Bioacoustics of Falcerminthus sanchezi

Redescription. Size small. Coloration brown with contrasted light and dark patterns ( Fig. 1 A–D). Head dorsum ( Fig.2 A) with 4 wide but faint brown longitudinal band, each band containing a thin black line; area posterior to eyes yellow. Eyes dark brown, with a paler dorsal longitudinal band. Fastigium wider than long, setose, dark brown, with a contrasted vivid orange band apically; upper facial part yellow. Scapes whitish with faint darker patterns; antennae yellow at base then progressively dark brown. Face ( Fig. 2 B) with a black mask extended bellow antennae and eyes. Mouthparts variably mottled with dark brown and yellow brown; maxillary palpi yellow brown with dark brown longitudinal patterns, darker apically. Lateral part of head ( Fig.2 C) yellow, with a black band posterior to eyes prolonging the dark coloration of pronotum. Pronotum: Dorsal disk slightly trapezoidal, straight posteriorly; yellow brown mottled with dark brown, lateral edges always whitish, posterior area mostly dark brown. Lateral lobes black dorsally, ventral margin yellow with a median black patch sometimes linked to the anterior margin and/or to the dorsal dark coloration ( Fig. 2 C). Legs: Fore and mid legs light brown, femora with dark brown spots, tibiae with dark rings. Hind femora brown, with strong striated dark patterns on outer faces, knees dark brown with a pale inner preapical area; hind tibiae with dark rings. Tarsomeres I/ III-1 yellow brown, apices dark brown. Tarsomeres III-1 with 2 spines on dorsal outer edges (n = 10) and 0–2 (m = 1, n=10) on outer faces. Abdomen homogeneously brown dorsally, yellowish brown ventrally. Cerci yellowish brown, with dark rings near apex. Male: FWs not reaching abdomen midlength. FW coloration ( Fig. 3 A): Cells dark brown, not translucent; veins dark brown except anterior parts of anal veins orange brown; MA and MP orange brown, intermedian area whitish, without transverse veins; R dark brown, area between MA and R dark brown, rest of lateral field progressively lighter toward ventral margin, with dark brown longitudinal veins. FW venation ( Fig. 3 A): 1A widely curved (angle>120°); stridulatory file with 240 teeth (n = 1) ( Fig. 3 E), located on transverse part of 1A only. CuP not visible. Diagonal vein absent or very faint, preplaced by a convex fold underlying harp posterior margin. Harp wide, occupying most of dorsal field surface, with a strong transverse harp vein, polyfurcated anteriorly and delimiting a false mirror barely rounded, i.e. a distinctive area located on harp posterior corner (not homologous to the mirror of other cricket species: cell d1, Robillard & Desutter-Grandcolas 2004a ). CuA curved innerly near apex, its distal part weak, surrounding the median fold, small, triangular, and located dorsally. Longitudinal veins of dorsal field strong apically, transverse veins very weak. Mirror (d1) not differentiated. Apical field absent, with no bifurcation of CuA posterior to diagonal vein. Lateral field with 5 strong longitudinal veins including MA, R and 3 more ventral veins; latero-dorsal angle made by MP; R without bifurcating veins. Subgenital plate elongate, clog-shaped. Male genitalia ( Fig. 4 A–C): Intermediate between L. bitaeniatus and L. villemantae . Pseudepiphallic sclerite trapezoidal, slightly convex dorsally; posterior apex with short triangular lophi, setose, wider than long and separated by a V-shaped indentation; anterior margin slightly indented, its lateral margins slightly raised dorsally. Rami short. Pseudepiphallic parameres F-shaped. Ectophallic arc complete almost straight, its base with short ventro-posterior expansions, sclerotized basally. Ectophallic fold with a wide X-shaped preapical sclerite. Ectophallic apodemes very long, thin and divergent, exceeding anterior margin of pseudepiphallus. Endophallic sclerite wide and long, exceeding anterior margin of pseudepiphallus, its posterior apex with a median triangular expansion and short lateral arms; endophallic apodeme made of wide lateral lamellas but without a median crest. Female: FWs short ( Fig. 3 B), rounded, going slightly beyond posterior margin of second tergite, not overlapping but close together; dorsal field light brown with 6 strong orange brown longitudinal veins. Lateral field dark brown, with 2 strong dark brown longitudinal veins. Ovipositor shorter than hind femora; apex lanceolate, slightly denticulate on dorsal edge. Female genitalia : flat, little sclerotized, with a basal sclerotized ring, apex rounded. Juvenile. Dark brown mottled with light brown ( Fig. 5 B). Measurements. See Table 1 . Habitat and life history traits. L. sanchezi lives in the leaf litter of secondary forested areas ( Fig. 5 A–D). It is found on top of leaves in small bushes and sometimes in the leaf litter. Males have been observed singing on top of leaf litter or low plants during day and night. Behavior. Calling song ( Fig. 6 ): In the field the calling song of L. sanchezi consists of short trills comprising 58±13 syllables. Each echeme lasts for 0.99± 0.19 s with a period of 28.36± 8.89 s . Syllables are very short (duration =6.4±1.9 ms; period = 17.0±6.3 ms) and show a homogeneous amplitude profile suggesting a regular wing closing movement during wing stridulation. The spectrum shows a clear dominant peak at 24.4±1.2 kHz with one peak harmonically related at about 48 kHz. Mating behavior: Observations in the field and in the laboratory showed multiple matings, as described in another Lebinthus species ( Narvaez & Robillard 2012 ). PronL PronW FWL FWW FIIIL FIIIW Male neotype 1.9 3.2 2.7 2.3 8.7 3.3 Males (n=5) 1.9–2.1 3.2–3.3 2.6–3.4 2–2.5 8.7–9.5 3.2–3.3 (mean) (2.0) (3.2) (2.9) (2.3) (9.2) (3.3) Females (n=5) 2–2.1 3.2–3.4 0.6–1.1 - 9.7–10 3.3–3.7 TIIIL TIII OL Ias Ibs Oas Obs