Gryllus veletisoides Weissman & Gray, 2019

Weissman, David B. & Gray, David A., 2019, Crickets of the genus Gryllus in the United States (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Gryllinae), Zootaxa 4705 (1), pp. 1-277 : 191-196

Gryllus veletisoides Weissman & Gray , n. sp.

West Coast Spring Field Cricket

Figs 137 , 138 , 189–191 , 195–200 , Table 1

‘G. VII’ of Weissman & Rentz 1977a.

G. veletis of Weissman et al. 1980.

G. veletis and ‘G. western veletis’ of DBW notebooks. Distribution. California and Oregon west of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountain Ranges.

Recognition characters and song. Medium sized, cerci short (usually <10 mm) and never as long as ovipositor in situ, black except for occasional red area on inside hind femur ( Fig. 195 ), almost always short hind winged, wide pronotum, spring and summer species usually associated with grassy, frequently moist areas. Song a slow, usually irregular chirp ( Fig. 196 , R06-21)) with 4-5 (range 3-6) p/c and a PR generally from 21 to 30 at 25°C. There are only three Gryllus species with overlapping distributions and similar slow chirp songs: G. brevicaudus has a shorter ovipositor, slightly longer cerci, and a unique (especially in males) yellow-orange tinged area on the lateral tegmina field; G. pennsylvanicus overlaps in distribution only in west-central Oregon and differs ( Table 1 , p. 18) from G. veletisoides by having more file teeth, a slower PR, and an egg diapause that results in summer, and not spring adults; and G. saxatilis which differs in habitat (usually much drier and with rocks), longer cerci, and more teeth in file.

Differs from morphologically similar, always allopatric G. veletis by geography (latter always east of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountain Ranges), relatively fewer teeth in the file ( Fig. 197 ), and different DNA ( Fig. 6 , p. 28 ). They are not separated by ovipositor length ( Fig. 198 ). The two taxa are some 120 km apart between the nearest California localities of Acton (S09-26) and Barstow (S03-73).

Holotype. Male ( Fig. 195 ). USA, California, Santa Clara Co., Los Gatos , Los Gatos Creek at Lark Ave., 10-v- 2006, 82m, 37° 15’ 09.41” -121° 57’ 47.52. D.B. Weissman. S06-30, R06-22, G566. BL 20.84, HF 11.08, RC 8.48. GenBank accession numbers: 16S = MN 136662 ; ITS2 = MN 136861 . Right tegmen removed 132 teeth, file length 2.9, TL 9.4, TW 3.9. Type deposited in CAS, Entomology Type #19276.

Paratypes. (Total 134♂ 82♀). California. Calaveras Co., Lake Comanche Recreational Area near Valley Springs, 15-vi-2013, 74m, 38° 13’ 28.18” -120° 55’ 27.46” (S13-37) 5♂ 5♀. Colusa Co., Colusa Sacramento River SRA, 18-vii-2015, 96’ (S15-81) 39° 13’ 12.3” -122° 00’ 56.1, 4♂ 8♀ . Willows, 29-viii-2003, 120’ (S03-87) 2♂ 1♀. El Dorado Co., Finnon Reservoir, 29-iii-2005, 2340’ (S05-39) 1♂ 1♀ . Fresno Co., Fresno, 6-vi-1980, 2♂ . Jacalitos Canyon, 18-viii-2001, 840-1020’ (S01-97) 2♂; 4-v-2003 (S03-31 & 32) 3♂. Kingsburg, 18-iv-2003, 340’ (S03-21) 3♂; 4-v-2003, (S03-25) 14♂ 5♀. Kern Co., Bakersfield, Kern River bed dry wash at Cal State Bakersfield, 5-viii- 1980, 372’ (S80-70) 3♂ 2♀ ; 18-vi-2012 (S12-43) 1♂. Sand Ridge 4 m N Edison , 22-xii-1983, 1000’, (S83-163) 1♂ . Los Angeles Co., Acton, 29-vi-2003, 2800’ (S03-75) 1♂ 1♀ ; 17-vi-2012 (S12-41) 1♂ 1♀. Santa Clara River bed near Acton, 28-v-2009 (S09-26) 1♂ 1♀ . Marin Co., San Rafael, 21-vii-2007 (S07-75) 1♂ . Mariposa Co., El Portal, El Portal Middle School, 25-iv-2010, 1700’ (S10-12) 5♂. Merced Co., 4 m E Dos Palos , 29-viii-1981 (S81-75) 2♂ 4♀ . Monterey Co., King City, 7-viii-1980 (S80-77) 2♂ . San Benito Co., Pinnacles National Monument, Chalone Campground, 22-iv-2006, 1070’ (S06-14) 2♂ . Hwy . 25 1.2 m S Paicines, 1-viii-1980, 1000’ (S80-53) 3♂ . Hwy . 25 4.5 m N Paicines, 1-viii-1980 (S80-54) 1♂ . Road to Fremont Peak State Park 4.7 m S Hwy. 156, 21-iii-2003, 600’ (S03-6) 3♂ 3♀ . San Luis Obispo Co., 3 m S Nipomo , 15-iii-1985, 200’ (S85-35) 1♂ 2♀ . Santa Margarita, 23-vi- 1992, 800’ (S92-55) 3♂ . Santa Barbara Co., Guadalupe, 15-iii-1985 (S85-33) 2♀ . Hwy . 166 0.7 m W Santa Maria, 23-vi-1992, 0’ (S92-56) 7♂ 4♀ . Santa Clara Co., Campbell, 3-viii-2005, 250’ (S05-71) 2♂ . Los Gatos, 3-iv-1990 (S90-27) 2♀; 20-ii-1995 (S95-17) 1♂ ; early July (S03-77) 1♂. Type locality, 6-iii-1995 (S95-2A) 1♂; 2-x-1995 (S95-103) 1♂ ; 14-viii-1997 (S97-119) 7♂ 7♀; 12-ix-2000 (S00-45) 1♂; 22-iv-2002 (S02-4) 1♂ 1♀; 5-vii-2003 (S03-82) 1♂; 10-v-2006 (S06-30) 12♂ 11♀. Palo Alto, 14-iv-1984 (S84-16) 2♂ 1♀. Mt. View , 9-vi-1982 (S82-20) 1♂ . San Jose, 15-viii-1980 (S80-78) 2♂; 16-v-1987 (S87-28) 3♂ 3♀ . Stanford University, Lake Lagunita , 26- viii-1983 (S83-113) 1♂ ; 2-v-1992 (S92-45), song record only. Santa Cruz Co., Ben Lomond, near E Zayante Fire Station , 31-iii-1995, 300’ (S95-26) 3♂ 1♀ ; 20-iv-1996 (S96-24) 3♂ 2♀; 23-iv-2003, (S03-23) 4♂ 1♀. Santa Cruz, 1113 Laurent St., 13-ix-2015 (S15-120) 1♂ . Siskiyou Co., Yreka (S83-35) 2♂ . Solano Co., Lake Solano County Park , 5-viii-2014, 168’ (S14-60) 1♂ . Stanislaus Co., Road J 9 2m N junction with J17, 5-viii-1980 (S80-69) 1♂ . 14.5 m E Gilroy , 29-viii-1981 (S81-78) 2♂ . Sutter Co., Sutter Buttes, 14-iii-2015 (S15-2) 1♀ . Tulare Co., 1.2–3 m E Springvale , 4-v-2003, 1200’ (S03-26 & 30) 4♂ . Ventura Co., Los Padres National Forest , Reyes Creek, 3735’, 8-v-2005, 34.67920 -119.30810 ( DAG 2005-058 ) 1♂ . Oregon. Benton Co., Corvallis, 25-v-1983 (S83-38) 3♂ 1♀ . Jackson Co., Phoenix, 24-ix-2004, 1500’ (S04-132) 1♂ . Rogue River , 30-v-1983, 1100’ (S83-34) 5♂ 5♀ . Josephine Co., Selma, 30-v-1983 (S83-37) 1♂ . Lane Co., Eugene, 200’, 18-viii-2005 (S05-78) 1♂ ; 16-vi-2006, (S06-33) 4♂ 4♀ .

Song records only. California. Los Angeles Co., California State University Northridge, Botanic Garden area , 8-v-2003, 812’ (S03-47), at least 3 males heard; most southern known locality .

Derivation of name. Named in reference to its being morphologically and song-wise almost indistinguishable from G. veletis .

Geographic range. ( Fig. 199 ). Includes California’s Central Valley and the western foothills of the Sierras (El Portal, S10-12), and up to 1138m in Ventura Co.

Habitat and behavior. Usually areas with increased moisture like open meadows, along streams, and watered gardens but also in vegetation in dry river beds (Acton, S12-41) and canyons (Jacalitos Canyon, S03-31 & 32) all usually at elevations below 850m. At Ben Lomond, Santa Cruz Co., CA, on sandy substrate. Many males sing from under cover of vegetation. Several adult females can be found together under rocks and boards; such associations also seen, but rarely, in adult males (e.g. El Portal, S10-12). Such social behavior is in contrast to the more solitary nature described for eastern G. veletis ( Alexander & Bigelow 1960) , but consistent with G. veletis in the west (see discussion under G. veletis , p. 145).

Life cycle and seasonal characteristics. No egg diapause. Most areas with one generation/year but in selective California populations (e.g. Merced Co., S81-75, and probably other Central Valley localities; Santa Cruz, S15-120; Los Gatos, S97-119 & S00-45; and Campbell, S05-71), in certain, but not every year, one finds DNA confirmed (see G3334 under “DNA” below) second generation adults, although never as common or as widely distributed as first-generation adults. There is an almost 6-week period (mid-June to end of July) during which no males of G. veletisoides are heard singing in Santa Clara Co., CA. Eggs from these second-generation females also without an egg diapause (Los Gatos, CA, S97-119) but the hatching nymphs appear to be inconsequential for future generations because they do not become late instars (at which time they can overwinter) before the onset of winter and apparently die off as early instars. Two alternative interpretations for these “second generation” adults are possible: (1) Most eggs laid by first generation females hatch without a diapause but a low percentage have a delay of a few months and nymphs from those latter eggs do not mature until late summer (see Walker 1980 for a discussion of different egg hatching rates in G. firmus ). (2) These “second generation” adults could be the adults of those “second generation” adults from the previous year, and they overwinter as very early instars or as eggs in diapause. We have not done the careful analysis needed to examine (1). We doubt (2) because even eggs or early instars that overwinter should molt to adult before August. By way of comparison, G. pennsylvanicus has diapausing eggs that overwinter yet next year’s adults start singing in early August ( Alexander & Meral 1967). Adults of G. veletisoides are known from Los Gatos, CA, from 20-ii (S95-17) to 2-x (S95-103) and also from 22-xii-1983 (Sand Ridge, CA, S83-163). The latter 1983 male might be either a second generation 1983 adult or a first generation 1984 adult. We suspect that more late summer collecting within the study area would uncover more of these second-generation populations. On the other hand, the only male heard and collected from Phoenix, OR (S04-132) on 24-ix-2004, is undoubtedly a late surviving first generation male since the weather is probably too cool in coastal southern Oregon to enable maturation of a second generation.

Variation. Hind femur color: Usually solid black ( Fig. 200 ) although some with majority of inner aspect reddish. Hind wing length: Only one male (Kingsburg, Fresno Co., S03-25) with long hind wings from more than 200 adults. Tegmina color: Most black with few brown. All 5 females from Calaveras Co. (S13-37) with tegminal bars. Cerci length: Only 1 male (Fresno Co., S03-25) and 1 female (Calaveras Co., S13-37) with cerci longer than 10mm. Cerci are so short that usually intact even late in the season.

DNA. Multilocus G568 first generation Los Gatos, S06-30 (type locality, collected 10-v-2006); and G3334 second generation Santa Cruz, S15-120 (collected 13-ix-2015) map (Gray et al. 2019) nearest to G. chisosensis and Clades 2 and 3 of G. montis , and distant from G. veletis . Despite their similarity, G. veletis and G. veletisoides are not close relatives within the North American Gryllus . Genetic similarity using Tamura-Nei distances for ITS2 was 96.7 ± 2.66 within G. veletis (n = 25 from across both G. veletis ITS2 clades, see G. veletis description and Discussion), and 99.9 ± 0.08 within G. veletisoides (n = 10), but only 88.9 ± 0.27 between species.

Discussion. Along with G. brevicaudus and G. lineaticeps , the earliest singing field cricket in the San Francisco Bay area. Populations of G. veletisoides can have high densities.

Preliminary hybridization studies conducted in 2003 between California virgin G. veletisoides and virgin G. veletis from the Midwestern US, before we had genetic data, produced the following results: 3 females from Indiana crossed with Fresno, CA, males—two females had documented matings (with visible passed spermatophores) but only one of these two female laid eggs. The third female also laid eggs. No eggs from any female hatched. One female from Illinois mated with a Fresno, CA, male and laid eggs but none hatched. One female from Iowa matched with a male from Los Gatos, CA, laid eggs (never saw a passed spermatophore) but none hatched. Thus, from eggs laid by four Midwestern females, no eggs hatched. As controls, an Indiana female mated with a North Dakota male produced lots of eggs that hatched while a North Dakota female that mated with an Illinois male produced eggs that didn’t hatch.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Phylogenetic arrangement of taxa redrawn from Gray et al. (2019). Taxa in grey text are either not considered here because they are not US Gryllus, or are considered only briefly (Pet Store Group; G. bryanti).

FIGURE 28. Five second waveforms of calling songs of (A) G. pennsylvanicus and (B) G. firmus. G. pennsylvanicus (R04-110) Whatcom Co., WA (S04-91), at 25°C. G. firmus: (R03-255) Gainesville, FL (S03-85), at 25°C.

FIGURE 137. Regression of number file teeth vs. hind femur length in G. veletis vs. G. veletisoides.

FIGURE 138. Regression of hind femur length vs. ovipositor length in G. veletis vs. G. veletisoides.

FIGURE 189. Five second waveforms of calling songs of (A) G. chisosensis and (B) G. veletisoides. (A) G. chisosensis: holotype male, at 24°C; (B) G. veletisoides: (R06-21) type locality (S06-30), at 25°C.

FIGURE 190. One second spectrograms of calling songs of (A) G. chisosensis and (B) G. veletisoides, same males as in Fig. 189.

FIGURE 191. ITS2 gene tree. Collection stop numbers for G. chisosensis: S07-36 (G1192); S16-13 (G3399, G3400). Collection stop numbers for G. veletisoides: S03-21 (G9, G10); S03-23 (G11); S06-30 (G540, G541, G566); S12-41 (G2252); S15-81 (G3167, G3174, 2016-044).

FIGURE 195. Right: Holotype male of G. veletisoides. Left: Female of G. veletisoides, also from type locality (S06-30).

FIGURE 196. Calling song (R06-21) of G. veletisoides from type locality (S06-30), recorded at 25°C.

FIGURE 197. Regression file teeth number vs. hind femur length in G. veletisoides vs. G. veletis.

FIGURE 198. Regression hind femur length vs. ovipositor length in G. veletisoides vs. G. veletis.

FIGURE 199. Known distribution of G. veletisoides.

FIGURE 200. More typical dark color, this male G. veletisoides from Fresno Co., CA (S03-21).