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Zootaxa 3202: 65–68 (2012) ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ Correspondence ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2012 · Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition)
Gryllus mandevillus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) is a valid field cricket species
DAVID B. WEISSMAN1, DAVID H. FUNK2 & THOMAS J. WALKER3 1Department of Entomology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA 94118. E-mail: [email protected] 2Stroud Water Research Center, 970 Spencer Rd., Avondale, PA 19311. E-mail: [email protected] 3Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. E-mail: [email protected]
Walker (in Weissman, Walker, & Gray 2009) described a new species of Gryllus, G. jamaicensis, a second species recorded from Jamaica to the widespread G. assimilis (Fabricius 1775). The two taxa are apparent sister species and are morphologically indistinguishable. They can be separated by three calling song characteristics: pulses per chirp, average pulse rate, and dominant frequency. Almost simultaneously with the publication of Weissman et al. (2009), Otte and Perez-Gelabert (2009) described a third species of Gryllus from Jamaica: G. mandevillus, known only from the holotype male. They separated this unique male from the sympatric G. assimilis by its higher file-tooth count. G. mandevillus is also distinguished from the three G. assimilis group species (see below) by its short vs long hind wings, shiny vs hirsute (dull) pronotum, and head not more narrow than pronotum. Otte’s subsequent (2009) synonymy of his G. mandevillus under G. jamai censis prompted this paper. The type of G. mandevillus was examined at the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia (ANSP) and appears as described (Figs. 1a, b). Of note are the hind wings shorter than the fore (singing) wings. The removed right tegmen (Fig. 1c) was examined and the file photographed (Fig. 1d): there are some 177 teeth (Otte & Perez-Gelabert 2009, listed 194 teeth) in 3.6 mm of file length, or 49.2 teeth/mm. Additionally the type has important label information not included in the original description: A. E. Wight was the collector (see label in Fig. 1b), but no collection date is given. A Google search of “A. E. Wight” yielded numerous hits indicating that Mr. Wight was a collector of numerous insects, especially beetles, during the early part of the 20th century on various Caribbean Islands, including Jamaica. Many of his specimens lack a collection date, although Harvard University has a Wight-collected beetle from Jamaica dated 1-31 March, 1924 (http://insects.oeb.harvard.edu/ Caribbean/Mantisweb/FMPro?-DB=Event.DRD&-Lay=web&-Format=locality_DR.htm&Locality_ID=202502&- Find). The type of G. mandevillus apparently arrived at ANSP after 1915 since the specimen is not cited on page 318, from Jamaica, by Rehn & Hebard (1915), who appear to have tabulated all New World Gryllus in the Academy’s collection at the time. Weissman et al. (2009) presented file-tooth count ranges and teeth/mm calculations for the three G. assimilis group taxa: G. assimilis 94-125/26.4–38.0; G. jamaicensis 120-127/40.7-41.0; and G. multipulsator Weissman 98-143/26.7- 44.0. No specimen in the assimilis group approaches the G. mandevillus file-tooth number of 177 or the file tooth density of 49.2. From over 30 years of work on North American Gryllus, such differences in file parameters are always consistent with different species (Weissman in preparation). Morphologically, G. mandevillus resembles the United States eastern seaboard G. fi rmus Scudder 1902 with reference to file characters of total teeth and teeth/mm (http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/walker/buzz/481dfil.htm). Also, the lateral field of the tegmen is darker than the central (file) portion (Fig. 1c), a condition also seen in G. firmus (http:// entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/walker/buzz/481dwng.htm). Unfortunately the song of G. mandevillus is unknown, and the unique specimen is probably too old for DNA determination. Additionally, the various Caribbean Islands contain four Gryllus species other than those (assimilis, jamaicensis, and mandevillus) discussed above: G. a ri j ua Otte and Perez- Gelabert 2009, Montserrat/ 118 teeth; G. b ry a nt i Morse 1905, Andros/only holotype female known; G. cayensis Walker 2001, Florida Keys/<110 teeth; and G. bermudensis Caudell 1903. The latter species presents another taxonomic problem: originally described from Bermuda, it was downgraded to subspecific status of G. firmus by Kevan (1980). He noted that its file was essentially identical to the nominal species, having from 140 to 170 teeth (not 118 teeth as indicated by Otte & Perez-Gelabert 2009). The Orthoptera Species File now treats G. bermudensis as a full species (Eades et al. 2011). Thus, G. mandevillus may have a close relative on Bermuda but we leave the possibility of its
Accepted by D. Rentz: 11 Jan. 2012; published: 22 Feb. 2012 65 TERMS OF USE This pdf is provided by Magnolia Press for private/research use. Commercial sale or deposition in a public library or website is prohibited.
FIGURE 1a–b. Holotype male of Gryllus mandevillus. Fig. 1a. Dorsal view. Fig. 1b. Lateral view, right tegmen removed, arrow pointing to now visible hind wing.
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FIGURE 1c–d. Holotype male of Gryllus mandevillus. Fig. 1c. Right tegmen. Note darker lateral (right side) field. Arrow indicates stridulatory file vein. Fig. 1d. File, right tegmen, red dots are positioned at every tenth tooth to facilitate counting. Scale in mm.
GRYLLUS MANDEVILLUS Zootaxa 3202 © 2012 Magnolia Press · 67 TERMS OF USE This pdf is provided by Magnolia Press for private/research use. Commercial sale or deposition in a public library or website is prohibited. relatedness to G. firmus undecided. Also of interest is that T.J.W. spent some 41 days (16 November to 29 November, 1968; 12 June to 25 June, 1970; 8 August to 20 August, 1985; and 21 February to 22 February, 2000) on Jamaica, including in the type locality of the Mandeville area, but he never encountered this cricket. Thus, its continued occurrence on the Island is unknown. We are also surprised by the apparent occurrence of three species of Gryllus on Jamaica given that no other Caribbean Island has more than one species, except for 6,475 km2 Andros Island in the Bahamas, which has G. assimilis and a trilling Gryllus [? G. bryanti] (Otte & Perez-Gelabert 2009). In the United States, G. firmus is usually, but not always, associated with coastal, sandy habitats, while the town of Mandeville is inland and at 628 m elevation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandeville,_Jamaica). There are no eastern coastal Mexico taxa morphologically similar to G. mandevillus (Weissman unpublished). We thus conclude that G. mandevillus is not a member of the G. assimilis group and is not synonymous with G. jamaicensis, that it probably was collected in the early 1900’s, probably on Jamaica, and that it could be most closely related to G. firmus. In any case, G. mandevillus is here resurrected as a valid species pending further studies that should include song analysis and DNA profiles.
Acknowledgment
We thank Dan Otte for the loan of G. mandevillus and Vince Lee for valuable comments on an earlier draft.
Literature cited
Eades, D.C., Otte, D., Cigliano, M.M. & Braun, H. (2011) Orthoptera Species File Online. Version 2.0/4.0. [16 December, 2011].
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