Xenogryllus lemuria Yu & Robillard, 2025

Yu, Zhe-Yuan, Hugel, Sylvain, Kergoat, Gael J. & Robillard, Tony, 2025, A new species of Xenogryllus Bolívar (Orthoptera, Gryllidae, Eneopterinae), extending the distribution of the genus to Madagascar, Zootaxa 5665 (4), pp. 583-591 : 585-587

Xenogryllus lemuria Yu & Robillard , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–2 )

Type material. — Holotype: MADAGASCAR • ♂; Tananarivo [Antananarivo]; Heb Cln [M. Hebard collection]; ANSP.

Type locality. Madagascar, Antananarivo .

Distribution. Madagascar.

Etymology. The species is named after the mythological lost continent of Lemuria, supposedly located in the Indian Ocean. The name refers both to the uncertain type locality, to the unexpected presence of the genus (and tribe and subfamily) in Madagascar, and to the name of the endemic primates of Madagascar, the lemurs. Noun in apposition.

Remark. The species is known only from the male holotype.

Diagnosis. The species size is average to small for the genus. It is characterized by narrow male FWs along the abdomen, as in X. lamottei Robillard, 2019 , while male FWs are widened laterally (forming a wide box around the abdomen) in all the other species of the genus. The pronotum is carinated laterally as in X. eneopteroides Bolívar, 1890 , X. maniema Robillard & Jaiswara, 2019 and X. mozambicus Robillard, 2019 , but unlike X. lamottei and the Asian species. The eyes are large, occupying almost half of the head width; the face is relatively flat in lateral view. The male genitalia are also characteristic: they are close to those of the African species; the pseudepiphallic lophi are short as in X. lamottei , unlike in X. eneopteroides , X. maniema and X. mozambicus , which have more elongate lophi; apex of lophi are pointed, and their ventral blades present strong transverse carina, as in X. eneopteroides and X. mozambicus ; the ectophallic apodemes converge apically as in X. eneopteroides (apodemes are divergent in the other species of the genus).

Description. Size average to small for the genus; general shape slender, coloration brown. Eyes large and rounded, lateral, occupying over half of head height in facial view, and 45% of head width in dorsal view; with nine thin dark vertical stripes. Head dorsum yellow brown, with two wide median longitudinal dark brown bands almost fused together, and two more lateral bands formed by dark brown dots, fastigium black with yellow margins. Antennae light brown with scapes and first article of antennae dark brown. Face flat in lateral view, whitish with black dots; dark brown line on mandibles, below eyes; clypeus whitish; labrum lateral margins with a light brown band. Pronotal disc brown mottled with dark brown, with a median dark brown band and two black spots on anterior region; carinated laterally with a thin yellow band; posterior margin yellow brown thinly dotted with black, slightly extended posteriorly. Lateral lobes of pronotum almost homogeneously dark brown. Fore legs missing in holotype. Median legs brown with dark spots. Hind legs homogeneously brown. FIII long and narrow. TIII with 15 external subapical spines above spurs, 13 external spines between spurs, 8 internal subapical spines above spurs, 10 internal spines between spurs. First hind tarsomere with one internal dorsal spine (in addition to apical spine), and two rows of external spines, one on lateral side (four spines), and one on dorsal margin (five spines). Abdomen slightly shorter than FWs. Cerci dark brown.

Male. FWs light brown, slightly translucent, as wide as abdomen (not widened as in other species of the genus), slightly longer than apex of abdomen; dark coloration anterior to 1A (file) including angle of 1A. Harp longer than wide, with two oblique harp veins almost straight and one partial vein. Cell c1 narrowed posteriorly; cell c2 large; vein separating c1 and c2 dark brown. Mirror large, slightly wider than long, rounded posteriorly. Cell d2 long and narrow. Apical field short, forming a triangle as long as wide, including five cell alignments. Lateral field with 16 bifurcations of Sc.

Male genitalia. Pseudepiphallic lophi rectangular and stocky, slightly shorter than rest of pseudepiphallus (including rami). Base of lophi slightly constricted near middle of outer margin; slightly widened ventrally, fused basally on 1/3 of their length. Inner margin of lophi narrow and membranous.Apex of lophi pointed and convergent, forming a short lamella without inner dorsal expansion.Ventral blades of lophi without longitudinal wrinkles, but with a strong transverse carina. Pseudepiphallic parameres bean-shaped, with a wide rectangular ventral lobe. Rami strong, with slightly convergent apex. Pseudepiphallic lateral membranous lobes small. Basal margin of pseudephiphallus strongly reinforced. Ectophallic arc not sclerotized. Ectophallic fold strongly sclerotized, inverted-Y shaped, with a membranous apex. Latero-dorsal expansions of ectophallic fold short. Ectophallic apodemes strong and convergent apically. Endophallic sclerite strong, its weak latero-posterior arms partly fused with ectophallic fold.

Female. Unknown.

Life history traits and calling song. Unknown.

Measurements. (in mm) Body length: 21.5; Pronotum length: 3.5; Pronotum width: 2.6; FW length: 16.8; FW width: 6; Hind wing tail: 6.6; FIII length:15.6; FIII width: 2.9; TIII length: 14.8.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Xenogryllus lemuria sp. nov.: male in dorsal (A) and lateral (B) view. Scale bar = 5 mm.

FIGURE 2. Dorsal (A), facial (B) and lateral (C) views of the head of Xenogryllus lemuria sp. nov. and male genitalia in dorsal (D), ventral (E) and lateral (F) views. Scale bars =1 mm.