Gryllus veintinueve 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 : 70-73

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4705.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F534C43A-AB09-4CB3-9B08-FD5BDFD90298
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/182387A8-0924-FFDA-51F6-FBF902A6F947
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Gryllus veintinueve Weissman & Gray
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Gryllus veintinueve Weissman & Gray , n. sp.

Number 29 Field Cricket

Figs 54–59 View FIGURE 54 View FIGURE 55 View FIGURE 56 View FIGURE 57 View FIGURE 58 View FIGURE 59 , 62, Table 1 View TABLE 1

‘ Gryllus #29’ in DBW notebooks.

Distribution. Known from Oklahoma and Texas within the study area.

Recognition characters and song. – In an unusually diverse variety of habitats, which is atypical of Gryllus species: rocky areas, grasslands and sparse woodlands. Small to medium sized, short cerci, pronotum shiny, always short hind winged. Song ( Fig. 55 View FIGURE 55 , R09–89) a fast chirp, usually 3 (range 2 to 4) p/c, 130–250 c/m, PR 19–28 @25°C. Morphologically resembles allopatric G. vernalis in being almost pure black (except for inside of hind femurs) and with female tegmina separated ( Fig. 58 View FIGURE 58 ) although can be separated from the latter by its longer body length, head never narrower than pronotum, no overlap in teeth/mm ( Table 1. p View TABLE 1 . 18), tegmina length and different DNA ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 , p. 28 View FIGURE 28 ). Also sounds like G. vernalis with which it has an overlapping CR and PR. Distinguished from sympatric G. fultoni in eastern Oklahoma and eastern Texas, by G. veintinueve never having yellow cerci when alive, head not narrower than pronotum, and no overlap in PR (always faster in G. fultoni ). Distinguished from sympatric, probably earlier maturing G. veletis , which has longer, frequently brown (not black as in G. veintinueve ) tegmina in both sexes, wider pronotum when compared to hind femur ( Fig. 56 View FIGURE 56 ), and different DNA ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 , p. 28 View FIGURE 28 ; Fig. 57 View FIGURE 57 ).

From always allopatric, more western G. vocalis , the latter has a faster chirp rate and almost non-overlapping and faster pulse rate ( Table 1 View TABLE 1 , p. 18), in addition to different DNA.

Holotype. Male ( Fig. 58 View FIGURE 58 ). USA: Texas, Howard Co., Big Springs State Park , 2880’, 30-vi-2009, 32° 13’ 26.5” -101° 28’ 26.2”. DB Weissman & DC Lightfoot. S 09-71, R09-145, DNA sample G1453. 16 S GenBank accession # MK 446645 View Materials . BL 19.61, HF 10.96, right cercus 8.04. Right tegmen removed, 146 teeth, file 3.3, tegmen width 4.65, tegmen length 10.9. Type deposited in CAS, Entomology Type #19263.

Paratypes. (Total 64♂ 49♀) Oklahoma: Atoka Co., Hwy 43 2.5 m NE Stringtown , 600’, 16-vi-1988 (S88-47) 3♂ 1♀ . Comanche Co., Hwy 49 E entrance Wichita Mts. Wildlife Refuge, 1300’, 6-viii-2002 (S02-46) 5♂ 4♀ . Love Co. Hwy 32 at Boggy Creek , road cut, 33.98385 -96.97518, 650’, 5-xi-2015 (2015-055) RW & JE Cohen , 1♀ GoogleMaps , as nymph. Osage Co., 9 m NW of Hwy 64 on S209 W Ave. 600’, 15-vi-1988 (S88-44) 2♂ 1♀ . Tulsa Co., Keystone State Park , 600’, 15-vi-1988 (S88-42) 4♂ 4♀ . Lake Keystone Dam Area , 740’, 22-v-2001 (S01-47) 7♂ 2♀ ; 9-vi- 2007 (S07-21) 5♀ . Tulsa , near 5828 W. Skelly Dr. , 36° 04’ 56.7” -96° 02’ 58.0”, 775’ 15-vii-2013 (S13-67) 6♂ 1♀. 2 m E Tulsa city limits off I44, 36° 09’ 38.1” -95° 47’ 04.7”, 756’ 15-vii-2013 (S13-68) 5♂ 2♀. Texas: Hidalgo Co., Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park , 110’, 3-viii-2002 (S02-34) 4♂ 1♀ ; 10-vi-2007 (S07-27) 4♂ 4♀ . Howard Co., Big Springs, Big Springs State Park , 2880’ 30-vi-2009 (S09-71) 8♂ 3♀ . Tarrant Co., Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge 2 m NE Lakeside 600’, 5-viii-2002 (S02-39) 8♂ 17♀ . Grapevine Lake Dam, 23-v-2001 (S01-48) 1♂ . Taylor Co., 17 m S Abilene on Hwy 277, 2250’, 11-vi-1988 (S88-34) 3♂ 1♀ . Val Verde Co., 7.5 m E Del Rio on Hwy 90. 27-vi-1986 (S86-50) 4♂ 2♀ .

Derivation of name. In homage to the notebook number that this species was designated by for some 30+ years. Also, we couldn’t think of a good name, although Variable Habitat Field Cricket, ‘ G. habitolatus’, was entertained, but discarded, since it might engender confusion with the (Color) Variable Field Cricket G. lineaticeps . Geographic distribution. Fig. 59 View FIGURE 59 . Also into adjacent northern Mexico.

Habitat. Variable: rocky areas, such as road cuts south of Abilene (S88-34), Osage Co. (S88-44), and Stringtown (S88-47); rocky dam areas at Keystone State Park (S88-42, S01-47 and S07-21) and Grapevine Lake Dam (S01-48); grassy areas E Del Rio (S86-50) and Wichita Mts. Wildlife Refuge (S02-46); and sparse woodland usually with grass at Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park (S02-34 and S07-27), Fort Worth Nature Center (S02-39), and Big Springs State Park (S09-71). These crickets climb trees: (1) At Big Springs State Park (S09-71), two males singing from 1–2 m above ground, with a female approaching the singing, higher male. (2) At 3.2 km E Tulsa (S13- 68), two males singing from tree trunks 1–2.5 m above ground and a third male 0.3 m above ground on tree truck but not singing. The 2 singing males moved around the tree truck before dropping to the ground where they were collected.

Life cycle and seasonal occurrence. No egg diapause: Osage Co. (S88-34) and Big Springs State Park (S09- 71). Probably 2 generations/yr. Field collected nymphs matured as followed: late July and 12-viii (Big Springs State Park, S09-71); 18 & 30-viii (Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park, S02-34); 5-viii & 10-viii ( Tulsa , S13-67), and several in early August (E Tulsa , S13-68) and probably all represent second generation, although variable maturing rates in first generation individuals can’t be ruled out without more extensive field work.

Variation. Body length: Largest adults collected at Lake Keystone Dam (S01-47). Inside hind femur: Varies from bright orange ( Fig. 58 View FIGURE 58 ) to almost absent ( Fig. 58 View FIGURE 58 ).

DNA. Multilocus G1330 (type locality) and 2015-055 (OK, Love Co.) most closely related to several undescribed Mexican species (Gray et al. in prep). In our abbreviated US tree ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 , p. 28 View FIGURE 28 ), maps closest to Assimilis Group and G. locorojo . DNA helped confirm that one habitat-diverse species is involved here. Does not map close to the three US Gryllus species that it, physically, most closely resembles: G. vernalis , G. veletis , and G. fultoni .

Discussion. Occurs with G. fultoni at Keystone State Park (S88-42 and S01-47), and around Tulsa (S13-68). Occurs with G. veletis around Tulsa (S13-67 and S13-68). In these situations, populations of G. veintinueve seem to be peaking when most spring singing G. fultoni and G. veletis have died out.