Walker, 1869 (Orthoptera: Grylloidea: Trigonidiidae: Nemobiinae: Pteronemobiini) and consideration of its morphological proximity to other Pteronemobiini Nearctic genera.

Although male crickets provide more informative characters for the delimitation of species and genera, many taxonomic descriptions are based only on females. This is the case for Argizala Walker, 1869 and its two valid species, A. brasiliensis Walker, 1869 and A. hebardi Rehn, 1915. We provide herein a redescription of A. brasiliensis based on a male collected in the Pampa Biome, Capão do Leão municipality, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. We present photographs of epitype and male genitalia, and discuss the diagnostic features of the genus and its morphological proximity to other Pteronemobiini Nearctic genera.

Body Size, Fecundity, and Sexual Size Dimorphism in the Neotropical Cricket Macroanaxipha macilenta (Saussure) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae).

Body size is directly or indirectly correlated with fitness. Body size, which conveys maximal fitness, often differs between sexes. Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) evolves because body size tends to be related to reproductive success through different pathways in males and females. In general, female insects are larger than males, suggesting that natural selection for high female fecundity could be stronger than sexual selection in males. I assessed the role of body size and fecundity in SSD in the Neotropical cricket Macroanaxipha macilenta (Saussure). This species shows a SSD bias toward males. Females did not present a correlation between number of eggs and body size. Nonetheless, there were fluctuations in the number of eggs carried by females during the sampling period, and the size of females that were collected carrying eggs was larger than that of females collected with no eggs. Since mating induces vitellogenesis in some cricket species, differences in female body size might suggest male mate choice. Sexual selection in the body size of males of M. macilenta may possibly be stronger than the selection of female fecundity. Even so, no mating behavior was observed during the field observations, including audible male calling or courtship songs, yet males may produce ultrasonic calls due to their size. If female body size in M. macilenta is not directly related to fecundity, the lack of a correlated response to selection on female body size could represent an alternate evolutionary pathway in the evolution of body size and SSD in insects.