President's Message
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ISSN 2372-2517 (Online), ISSN 2372-2479 (Print) METALEPTEAMETALEPTEA THE NEWSLETTER OF THE ORTHOPTERISTS’ SOCIETY * Table of Contents is now clickable, which will President’s Message take you to a desired page. By MICHAEL SAMWAYS President [1] PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE [email protected] [2] SOCIETY NEWS he Orthoptera sensu [2] 2015 Orthoptera Species File lato is one of the most Grant Funded prominent of all the terrestrial invertebrate [3] MEETING REPORTS groups. Above all, [3] Orthopteroid Symposium TT the many species are Recap from ESA, 2014 by DEREK A. important functionally in interaction WOLLER networks in many terrestrial ecosys- [14] Report on “CURSO-TALLER DE MANEJO DE LANGOSTA Y tems, from tropical rain forest to tem- CHAPULÍN” by HOJUN SONG perate grasslands, and even in caves. dynamic planet, of a vitality, honed [15] Report from the Annual Meet- Their diversity of life styles is really by evolution. This makes the Orthop- ing of the National Grasshopper amazing, with different species be- tera one of the most exciting animal Management Board by ALEX V. ing variously carnivores, omnivores, LATCHININSKY groups to research. Yet there are still herbivores, and saprovores. They can many questions surrounding their be cryptic, whether green in the trees [16] OS GRANT REPORTS biology that are poorly-explored. In or brown in the litter layer, and some [16] To be “Pavarotti” in a crowded the case of some of the katydids, for are even aposematic, containing toxic concert hall? Song competition be- example, they are amazingly efficient or distasteful compounds that deter tween bushcricket males in natural singers and listeners, having wings potential predators. Indeed, they also choruses: first field season and that have been shaped by natural laboratory recordings by play an important role as food for selection to produce remarkably com- MARIANNA ANICHINI many vertebrate predators. Still oth- plex songs that have an astonishing ers are tunnellers, not only for their amplitude of 110 db at source. Then [17] CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE protection, but as in the case of mole they hear using a funnel-like ear. Not [17] Rare Color Form of Atlanticus crickets, also for more efficient sound only this, but they can also be good Katydid Observed by WIL projection through a horn-shaped HERSHBERGER fliers. This is a remarkable trade-off tunnel. Inevitably, this means that [18] How a non-sound-producing between having wings that are both the orthopteran form has been sculp- grasshopper can inspire a musical good for singing and for flying. In the tured over many millennia to give the piece by RICARDO MARIÑO-PÉREZ case of mole crickets, not only can morphological exuberance that we see some sing and fly well, but they also today across the world. [20] TREASURER’S REPORT do so apparently un-encumbered by Of course, one other feature that their large spade-like feet used for makes orthopteran species so interest- [21] EDITORIAL digging their tunnel! ing is that many are also singers. This The Orthopterists’ Society (OS) is means that not only is the physical devoted to this faunistic exuberance landscape graced by their presence, and enables all enthusiasts and scien- but so is the soundscape. The myriad tists from around the world to share of songs, many of which have compo- thoughts and ideas on this remarkable nents that are well above our hear- group. There is a meeting of minds ing range, give a sense of a living, Volume 35 (1) / January 2015 1 METALEPTEA to explore further the variety of life require conservation action. This has the OS: the Orthoptera Species File forms, behaviours, physiologies, and led to a strong link between the OS (OSF). The OSF is a global catalogue biochemistries. Yet some species and the World Conservation Union of all known Orthoptera species, have major pest status and have had, (IUCN)/Species Survival Commis- which continually grows through and continue to so, an influence on sion’s Grasshopper Specialist Group, input of many OS members. This human culture and survival. The OS a global network devoted to assessing database is a hallmark facility of the welcomes those researchers and prac- threat status of species and develop- OS, and open to all members. titioners who aim to understand and ing conservation strategies in the face Wishing all Orthopterists around control these pestiferous species. of global change. In turn, the informa- the world a peaceful and prosperous At the other end of the spectrum tion gathered by this group, as well 2015, and many exciting discoveries are those species which are under as by many other devoted orthopter- of the orthopteran world! threat from human disturbance and ists, feeds into an amazing facility of 2015 Orthoptera Species File Grant Funded By MARIA MARTA CIGLIANO Orthoptera Species File Officer [email protected] he OSF grants commit- • Martin Husemann (Martin-Luther distributional and taxonomical data of tee received fourteen University, Halle-Wittenberg, Institute Balkan Orthoptera species” (photos of grants applications from of Biology/Zoology, Germany) will types and live insects, recordings and eleven countries (Alge- contribute photos and distribution distribution records). ria, Argentina, Brazil, records of Oedipodini from Europe, • Pedro Guilherme Souza-Dias TT Colombia, China, Africa, Asia and North America. (University of São Paulo, Zoology France, Germany, Hungary, Mozam- • Piotr Naskrecki & Ricardo Guta Department, Brazil) will contribute bique, Spain, and the U.S.A.) and (E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Laboratory, photos of types of Phalangopsinae de- the following seven proposals were Museum of Comparative Zoology, posited in Brazilian Museums, photos funded. These proposals were primar- Harvard University, USA; Gorongosa of live individuals and distribution ily selected based on the relation to National Park, Mozambique) will records of Brazilian Phalangopsinae the amount of data expected to be contribute on “Acoustic and photo- related to the research project on added into the Orthoptera Species graphic documentation of the Orthop- “The Brazilian fauna of phalangopsid File or to a Species File for another tera of Central Mozambique” (from crickets (Grylloidea, Phalangopsidae): group within Polyneoptera. They Gorongosa National Park). distribution, diversity and aspects of were also considered if the proposal • Martina Pocco (División En- natural history.” was related somehow to a taxonomic tomología, Museo de La Plata & research project and/or the candidate CEPAVE, Argentina) will contribute demonstrated knowledge of the taxa photos of Neotropical grasshop- involved. per types and other specimens in the Academy of Natural Sciences • Juliana Chamorro & Rodrigo of Drexel University, Philadelphia, Romero (Universidade Federal de USA, in particular Romaleinae, along Viçosa, Brazil, Universidad de Cal- with distribution records, as well as das, Colombia) will contribute photos photos of live specimens of Argentine and distribution records of Brazil- grasshopper species on “Illustrating ian katydids related to the research Neotropical Acridoidea species with project on “The wings and phallus of emphasis on Romaleinae in OSF”. Neotropical katydids (Orthoptera: Tet- • Gellért Puskás (Hungarian Natu- tigonioidea)” ral History Museum, Hungary) will • Klaus-Gerhard Heller (Germany) contribute on “Photo documentation will contribute sound recordings on of types in the Hungarian Natural Procolpia inclarata (Walker, 1870) (Romalei- dae), December 11th, 2013 “Calling songs of West Palearctic Tet- History Museum as well as the Otto Near Pluma Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Mexico. (Photo tigonioidea” . Herman collection and collecting Credit: Ricardo Mariño-Pérez) Volume 35 (1) / January 2015 2 METALEPTEA Orthopteroid Symposium Recap from ESA, 2014 By DEREK A. WOLLER Texas A&M University College Station, TX, USA [email protected] uring the annual Ento- any given moment, a good crowd for Gryllidae, Dermaptera, Phasmida, mological Society of such a large meeting during which Anostostomatidae, Mantodea, Steno- America (ESA) confer- there are probably, at minimum, 20 pelmatidae, and Embioptera. Equally ence in Portland, Or- other talks/symposia running simulta- impressive were the myriad of topics egon, USA on November neously. being studied (in approximate presen- DD 18th, 2014, a 4-hour Naturally, the speakers deserve most tation order): acoustics, divergence symposium (“Utilizing orthopteroid of the credit for drawing in the crowd time estimates, speciation, phylo- insects to overcome grand challenges since they did the majority of the geography, phylogenetics, thermal in an ever-evolving world.”) occurred work in that respect. Tyler kicked off tolerance, entomophagy, nutrition, that was focused solely on orthop- the event with an excellent overview vibrational communication, DNA bar- teroids, organized by myself and my of orthopteropids followed by our 11 coding, and cryptic diversity. If you’d collaborators: Tyler Raszick (Dept. invited speakers and Ricardo. We had like to learn more about these subjects of Entomology/Sword Lab, Texas a good mix of students, post-docs, and and topics, please refer below to the A&M University, tjraszick@gmail. seasoned researchers (Fig. 1), includ- brief abstract and figure provided by com), Ricardo Mariño-Pérez (Dept. of ing two who came from outside the each speaker (organized in order of Biology/Song Lab, UCF, pselliopus@ U.S. (Mexico and Australia): Katy presentation). yahoo.com.mx), and JoVonn Hill Frederick-Hudson, Oscar Salomon Our primary