Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 5311 No. 1: 28 Jun. 2023
Type: Article
Published: 2023-06-28
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5311.1.2
Page range: 48-64
Abstract views: 541
PDF downloaded: 25

Are the recently described fossil Mole Crickets of Myanmar amber real gryllotalpids? (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae & Gryllidae)

Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas; Grupo de Investigación en Artrópodos “Kumangui”
School of Life Sciences; East China Normal University; Shanghai 200241; China
School of Life Sciences; East China Normal University; Shanghai 200241; China
School of Life Sciences; East China Normal University; Shanghai 200241; China
Department of Environmental Science; Policy; and Management; University of California; Berkeley; 94720; USA
Museum of Biology; School of Life Sciences; East China Normal University; Shanghai 200241; China
Orthoptera Cretacic field crickets Kachin Gryllidea Sclerogryllini taxonomy synonym

Abstract

We report five new Myanmar amber specimens attributable to “Mole Cricket” †Pherodactylus rectanguli n. comb., hitherto regarded as a Mole Cricket (Orthoptera: Grylloptalpidae). The new material includes two adult males, two adult females, and one nymph. The specimens are redescribed, and additional new characters are provided for their delimitation and corresponding species identification. We carry out a comparison between these new specimens with other taxa of mole crickets from Myanmar amber and extant true crickets. The result indicates that some species merely represent different nymphal development stages or adults of †Pherodactylus rectanguli n. comb., however, they were misidentified as different species. We also treated genera †Tresdigitus n. syn. and †Chunxiania n. syn. as synonyms of genus †Pherodactylus Poinar, Su & Brown, 2020, and treat †Tresdigitus gracilis Jiang, Xu, Jarzembowski & Xiao, 2022 n. syn. and †Chunxiania fania n. syn. as synonyms of †Pherodactylus rectanguli n. comb. †Burmagryllotalpa longa is valid, because its shape of the pronotum curved without lateral carinae. The morphological convergences and specializations of subterranean dwelling species are discussed. The robust fore tibia and long apical spurs of †P. micromorphus, †P. rectanguli n. comb. and †B. longa are insufficient evidence for an assignment to the family Gryllotalpidae. Instead, we suggest place them into the subfamily Gryllinae (Gryllidae), tribe Sclerogryllini, and group them into their own subtribe Pherodactylina n. subtr.. A key to the identification of recent and fossil Sclerogryllini is also provided. Their taxonomy and morphology are discussed.

 

References

  1. Ander, K. (1939) Vergleichend-anatomische und phylogenetische Studien über die Ensifera (Saltatoria). Opuscula Entomologica, 2 (Supplement), 1–306.
  2. Ball, E.E. & Cowan, N. (1978) Ultrastructural study of the development of the auditory tympana in the cricket Teleogryllus commodus (Walker). Journal of Embryology and Experimental Morphology, 46, 75–87. https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.46.1.75 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.46.1.75
  3. Bennet-Clark, H.C. (1970) The mechanism and efficiency of sound production in mole crickets. Journal of Experimental Biology, 52, 619–652. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.52.3.619 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.52.3.619
  4. Béthoux, O. (2012) Grylloptera – a unique origin of the stridulatory file in katydids, crickets, and their kin (Archaeorthoptera). Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny, 70(1), 43–68. https://doi.org/10.3897/asp.70.e31747
  5. Cadena-Castañeda, O.J. (2015a) The phallic structures in Gryllotalpidae (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpoidea), and its generic implications. Zootaxa, 3981 (2), 264–274. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3981.2.7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3981.2.7
  6. Cadena-Castaneda, O.J. (2015b) The phylogeny of mole crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpoidea: Gryllotalpidae). Zootaxa, 3985 (4), 451–490. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3985.4.1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3985.4.1
  7. Cadena-Castañeda, O.J. & Cardona-Granda, J.M. (2015) Introducción a los Saltamontes de Colombia (Orthoptera: Caelifera, Acridomorpha, Tetrigoidea & Tridactyloidea). Lulu, Raleigh, North Carolina, 534 pp.
  8. Cadena-Castañeda, O.J. & García García, A. (2020) Studies in Colombian Ensifera and adjacent countries: Gigagryllus, a new genus of giant field crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) with comments on current Neotropical field crickets classification. Zootaxa, 4830 (2), 273–290. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4830.2.3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4830.2.3
  9. Cadena-Castañeda, O.J., Tavares, G. & Marin Fernandes, J. (2022a) Studies on Neotropical crickets: Mellogryllus mutus n. gen. et n. sp., an intriguing new genus and species of cricket of the Miogryllae Group (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Gryllinae: Gryllini: Brachytrupina) from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Zootaxa, 5125 (4), 408–420. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5125.4.4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5125.4.4
  10. Cadena-Castañeda, O.J., Quintana-Arias, R.F., Trujillo, D.M., Prias, J.P. & Castellanos-Morales, C.A. (2022b) Studies on Neotropical crickets: Aclodes paz n. sp. a new phalangopsid cricket (Orthoptera: Phalangopsidae) from the Santander caves, Colombia. Zootaxa, 5141 (6), 568–580. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5141.6.3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5141.6.3
  11. Cadena-Castañeda, O.J., Trujillo, D.M., Quintana-Arias, R.F. & García, J.E. (2022c) Studies on Neotropical crickets: A new Gryllotalpella species (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) from Brazilian Amazon. Zootaxa, 5124 (4), 483–489. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5124.4.5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5124.4.5
  12. Chintauan-Marquier, I.C., Legendre, F., Hugel, S., Robillard, T., Grandcolas, P., Nel, A., Zuccon, D. & Desutter-Grandcolas, L. (2016) Laying the foundations of evolutionary and systematic studies in crickets (Insecta, Orthoptera): a multilocus phylogenetic analysis. Cladistics, 32 (1), 54–81. https://doi.org/10.1111/cla.12114 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/cla.12114
  13. Chopard, L. (1920) Ordre des Orthopteres. Super-ordre des Orthopteroides, Paris, 1920, 617–722.
  14. Chopard, L. (1934) Catalogues raisonnés de la faune entomologique du Congo belge. Orthoptères—Gryllides. Annales du Musée du Congo belge Tervueren, Belgique, Zoologie, 3 (2), 4, 1–88.
  15. Chopard, L. (1936) The Tridactylidae and Gryllidae of Ceylon. Ceylon Journal of Science (Biological Science), 20, 9–87.
  16. Chopard, L. (1951) A revision of the Australian Grylloidea. Records of the South Australian Museum, 9, 397–533.
  17. Chopard, L. (1969) Orthoptera. Vol. 2. Grylloidea. The Fauna of India and the Adjacent Countries, 1969, i–xviii + 1–421.
  18. Cigliano, M.M., Braun, H., Eades, D.C. & Otte, D. (2023) Orthoptera Species File. Version 5.0/5.0. January 2022. Available from: http://Orthoptera.SpeciesFile.org (accessed 6 June 2023)
  19. Cruickshank, R.D. & Ko, K. (2003) Geology of an amber locality in the Hukawng Valley, Northern Myanmar. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 21 (5), 441–455. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1367-9120(02)00044-5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1367-9120(02)00044-5
  20. Desutter, L. (1987) Structure et évolution du complexe phallique de Gryllidea (Orthoptères) et classification des genres néotropicauxde Grylloidea. Première partie. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France, New Series, 23 (3), 213–239. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21686351.1987.12278443
  21. Desutter, L. (1990) Etude phylogénétique, biogéographique et écologique des Grylloidea néotropicaux (Insectes, Orthoptères). Ph.D. Thesis, University of Paris, Paris, 347 pp.
  22. Desutter-Grandcolas, L. (2003) Phylogeny and the evolution of acoustic communication in extant Ensifera (Insecta, Orthoptera). Zoologica Scripta, 32 (6), 525–561. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1463-6409.2003.00142.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1463-6409.2003.00142.x
  23. Desutter-Grandcolas, L., Jacquelin, L., Hugel, S., Boistel, R., Garrouste, R., Henrotay, M., Warren, B.H., Chintauan-Marquier, I.C., Nel, P., Grandcolas, P. & Nel, A. (2017) 3-D imaging reveals four extraordinary cases of convergent evolution of acoustic communication in crickets and allies (Insecta). Scientific Reports, 7 (7099), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-06840-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-06840-6
  24. Gorochov, A.V. (1985) On the Orthoptera subfamily of Gryllinae (Orthoptera, Gryllidae) from eastern Indochina. In: Medvedev, L.N. (Ed.), Fauna iekologiya nasekomykh Vetnama [The fauna and ecology of insects of Vietnam], 1985, pp. 9–17.
  25. Gorochov, A.V. (2001) Remarkable examples of convergence and new taxa of Gryllini (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). Zoosystematica Rossica, 9 (2), 316–350.
  26. Gorochov, A.V. (2019) Preliminary hypothesis on the history of Gryllinae (Orthoptera: Gryllinae) in America and new taxa of both the subtribe Anurogryllina and the genus Megalogryllus. Amurian Zoological Journal, 11 (4), 279–308. https://doi.org/10.33910/2686-9519-2019-11-4-279-308 DOI: https://doi.org/10.33910/2686-9519-2019-11-4-279-308
  27. Gorochov, A.V. & Llorente del Moral, V. (2001) Estudio taxonómico preliminar de los Grylloidea de España (Insecta, Orthoptera). Graellsia, 57 (2), 95–139. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3989/graellsia.2001.v57.i2.281
  28. Grimaldi, D.A., Engel, M.S., Nascimbene, P.C. (2002) Fossiliferous Cretaceous amber from Myanmar (Burma): its rediscovery, biotic diversity, and paleontological significance. American Museum Novitates, 3361, 1–71. https://doi.org/10.1206/0003-0082(2002)361<0001:FCAFMB>2.0.CO;2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1206/0003-0082(2002)361<0001:FCAFMB>2.0.CO;2
  29. Günther, K.K. (1979) Einige Bemerkungen über die Gattungen der Familie Tridactylidae Brunner und zur Klassifikation der Tridactylodea (Orthopteroida, Caelifera). Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift, 26 (4–5), 255–264. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/mmnd.4800260408
  30. Günther, K.K. (1992) Revision der Familie Cylindrachetidae Giglio-Tos, 1914 (Orthoptera, Tridactyloidea). Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift, 39 (4–5), 233–291. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/mmnd.4800390405
  31. Jafari, S. Kazem, M.H. & Lotfalizadeh, H. (2015) Acoustic burrow structures of European mole crickets, Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa (Orth.: Gryllotalpidae) in Northwestern Iran. North-Western Journal of Zoology, 11 (1), 58–61.
  32. Jiang, X., Xu, C., Jarzembowski, E.A. & Xiao, C. (2022) A peculiar species of mole cricket (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. Cretaceous Research, 139, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105273 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105273
  33. Jost, M.C. & Shaw, K.L. (2006) Phylogeny of Ensifera (Hexapoda: Orthoptera) using three ribosomal loci, with implications for the evolution of acoustic communication. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 38, 510–530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2005.10.004 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2005.10.004
  34. Leubner, F., Bradler, S. & Wipfler, B. (2017) The thoracic morphology of the wingless dune cricket Comicus calcaris (Orthoptera: Schizodactylidae): Novel apomorphic characters for the group and adaptations to sand desert environments. Arthropod Structure & Development, 46 (4), 449–461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asd.2017.03.006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asd.2017.03.006
  35. Nickle, D.A. & Castner, J.L. (1984) Introduced species of mole crickets in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 77 (4), 450–465. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/77.4.450 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/77.4.450
  36. Otte, D. (1994) Crickets (Grylloidea). Orthoptera Species File. Vol. 1. Orthopterist’ Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, iv + 120 pp.
  37. Otte, D. & Alexander, R.D. (1983) The Australian crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). Monographs of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 22, 1–477.
  38. Perrichot, V., Néraudeau, D., Azar, D., Menier, J.J. & Nel, A. (2002) A new genus and species of fossil mole cricket in the Lower Cretaceous amber of Charente-Maritime, SW France (Insecta: Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae). Cretaceous Research, 23 (3), 307–314. https://doi.org/10.1006/cres.2002.1011 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1006/cres.2002.1011
  39. Poinar Jr., G., Su, Y.N. & Brown, A.E. (2020) A new genus of crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) in Mid-Cretaceous Myanmar Amber. Biosis: Biological Systems, 1 (1), 33–38. https://doi.org/10.37819/biosis.001.01.0049 DOI: https://doi.org/10.37819/biosis.001.01.0049
  40. Randell, R. (1964) The male genitalia in Gryllinae (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) and a tribal revision. Canadian Entomologist, 96, 1565–1607. https://doi.org/10.4039/Ent961565-12 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4039/Ent961565-12
  41. Rentz, D. & Su, Y.N. (2019) A Guide to Crickets of Australia. CSIRO Publishing, Clayton, 398 pp. https://doi.org/10.1071/9781486305070 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/9781486305070
  42. Saussure, H. (1877) Mélanges orthoptérologiques V. fascicule Gryllides. Mémoires de la Société de Physique et d’Histoire Naturelle de Genève, 25 (1), 169–504. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.8541
  43. Saussure, H. (1893) Orthoptera. Biologia Centrali-Americana, 1893, 1–458.
  44. Saussure, H. & Zehntner, L. (1894) Notice morphologique sur les gryllotalpiens. Revue Suisse de Zoologie, 2, 403–437. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5962/p.318228
  45. Shi, G., Grimaldi, D.A., Harlow, G.E., Wang, J., Wang, J., Yang, M., Lei, W., Li, Q. & Li, X. (2012) Age constraint on Burmese amber based on U-Pb dating of zircons. Cretaceous Research, 37, 155–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2012.03.014 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2012.03.014
  46. Shiraki, T. (1930) Orthoptera of the Japanese Empire. Part I. (Gryllotalpidae and Gryllidae). Insecta Matsumurana, 4, 181–252.
  47. Short, D.E. & Driggers, D.P. (1973) Field evaluation of insecticides for controlling mole crickets in turf. Florida Entomologist, 56 (1), 19–23. https://doi.org/10.2307/3493657 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3493657
  48. Song, H., Béthoux, O., Shin, S., Donath, A., Letsch, H., Liu, S., McKenna, D.D., Meng, G., Misof, B., Podsiadlowski, L., Zhou, X., Wipfler, B. & Simon, S. (2020) Phylogenomic analysis sheds light on the evolutionary pathways towards acoustic communication in Orthoptera. Nature communications, 11 (1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18739-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18739-4
  49. Storozhenko, S.Y., Kim, T.W. & Jeon, M.J. (2015) Monograph of Korean Orthoptera. National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon, 377 pp.
  50. Tindale, N.B. (1928) Australasian mole-crickets of the family Gryllotalpidae (Orthoptera). Records of the South Australian Museum, 4 (1), 1–42.
  51. Walker, T.J. & Dong, N. (1982) Mole crickets and pasture grasses: damage by Scapteriscus vicinus, but not by S. acletus (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae). Florida Entomologist, 300–306. https://doi.org/10.2307/3494302 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3494302
  52. Walker, T.J., Reinert, J.A. & Schuster, D.J. (1983) Geographical variation in flights of the mole cricket, Scapteriscus spp. (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 76 (3), 507–517. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/76.3.507 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/76.3.507
  53. Wang, H., Lei, X., Zhang, G., Xu, C., Fang, Y. & Zhang, H. (2020) The earliest Gryllotalpinae (Insecta, Orthoptera, Gryllotalpidae) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Cretaceous Research, 107, 104292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2019.104292 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2019.104292
  54. Weissman, D.B. (2001) Communication and reproductive behaviour in North American Jerusalem crickets (Stenopelmatus) (Orthoptera: Stenopelmatidae). In: Field, L.H. (Ed.), The Biology of Wetas, King Crickets, and Their Allies. CABI Pub., New York, New York, pp. 351–373.
  55. https://doi.org/10.1079/9780851994086.0351 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1079/9780851994086.0351
  56. Xu, C., Fang, Y. & Wang, H. (2020) A new mole cricket (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Cretaceous Research, 112, 104428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2020.104428 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2020.104428
  57. Xu, C., Wang, H., Fang, Y., Jarzembowski, E.A. & Zhuo, D. (2022) Chunxiania fania: a new genus and species of mole cricket (Orthoptera: Ensifera: Gryllotalpidae) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. Cretaceous Research, 134, 105–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105159 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105159
  58. Yu, T., Kelly, R., Mu, L., Ross, A., Kennedy, J., Broly, P., Xia, F., Zhang, H., Wang, B. & Dilcher, D. (2019) An ammonite trapped in Burmese amber. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116 (23), 11345–11350. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1821292116 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1821292116
  59. Yu, Z., Xie, H., Liu, Y., Li, K. & He, Z. (2022) The complete mitochondrial genome of cricket Sclerogryllus punctatus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) and phylogenetic analysis. Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology, 25 (3), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aspen.2022.101933 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aspen.2022.101933