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Issue: Vol. 5432 No. 3: 2 Apr. 2024
Type: Article
Published: 2024-04-02
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5432.3.6
Page range: 425-435
Abstract views: 8
PDF downloaded: 1

Description of two new species of mole crickets from the genus Gryllotalpa (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) in Cameroon, with a key to the Afrotropical parva group species

Zoology Laboratory; Department of Animal Biology and Physiology; Faculty of Science; University of Yaounde 1; Cameroon
Zoology Laboratory; Department of Animal Biology and Physiology; Faculty of Science; University of Yaounde 1; Cameroon
Zoology Laboratory; Department of Animal Biology and Physiology; Faculty of Science; University of Yaounde 1; Cameroon
Zoology Laboratory; Department of Animal Biology and Physiology; Faculty of Science; University of Yaounde 1; Cameroon
Research Unit of Biology and Applied Ecology; Department of Animal Biology; Faculty of Science; University of Dschang; Cameroon
Orthoptera morphology parva group pitfall new species ecology

Abstract

A survey was conducted in two successive years, from March 2016 to March 2018, in three regions of Cameroon, during which two new species were collected in two regions and described. These two species, Gryllotalpa cameroonensis sp. nov. and Gryllotalpa tamessei sp. nov. were caught using the pitfall method in forests, agroforests, herbaceous fallows, and crop fields. From an ecological point of view, both new species were accidental in all vegetation types except crop fields, in which Gryllotalpa cameroonensis sp. nov. was accessory. Their habitat characteristics might require sandy soil for G. cameroonensis sp. nov. and silty soil for G. tamessei sp. nov., as well as low soil moisture and acid soil for both new species. The descriptions were followed by a revised key to the Afrotropical parva group species. This paper helps update the data on mole cricket biodiversity in Africa.

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