Gryllotalpa fulvipes Saussure, 1877

Tan, Ming Kai, 2012, New species and redescriptions of mole crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae: Gryllotalpinae) from Singapore, with key to Singaporean species, Zootaxa 3389, pp. 51-60 : 57-59

Gryllotalpa fulvipes Saussure, 1877

( Figs. 2 E, 2F, 2I; 6)

Gryllotalpa fulvipes Saussure, 1877: 35

Gryllotalpa nigripennis Chopard, 1929: 368 Material examined. Singapore, 2 males, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, along Dairy Farm Loop and Hindhede Way, secondary forest, coll. M. K. Tan & J. J. Y. Chan, 3 May.2011, 25 May.2011 (all ZRC).

Remark. This species was collected during the recent survey. This permits the redescription of the species, in particular, the venation of male tegmen according to Béthoux (2012). While the genitalia was not described in Chopard (1968), the illustration is clear and is similar to the new specimens collected from Singapore. Holotype from Singapore was not examined.

Additionally, stridulating male specimens from Singapore were located acoustically and collected from the ground, one of which (from Dairy Farm Loop) was found near the foot of a tree. D. H. Murphy’s specimen was also collected in similar condition. This further shows that this species is not strictly cavernicolous ( Chopard, 1968).

Redescription. Habitus as shown in Fig. 6 .

Male. Tegmen 1.4 times longer than wide (n=1), reaching end of the 7th abdominal tergite. Venations of right tegmen in dorsal and ventral views as shown in Figs. 2 E & 2F respectively; harp very broad at base, strongly tapering in the medial area (c and CuA+CuPa subparallel), medial and distal area narrow with distal margin obtuse and rounded, with diving vein closer to CuA+CuPa than c; cell 2 small, longer than wide, about as wide as harp at distal end, with 3 veins emerging from CuPaβ and CuPaα2 (1 and 2 respectively); radius vein not diverged into RA and RP. Stridulatory file gently sinuate, medial region slightly arched basally; with about 29 teeth plus 1 indistinct teeth at anterior end (n=1); teeth fairly evenly distributed, particularly the median region, more densely distributed at the ends, particularly the anterior end ( Fig. 2 I).

Measurements. See Table 2.

Conservation status. This species was listed as endangered in Singapore and presumed confined to primary forest (Davision et al., 2008). The specimens collected in 2011 represent the first recordings from the secondary forest of Singapore. Male calls were heard frequently at certain nights in May 2011 but were not heard thereafter.

As a result of inappropriate knowledge on the population of this species, it is difficult to assess the conservation status of this mole cricket.

BL PL PW RTL RTW HFL HTL SFL NST Male 20.7 6.8 4.8 8.7 - 7.4 5.0 - - (3 May)

Male 20.3 6.6 5.0 9.0 6.6 7.0 4.8 2.6 29+1 (25 May)

Mean (n = 2) 20.5 6.7 4.9 8.9 - 7.2 4.9 - -

Figures

FIGURE 2. Tegmina of Gryllotalpa nymphicus sp. n. male holotype (A, B), Gryllotalpa wallace sp. n. male holotype (C, D) and Gryllotalpa fulvipes Saussure (E, F) in dorsal (A, C, E) and ventral views (B, D, F); stridulatory file of Gryllotalpa nymphicus sp. n. male holotype (G), Gryllotalpa wallace sp. n. male holotype (H) and Gryllotalpa fulvipes Saussure in ventral views (I). Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURE 6. Gryllotalpa fulvipes Saussure male from Dairy Farm Loop: habitus in dorso-lateral view.