Otteiini Koçak & Kemal, 2009

Cadena-Castañeda, Oscar J., Soto, Wolfang Andrés Rodríguez, Cárdenas, Andrea Del Pilar Floréz & Acevedo, Angélica, 2021, Studies on Neotropical crickets: The continental Otteiini taxa (Orthoptera Phalangopsidae), those cave crickets are not confined to the West Indies, Zootaxa 4981 (2), pp. 331-356 : 332-334

Tribe Otteiini Koçak & Kemal, 2009

Emended diagnosis: Small to medium-sized (10–28 mm.). Body coloration reddish-brown or yellowish-brown (rarely dark brown) or paler in the troglobitic species. Body moderately to distinctly elongated. Head ovate in frontal view; vertex strongly curved and almost straight to roundly angulate junction with the front; space between antennal sockets very narrow (one-fifth to two-fifths of the antennal scapus). Eyes in troglophilic species are normally pigmented, small, subtriangular, and smaller than the scapus; in troglobitic species, they are reduced in size and only partly pigmented or absent. Ocelli absent. Maxillary palpi long, slender, third and fourth segments almost straight and subequal, fifth segment upcurved, distally broadened and compressed. Legs elongated and longer in troglobitic specimens; fore tibia without tympana; fore and mid tibiae with two apical spurs on each side; hind tibia mostly with three apical spurs on each side. Tegmina generally absent, if present, thick and shiny. Abdomen with or without median glandular orifices in the inter-segmental membrane beneath the hind margins of tergites (the number of orifices and the tergite they occur vary interspecifically); cerci very long and thin; distal valves of ovipositor laterally compressed, little broader than the shaft, narrowly lanceolate with smooth margins and sharp tip. Male genitalia: Mostly tubuliform, elongated or compacted; ectophallic fold membranous or moderately sclerotized, pseudepiphallic median lophi with a medial notch with different forms; arc short and poorly up-curved; pseudepiphallic paramere with or without additional projections, endophallic apodeme usually membranous; endophallic sclerite generally sclerotized; ectophallic apodeme slim (except Venegascophus species ); in continental species the rami is wide and curved, giving the genitalia a cylinder shape at base; in insular species, the rami is thin, but in all species separated basally.

Taxa included: West Indian taxa: Otteius (Type genus: 1 species from Cuba), Cubacophus (4 species from Cuba and Cayman Islands) and Dominicophus Yong, 2017 (2 species Hispaniola). Continental taxa: Paracophus Chopard, 1947 (3 species—Northeast Mexico: Cohauila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas), Tohila Hubbell, 1938 (1 species— Yucatan, Mexico), Hubbellcophus n. gen. (4 species—Northeast Mexico: Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro and Hidalgo), Venegascophus n. gen. (2 species—Northeast Mexico: Tamaulipas) and Hortacophus n. gen. (1 species—Northeast Mexico: Tamaulipas and San Luis Potosí).

Comments. This tribe to date only included the Antillean genera ( Ruíz-Baliú & Otte, 1997; Yong, 2017). Hubbell (1972), in his contribution to cave crickets, reviews the genus Paracophus s.l., and makes a comparison with similar genera such as Cophus (Phalangopsidae) , Trigonidomimus Caudell, 1912 and Tohila (included in Gryllidae : Pentacentrinae by Hubbell, 1938), the author concludes that although they are similar taxa in their cave life habits, they are not related taxa and therefore are not grouped, and supports that Paracophus s.l. and Cophus should be kept in Phalangopsinae (by then it was a subfamily of Gryllidae ) and closer to Amphiacusta than to the other genera, which he kept them in Pentacentrinae .

Recently, Gorochov (2014) included Otteiini as a valid tribe of the subfamily Phalangopsinae (Phalangopsidae) and revalidated the genus Cubacophus previously synonymized under Cophus by Otte & Perez-Gelabert (2009), and accepted the changes of tribe and genus names proposed by Koçak & Kemal (2009). Furthermore, Gorochov suggests that according to the characteristics of the male genitalia “the spermatophore is with a rather long collum (= neck, narrow part between ampulla and anchora or attachment plate of spermatophore) which is formed in these folds. If it is correct, this character is unique for Phalangopsinae and other cricket taxa”.

When studying the continental genera Tohila and Paracophus and comparing their external morphology and genitalia structures, their relationship with the Caribbean Otteiini was evident, so it is necessary to include them in the same tribe. On the other hand, when comparing the status of the Caribbean taxa of the tribe, these are separated into three genera, mainly by the presence or absence of the glandular organ on the third and fourth tergites, developedment of apical spurs, and variations on “epiphallus” = pseudepiphallic median lophi ( Ruíz-Baliú & Otte, 1997; Yong, 2017). Due to the necessity of providing uniform treatment to all taxa of the tribe (both continental and Antillean), two options arise: 1) Include all species in a single genus with multiple species groups or subgenera. 2) Follow the traditional line, in which the three Antillean genera remain valid, and delimit the continental taxa. We choose the second option, followed by those who have contributed to this tribe in the past ( Ruíz-Baliú & Otte, 1997; Yong, 2017; Gorochov, 2014). Thus, a key to genera identification and differentiation is provided, and the genera and species are described ignoring the characters already mentioned for the tribe:

Key to Otteiini genera

1. Tegmina present with different degrees of development ( Fig. 1 , 3 , 5 ). Female macropterous ( Fig. 2 ).................... 2

– Tegmina absent in both sex ( Fig. 9 , 10 , 12 )................................................................. 3

2. Lateral lobes of pronotum not expanded laterally and without carinae dividing the pronotal disc of the lateral lobes ( Fig. 1B ). Male tegmina covering about half of the abdomen and without stridulation file ( Fig. 1A ). First tarsomere of the hind tibia, unarmed dorsally and as long as half of the hind tibiae ( Fig. 2 )............................................. Tohila

– Lateral lobes of pronotum expanded laterally, separated from the pronotal disk by a shallow curved carina. Tegmina of the male covering the mesonotum, and with functional stridulation file ( Fig. 3 , 5 ). First tarsomere of the hind tibia, armed dorsally and as long as a third of hind tibiae ( Fig. 3A ).................................................. Paracophus n. sensu.

3. Normal size eyes for the tribe, larger than half of the scapus width and pigmented. Non-specialized tergal segments, with or without dorsal glands. Male epiproctus variable in shape, but without lobes on the lateral-distal borders................. 4

– Eyes remarkably reduced, small than half of the scapus width, and with reduced pigmentation, or absent ( Fig. 10 A-D). Usually with plate-like extensions on the tergal segments of moderate size or very conspicuous and/or with dorsal glands ( Fig. 10 E-J). Male epiproctus quadrangular with finger-like lobes on the latero-distal borders ( Fig. 10 E-H)....... Hubbellcophus n. gen.

4. Hind tibiae with two subapical spurs; first tarsomere of the hind legs not serrated on the dorsal margins. Glandular organs present on the third and fourth tergites......................................................................... 5

– Hind tibiae with three subapical spurs; first tarsomere of the hind legs serrated on the dorsal margins. Glandular organs absent................................................................................................ 6

5. Pseudepiphallic median lophi apex with notch deep and narrow, or very shallowly concave; rami shorter to slightly longer than ps.m.; ectophallic fold very long, clearly exceeding over ps.m apex and strongly arcuate in lateral view ( Fig. 15 D-F)................................................................................................. Cubacophus

– Pseudepiphallic median lophi apex with notch semicircular, rami much longer than ps.m; ectophallic fold much shorter, not reaching ps.m apex and not arcuate in lateral view................................................. Dominicophus

6. Medium-sized, less than 20 mm. The hind femur is relatively short and stout; hind tibia with a variable number of dorsal spurs, from 3 to 4 on the outer side and 1 to 5 on the inner side. Male epiproctus wider than long............................ 7

– Large-sized, more than 20 mm. The hind femur is relatively long and slender; hind tibia always with 3 dorsal spurs on each side. Male epiproctus, noticeably longer than wide.......................................................... Otteius

7. Lateral lobes of pseudepiphalus rounded, protruding upwards, and with denticulations all over the dorsal border. Pseudepiphallus fused in dorsal view ( Fig. 13 D-F, 14C-E).............................................. Venegascophus n. gen.

– Lateral lobes of the pseudepiphalus not produced upwards and without denticulations. Pseudepiphallus divided in dorsal view, and without connection ( Fig. 14 F-H)....................................................... Hortacophus n. gen.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Tohila atelomma male holotype. A. Habitus in lateral and B. dorsal view. Photos: Holger Braun.

FIGURE 2. Tohila atelomma female allotype. Habitus in lateral view, mid and hind legs. Photo: Holger Braun.

FIGURE 3. Paracophus velazquezi n. sp. A. Male habitus in lateral view. B. and dorsal view. C. frons. D. female head, and thorax in dorsal view. E. female abdomen in dorsal view.

FIGURE 5. Paracophus victoriensis n. sp. A. Male habitus in lateral view. B. and dorsal view. C. frons. D. abdomen in dorsal view.

FIGURE 9. Hubbellcophus placonotus n. comb. Paratype. A. Male habitus in lateral and B. dorsal view. Photos: Holger Braun.

FIGURE 10. Hubbellcophus species, diagnostic structures. A-D. Head and thorax in lateral view. E-H. habitus in dorsal view. I-J. male tergites modification. A, G. H. caecus n. comb. B, F. H. lippus n. comb. C, E, I. H. cladonotus n. comb. D, H, J. H. placonotus n. comb. (All draws after Hubbell, 1972).

FIGURE 12. Hubbellcophus caecus n. comb. females in live condition. A. Adult in lateral view. B. Subadult in dorsal view. Both females from Tamaulipas, Gomez Farías. Cueva “La Capilla”. Photos: Diego Barrales-Alcalá. I Naturalist observation: https://www.naturalista.mx/taxa/256710-Paracophus-caecus

FIGURE 13. Venegascophus reddelli n. comb.A. Head and pronotum in lateral view. B. frons. C. head and pronotum in dorsal view. D, E, F. male genitalia in dorsal, ventral and lateral view respectively.

FIGURE 14. Venegascophus n. gen. and Hortacophus n. gen. A, C, D, E. V. sanctorum n. comb. B, F, G, H. H. apterus n. comb. A, B. head and pronotum in dorsal view. C, F. genitalia apex in dorsal view. D, G. genitalia apex in ventral view. E, H. genitalia apex in lateral view. (All draws after Hubbell, 1972).

FIGURE 15. Otteius and Cubacophus male genitalia. A-C. O. thoracicus. D-F. C. gibaraensis. A, D. genitalia apex in ventral view. B, E. genitalia apex in ventral view. C. F. genitalia apex in lateral view. (All draws after Ruíz-Baliú & Otte, 1997).