Ellipes eisneri Deyrup, 2005

Woo, Brandon, 2021, A new species of pygmy mole cricket (Orthoptera: Tridactylidae) from the Lake Wales ridge of Florida and new records of Ellipes eisneri from the northern Brooksville ridge, Journal of Orthoptera Research 30 (2), pp. 131-143 : 131

Ellipes eisneri Deyrup, 2005

Figs 6 , 7 , 8

Ellipes eisneri Deyrup, 2005: 142.

Type material.

- Holotype: USA • ♂; Florida: Citrus County: near Inverness, Withlacoochee Forest, Citrus Area, Forest Road 13, 1.3 mi. south State Road 44; 03 Apr. 1995; sandhill habitat with bare sand, dug from vertical burrow; M. Deyrup leg.; FSCA [not examined]. Paratypes: USA • 4 ♂, 4 ♀; same information as holotype; dry pinned specimens; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, FSCA; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, ANSP • 2 ♂, 10 ♀; "Pine Oak Estates", State Road 488, 3.7 mi. south of junction with U.S. 41; 04 Ap. 1996; sandhill area with bare sand; specimens in ethanol; M. Deyrup leg.; ABS [examined].

Material examined.

- USA, Florida • 2 ♀; Citrus County: Floral City, side of road on Bedford Dr. ; 28.746, -82.299; 28 Jul. 2018; specimens in ethanol; B. Woo leg.; CUIC • 1 ♀; Citrus County, Lecanto , side of road on 490; 28.832, -82.519; 28 Jul. 2018; photograph; B. Woo leg.; CUIC • 1 ♀, 5 nymphs, Marion County, Dunnellon, side of road on SW Rainbow Lakes Blvd ; 29.140, -82.493; 29 Jul. 2018; specimens in ethanol; B. Woo leg.; CUIC • 4 ♀, 4 nymphs;; Marion County, Dunnellon, round dune off Indian Hill Dr. ; 29.169, -82.531; 29 Jul. 2018; specimens in ethanol; B. Woo leg.; CUIC • 1 nymph; Levy County, Bronson, side of road on NE 75th St. ; 29.443, -82.539; 30 Jul. 2018; specimen in ethanol; B. Woo leg.; CUIC .

Remark.

-These are the only two sites from which the species has been known prior to this work. Herein, I present the following specimen data and localities. For photographs of living and preserved specimens of E. eisneri , see Figs 7 and 8 .

Distribution.

-Found on the Brooksville Ridge in Levy, Marion, and Citrus Counties, FL (Fig. 5 ). Probably also in adjacent Hernando County.

Habitat.

-Specimens were collected in bare sand patches within open sandhill habitats (Fig. 6A, C, E ). These areas have scattered lichens and forbs and are usually surrounded by oaks and pines. Tumuli and raised feeding burrows were observed at all sites (Fig. 6B, D ). Typical plants present included longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris Mill.), chapman oak ( Quercus chapmanii Sarg.), turkey oak ( Quercus laevis Walter), oak ridge lupine ( Lupinus diffusus Nutt.), and dogfennel ( Eupatorium capillifolium (Lam.) Small) along the road’s edge. Lichens present in these habitats included Cladonia leporina Fr., C. evansii Abbayes, and C. subtenuis (Abbayes) Mattick.

Figures

Fig. 5. Distribution of Florida upland Ellipes spp. Green stars indicate collection localities of Ellipes deyrupi sp. nov.; red dots indicate previous (2005) known collection localities for Ellipes eisneri; blue dots indicate newly reported collection localities for E. eisneri.

Fig. 6. Habitat and traces of Ellipes eisneri. A. Habitat at Floral City; B. Tumuli at same locality; C. Habitat at SW Rainbow Lakes Blvd; D. Feeding burrow at same locality; E. Habitat at Indian Hill Dr.

Fig. 7. Live nymph and adult images of Ellipes eisneri. A. Dorsal view of adult from Lecanto; B. Dorsal and lateral views of adult from Floral City; C. Lateral view of adult from Floral City, showing lack of tarsus; D. Nymph from Floral City; E. Nymph burrowing in sand at SW Rainbow Lakes Blvd.

Fig. 8. Dorsal and lateral view of female Ellipes eisneri from Floral City.