Juliana Chamorro-Rengifo

The phallus in Tettigoniidae (Insecta: Orthoptera: Ensifera): revision of morphology and terminology, and discussion on its taxonomic importance and evolution

The phallus in Tettigoniidae (katydids) is a structure informative relative to the systematics of the group. Despite this, it is often not considered in descriptions of taxa. The lack of adequate descriptions of phalli is not only a gap for sytematic and morphological studies, but postpones works on the evolution of copula. Here we study the exoskeletal morphology of the phallus in katydids, its components, and revised the terminology for them. We carried out dissections for morphological comparisons, and complement the observational information with published data. We stained phalli of katydids with chlorazol black, to better contrast membranous versus sclerotized components. We demonstrate that phallic components vary at specific, generic and suprageneric levels, and that internal and external components vary in number, shape, size and position. Currently there is little comparative data to support hypotheses on the evolution of this structure, but possibly the possession of a titillator is an ancestral condition. We identify additional sclerotized components, the sclerites of the ventral fold of the dorsal lobe, which can modify the shape and function of the titillator, being also important for understanding the evolution of the phallus. Potential functional relationships based on hypothetical morphological correlations between the shape of titillator and cerci are proposed, categorized in three main groups: (i) phallus devoid of titillator and cerci simple, (ii) titillator with bifurcated or paired sclerites, and cerci adapted for grasping, and (iii) titillator with single process and/or sclerite and cerci simple, sometimes with a pointed tip. Two explanations for these hypothetical morphological correlations and morphological variation are proposed: first, species with similar structures at the postabdomen would share similar copulatory behaviour, and second, more than one selective pressure would have acted over the structures of the postabdomen.

Curious Katydids from the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador: Three New Species, a New Genus and Acoustic Baffles

Abstract Four katydid species are treated taxonomically and/or acoustically. Two new species of Ecuaneduba are described from Colombia: E. gambitaensis sp. nov. and E. inzaensis sp. nov. A closely related new species from Ecuador is placed in a new cognate genus: Acanthoraculus milagro gen. et sp. nov.; its call is analysed and also the calls of Ecuaneduba aequatorialis. Since these genera, Ecuaneduba and Acanthoraculus, comprise at present the only New World representatives of the subfamily Hexacentrinae, we include them in their own tribe Ecuanedubini. A similar situation exists for a small group of Mecopodinae, for which the tribe Tabariini is proposed. Pronotal shapes, subnotal and subtegminal spaces — adapted for sound generation — are diverse in these four taxa; costal fields may function as acoustic baffles that reduce short-circuiting.

Systematics of spiny predatory katydids (Tettigoniidae: Listroscelidinae) from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest based on morphology and molecular data.

Listroscelidinae (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) are insectivorous Pantropical katydids whose taxonomy presents a long history of controversy, with several genera incertae sedis. This work focused on species occurring in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, one of the worlds most threatened biomes. We examined material deposited in scientific collections and visited 15 conservation units from Rio de Janeiro to southern Bahia between November 2011 and January 2012, catching 104 specimens from 10 conservation units. Based on morphological and molecular data we redefined Listroscelidini, adding a new tribe, new genus and eight new species to the subfamily. Using morphological analysis, we redescribed and added new geographic records for six species, synonymized two species and built a provisional identification key for the Atlantic Forest Listroscelidinae. Molecular results suggest two new species and a new genus to be described, possibly by the fission of the genus Hamayulus. We also proposed a 500 bp region in the final portion of the COI to be used as a molecular barcode. Our data suggest that the Atlantic Forest Listroscelidinae are seriously endangered, because they occur in highly preserved forest remnants, show high rates of endemism and have a narrow geographic distribution. Based on our results, we suggest future collection efforts must take into account the molecular barcode data to accelerate species recognition.

The secret stridulatory file under the right tegmen in katydids (Orthoptera, Ensifera, Tettigonioidea).

Males of most species of crickets and katydids produce species-specific calling songs to attract conspecific females. The typical stridulatory apparatus of the Ensifera consists of a file-and-scraper system in the basal dorsal region of the forewings (tegmina): the file on the underside of the cubital vein of one tegmen is composed of a series of lamelliform teeth and is run against the sclerotized scraper at the edge of the other tegmen. The region directly distal of the cubital vein is often thin and glassy and serves to amplify and spread the sound. In stridulating crickets the tegmina are quite symmetrical with both the left and the right one containing a file, which is considered the ancestral condition (Béthoux 2012). Most of these crickets adopted a right-over-left wing overlap and use only the right file. The few extant species of the ancient group Hagloidea have bilaterally symmetrical tegmina, both with functional files, and individual males can change the overlap (Morris & Gwynne 1978). Katydids are distinguished by a left-over-right wing overlap, with a stridulatory file on the underside of the left tegmen, and a scraper on the right one, which usually is also equipped with a mirror as resonating structure.

The Chromosomes of Phlugis proxima Bruner (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae) and Discussion on Chromosomal Patterns in Meconematinae

ABSTRACT: The first cytogenetic analysis of Phlugis Stål, 1861, Phlugis proxima Bruner, 1915, revealed 2n♂ = 27, X0 and 2n♀ = 28, XX. Some tribe-specific chromosomal patterns are assigned to Meconematinae: 1) In Phlugidini, the X chromosome is metacentric and the largest chromosome of the karyotype; 2) In Phisidini, the X chromosome is telo/acrocentric, and largest element only in species with exclusively telocentric autosomes; 3) In Meconematini, three genera have an acrocentric X element and members of Xiphidiopsis Redtenbacher, 1891 exhibit a metacentric X chromosome; 4) The Australian Phlugidini showed 2n♂ = 29 and the Neotropical P. proxima 2n♂ = 27; 5) Phisidini, except one species, is characterized by lower diploid numbers (2n♂ = 19, 21 or 23); 6) Meconematini, except one presumed parthenogenetic species, is characterized by higher diploid numbers (2n♂ = 33, 31 or 27). No telomeric interstitial sites were observed, indicating a possible ancient chromosome fusion in the origin of the P. proxima karyotype

Phlugis ocraceovittata and its ultrasonic calling song (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae, Phlugidini).

Some observations on the small predatory katydid Phlugis ocraceovittata Piza 1960 from southern Brazil are presented. A male was calling both day and night, producing long uniformly structured sequences with maximum energy between 40 and 60 kHz. According to anecdotal and indirect evidence the species is not exclusively predacious and can live partly also on vegetable food.

Two new genera of predatory katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Meconematinae) from the Amazon rainforest

Meconematinae comprise small predatory katydids. There are currently seven genera and 58 species recorded for the Neotropical region. Two new genera of Phlugidini are described from the Amazon region, Arboraptor gen. nov., type species Arboraptor viridis sp. nov., and Tyrannoraptor gen. nov., type species Tyrannoraptor arboreus (Nickle, 2003) n. comb. A key to the Neotropical genera of Phlugidini is included and we provide a map showing the known distribution plus comments on their behavior observed during fieldwork.

Caetitus gen. nov.: a new genus of Neotropical Copiphorini (Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae: Copiphorini) to include C. porteri (Bolivar, 1903)

Daedalellus porteri (Bolivar, 1903) was described based on a single broken female holotype collected in an undetermined locality in Brazil. This species is herein redescribed based on two males and one female collected in Caetité, Bahia State, Brazil, including its morphology of fastigium and male terminalia. Based on comparisons to other Daedalellus species and Neotropical Copiphorini genera, the new monotypic genus Caetitus gen. nov. is herein proposed. Caetitus porteri comb. nov. differs from species of Daedalellus and other related genera, such as Panacanthus, Copiphora, Borinquenula, and Lirometopum, mainly due to differences of the fastigium and male external terminalia.

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.

Bucrates lanista Rehn 1918 (Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae): The First Record from the Brazilian Pantanal, the First Description of the Male, the First Karyotypic Report for the Genus, and the First Telomeric Hybridization of the Subfamily

Bucrates lanista, the most southerly distributed species in the genus Bucrates Burmeister, was originally described from Brazil based on a female collected in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, but the species has not been recorded since 1918. In this work, we report that B. lanista inhabits the Pantanal Wetland in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul and, for the first time, describe the male. Individuals of B. lanista are gregarious and present a brown/green color dimorphism; this behavior and color variation are also observed in species of closely related genera. Individuals from the Pantanal vary slightly from those of Rio Grande do Sul. The karyotype was determined to be 2n♂ = 21 = 20 + X0 and 2n♀ = 22 = 20 + XX. The X chromosome is metacentric and the largest of the complement, and all of the autosomes are submetacentrics. All chromosomes solely present telomeric (TTAGG)n repeats at their ends, and some chromosomes present positive and negative DAPI bands.