Endecous (Ramalhoecous) infernalis, Carvalho & Junta & Castro-Souza & Ferreira, 2023

Carvalho, Pedro Henrique Mendes, Junta, Vitor Gabriel Pereira, Castro-Souza, Rodrigo Antônio & Ferreira, Rodrigo Lopes, 2023, Three new cricket species and a new subgenus of Endecous Saussure, 1878 (Grylloidea: Phalangopsidae) from caves in northeastern Brazil, Zootaxa 5263 (1), pp. 1-39 : 36

Is Endecous (Ramalhoecous) infernalis n. sp. a troglobitic species?

The length of the compound eyes of E. (E.) zin n. sp., E. (E.) zaum n. sp. and E. (R.) infernalis n. sp. are similar, even though the three species have different body sizes. Through morphometric analyses, it was verified that the compound eyes of E. (R.) infernalis n. sp. are reduced when compared to the compound eyes of E. (E.) zin n. sp. Besides that, it was found that the legs I and II of E. (R.) infernalis n. sp. are elongated when compared to the legs I and II of E. (E.) zin n. sp. and E. (E.) zaum n. sp.

The reduction of ocular structures and elongation of ambulatory appendages are well known troglomorphisms ( Desutter-Grandcolas 1998b) and have now been observed in E. (R.) infernalis n. sp. Those characteristics represent adaptations to a strictly subterranean lifestyle, and are, therefore, indicative of the troglobitic nature of this species. Nonetheless, conducting the inventory of the fauna in the surroundings of the caves where E. (R.) infernalis n. sp. were found may further validated this hypothesis.