Fryerius (Brevitrella) intermedius Gorochov, 2025

Gorochov, A. V., 2025, Taxonomy of Podoscirtinae (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). Part 17: some Madagascan genera and Varitrella, Russian Entomological Journal 34 (1), pp. 19-36 : 24-27

Fryerius (Brevitrella) intermedius Gorochov , sp.n.

Figs 24–29 , 33–35 .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. Holotype ♂, Madagascar, Toliara Prov., “Massif du Makay, dry forest, I.2011 ” ( ZIN).

DESCRIPTION. Male (holotype). General appearance more or less similar to that of Fryerius s.str. and Malgasotrella Gorochov, 2004 . Body moderately large, light greyish brown with greyish brown to brown numerous (dense) and small marks as well as with following pattern: epicranium with yellowish ocelli, light reddish brown eyes, as well as dark brown rostral dorsum and three pairs of stripes (one longitudinal from medial parts of eyes to occiput, one also longitudinal but shorter and located behind posterior parts of eyes, and one very narrow along ventral edges of antennal cavities); antennae uniformly light greyish brown but with greyish brown spots on scapes; mouthparts almost uniformly yellowish with only a few brown to light brown spots on clypeus, sparse dark brown dots on bases of mandibles and light greyish brown to greyish brown distal half of each maxillary palpus ( Figs 24, 25 ); pronotum with greyish brown lateral lobes having distinctly lighter stripes along ventral edges of these lobes; tegmina light greyish (semitransparent) with partly greyish brown venation, dark brown membranes between proximal parts of Sc branches as well as between proximal portions of Sc stem and R, and greyish brown membranes between proximal halves of M and Cu as well as spots very near lateral corner of mirror and between chords (also lateral fields with whitish crossveins in proximal part, and dorsal field with numerous grey and rather short lines on large membranes) ( Fig. 26 ); legs with greyish brown apical part of hind femur, basal part of hind tibia and less distinct areas on all tarsi, as well as with whitish tympanic membranes; abdominal tergites greyish brown with dark brown last one; anal plate almost blackish with large light brown median area and most part of distal (curved downwards) portion of this plate; cerci greyish brown to light greyish brown. Head rather wide and low, with rostrum roundly angular in profile and almost as wide as scape, and with moderately large ocelli located on proximal half of rostrum and not very far from each other (median ocellus slightly transverse, but lateral ones slightly larger and barely longitudinal; Fig. 24 ); pronotal disc and metanotal gland as in Fig. 25 ; pronotal lateral lobes rather low and with slightly convex ventral edges; tegmina long, distinctly protruding beyond apices of hind femora, with venation as in Fig. 26 ; hind wings significantly protruding beyond tegminal apices; legs rather short and stout, with both tympana (outer and inner) open and oval, but inner tympanum slightly shorter than outer one and barely immersed; anal plate typical of Fryerius s.l. including other species of Brevitrella ( Figs 27, 28 ); genital plate as in Fig. 29 . Genitalia ( Figs 33–35 ) very similar to those of other Brevitrella species but with following differences: distal half of epiphallus with large membranous median area between dorsoapical epiphallic projections and before them (vs epiphallus entirely sclerotized); ectoparameres more curved in middle part; each sclerotized posterolateral lobule of dorsal fold of rachis high in distal part as well as with very small apical hook (vs this lobule narrower in profile and without apical hook, or it only with larger apical hook); distal part of formula more strongly cup-like curved, with a pair of long ventral tongues having very wide interspace between them, and with a pair of short dorsal tongues having narrow interspace between them (vs this part consisting of a pair of triangular or semicircular but more flat plates fused with each other in short median portion).

Female unknown.

Length in mm. Body 24; body with wings 33; pronotum 3.6; tegmina 23.5; hind femora 14.

COMPARISON. The new species from southwestern part of Madagascar is distinguished from Fryerius (Brevitrella) madagascaricus ( Gorochov, 2004) , comb.n. (originally Kilimagryllus madagascaricus from the same part of Madagascar) and F. (B.) africanus (Walker, 1869) , comb.n. (originally Platydactylus africanus from South Africa) in larger size, less uniform coloration, a bilobate (not roundly angular or roundly truncate) apical part of the median tubercle in the male metanotal gland, longer wings, the presence of distinct inner tympana on the both fore tibiae, and small differences in the male genitalia listed above. From the enigmatic (but possibly belonging to Fryerius s.l.) Calyptotrypus madecassus and C. grandidieri , the new species differs in a distinctly more spotted coloration (especially on the fore part of the head) and clearly darker lateral lobes of the pronotum, and from only C. madecassus , in a clearly larger mirror in the male tegmen.

ETYMOLOGY. This species name is the Latin word “intermedius ” (intermediate) due to an intermediate position of the new species between Fryerius s.str. and other Brevitrella species.

Figures

Figs 21–29. Allotrella and Fryerius, male: 21–23 — A. analogica sp.n.; 24–29 — F.(Brevitrella) intermedius sp.n. Head in front (21, 24); head with pronotum, metanotal gland, fore legs and bases of partly spread wings from above (22, 25); right tegmen (23, 26); abdominal apex from above and slightly behind (27); anal plate from behind and slightly below (28); genital plate from below (29). Рис. 21–29. Allotrella и Fryerius, самец: 21–23 — A. analogica sp.n.; 24–29 — F.(Brevitrella) intermedius sp.n. Голова спереди (21, 24); голова с переднеспинкой, метанотальной ЖелеЗой, передними ногами и основаниЯми раЗдвинутых крыльев сверху (22, 25); правое надкрылье (23, 26); вершина брюшка сверху и слегка сЗади (27); анальнаЯ пластинка сЗади и слегка сниЗу (28); генитальнаЯ пластинка сниЗу (29).

Figs 30–46. Allotrella, Fryerius and Varitrella, male: 30–32 — A. analogica; 33–35 — F. (Brevitrella) intermedius sp.n.; 36–42 — V. (Cantotrella) mindanao sp.n., holotype (36–38) and paratypes (39–42); 43–46 — V. (C.) sumatra sp.n. Genitalia from above (30, 33, 36, 39, 43), from below (31, 34, 37, 40, 44) and from side (32, 35, 38, 41, 45); spermatophore (46) and its ampulla (42) from side. Рис. 30–46. Allotrella, Fryerius и Varitrella, самец: 30–32 — A. analogica; 33–35 — F. (Brevitrella) intermedius sp.n.; 36–42 — V. (Cantotrella) mindanao sp.n., голотип (36–38) и паратипы (39–42); 43–46 — V. (C.) sumatra sp.n. Гениталии сверху (30, 33, 36, 39, 43), сниЗу (31, 34, 37, 40, 44) и сбоку (32, 35, 38, 41, 45); сперматофор (46) и его ампула (42) сбоку.