Marcelo Ribeiro Pereira

Litter disturbance and trap spatial positioning affects the number of captured individuals and genera of crickets (Orthoptera: Grylloidea)

Abstract There are several factors that may affect sampling with pitfall traps. Here we test the hypothesis that the mere walking of the researcher proximate to the traps could cause an increment in the capture of crickets. This would occur if the walking provoked vibration in the litter, to which crickets showed a jumping response, thus falling into the pitfall traps. We mounted 126 traps in 14 groups of nine. The traps within a group were positioned in three parallel rows of three traps each, one meter apart from each other. Each group of nine traps was separated from the other groups by at least 5 m. Each group of nine traps was submitted to one of seven levels of disturbance frequency. Exposure time was 7 d for all traps. Treatments (disturbance frequencies) were allocated randomly among trap groups. For the data analyses we adjusted mixed-effects polynomial models. We captured 723 cricket individuals, distributed in 10 genera, most in the nymphal stage. As expected, the number of captured individuals, as well as the number of genera, increased with disturbance frequency. However this response was not linear: at higher disturbance frequencies there was a decrease in captures. There was also an effect of trap positioning within each group: central traps were more affected by disturbance than peripheral ones, while peripheral traps captured more individuals and genera in the absence of disturbance. Therefore we recommend areas near pitfall traps not be visited during the trapping period. Alternatively, to enhance sampling efficiency, the researcher may do programmed visiting to the trapping area, but this must be rigorously designed to provoke exactly the same disturbance for all traps. Enhancing the distance among traps will augment efficiency in capturing individuals and capture larger cricket diversity. Further studies of the interaction between methodology and cricket behavior will refine our ability to design and interpret pitfall studies.

Proventriculus of Three Nemobiinae Crickets (Orthoptera: Grylloidea: Trigonidiidae)

Abstract The morphology of the proventriculus may supply useful taxonomic characters for some species of crickets. This study evaluated if the proventriculus can be used to distinguish three species of Nemobiinae crickets: Phoremia sp. n., Zucchiella sp. n., and Amanayara sp n. In crickets the proventriculus presents six lobes, each one bearing eight appendices along its longitudinal axis. In Phoremia sp. n., the central portion of the first appendix has a tooth like a spear, with two denticles; the central portion of the second appendix presents one plate formed by five denticles, whereas in Zucchiella sp. n., the apex of the first appendix is U-shaped with denticles absent, and the second appendices differ from those of Phoremia sp. n. by the number of denticles. In Amanayara sp. n. the central portion of the first and second appendices form a long and sharpened tooth, the denticles are lacking. In the other proventricular appendices there was variation in the number of denticles and in their shape. These results indicate that the morphology of the proventriculus can provide auxiliary characters for taxonomy of Nemobiinae, especially useful for this subfamily, since for many species the external morphology is insufficient for characterization of genera and species.

Two new species of crickets Adelosgryllus Mesa & Zefa, 2004 (Orthoptera, Grylloidea, Phalangopsidae) from the Araripe-Apodi National Forest, State of Ceará, Brazil

In this paper we describe two new sympatric species of phalangopsid crickets Adelosgryllus from the Araripe-Apodi National Forest, State of Ceará, Brazil, highlighting morphological characters, mainly from male genitalia, tegmina and copulatory papilla. We also present a geographical map for the valid species of the genus, as well as photographs of holotypes and paratypes. The type-material is deposited in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo (MZUSP).

Male reproductive tract and spermatozoa ultrastructure in the grasshopper Orphulella punctata (De Geer, 1773) (Insecta, Orthoptera, Caelifera)

Identification Orphulellini grasshoppers (Acrididae: Gomphocerinae) species has been difficult due to high polymorphism rate. Orphulella Giglio‐Tos, 1894 is a genus with widespread geographical distribution and poor descriptions. Orphulella punctata (De Geer, 1773) has an extensive record of occurrence and available information about the phallic complex, however, there is poor data describing other parts of the male reproductive tract. The objective of this study was characterizes the internal organs of the male reproductive system and spermatozoa of O. punctata. Orphulella punctata testes are of Fountain type, each having only four follicles. Spermatozoa into the seminal vesicle are arranged in bundles with c.a. 2320 µm length, with a nucleus 110 µm long. The spermatozoa are covered by a glycocalyx, the nucleus is cylindrical with condensed chromatin and connected to the flagellum by a dense and lamellar centriole adjunct. The axoneme have 9 + 9 + 2 pattern and present two symmetrical mitochondrial derivatives. A fibrous net and two flat membranous cisternae fill the space between the axoneme and mitochondrial derivatives. This is the first description of the reproductive system of a Gomphocerinae representative.

Comments on the recent changes in taxonomy of pygmy unicorns, with description of a new species of Metopomystrum from Brazil (Insecta, Tetrigidae, Cleostratini, Miriatrini)

Abstract The tribe Cleostratini Bolívar, 1887 sensu Storozhenko, 2016 does not represent a monophyletic taxon because it gathers various Tetrigidae genera with various types of horn and prolongation of frons or vertex. Prolongation of these structures is present in morphologically and biogeographically distant groups. We do not regard Miriatrini Cadena-Castañeda & Cardona, 2015 synonymous with Cleostratini because the genus Miriatra Bolívar, 1906 belongs to a group of genera distant from Cleostratus Stål, 1877. There is no adequate diagnosis for proposed groups of genera forming tribes Cleostratini or Miriatrini. Miriatrini stat. resurr. are monotypic and include only Miriatra, Cleostratini are monotypic as well. Apteromystrum Storozhenko, 2016 syn. n. is regarded synonymous with Metopomystrum, M. apterum comb. resurr., M. amazoniensis comb. resurr. and Miriatra brevifastigiata (Cadena-Castañeda & Cardona, 2015), comb. n. are not Metopomystrum member. Herein a new species of pygmy unicorn, Metopomystrum muriciense Silva & Skejo, sp. n., is described from Atlantic Forest remnants in northeast of Brazil, collected on the Estação Serra do Ouro (municipality of Murici, Alagoas state). Distribution data, morphological characterization, and an identification key to Metopomystrum species are also presented.

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.

Two new species of Hygronemobius Hebard, 1913 (Orthoptera, Grylloidea, Nemobiinae) from Brazilian Amazon.

Two new Neotropical species of Hygronemobius Hebard were described from Brazilian Amazon: Hygronemobius duckensis sp. nov. and Hygronemobius dialeucus sp. nov. Photographs of habitus, morphological characteristics and male genitalia were provided. Calling songs and spectrograms of the new species were characterized.