Bioacoustics of Melanogryllacris atrata

Description. Medium sized species. Head: Face ovoid; forehead nearly smooth with faint transverse riffles in lower area; fastigium verticis wider than scapus; ocelli indistinctly separated from fastigium frontis by a curved suture; ocelli little distinct; subocular furrow distinct ( Fig. 76N ). Abdominal tergites two and three each with two rows of stridulatory pegs (2, 6; 7, 19; n = 1; Fig 76L ). Wings surpassing abdomen and reaching about midst of stretched hind tibia ( Figs. 74K , 76K ). Tegmen: Radius with two branches, both forked near tip; in the male type of M. a. conjuncta and in the female from Kalimantan , RS just after arising from R fuses with MA for about two cell lengths and then separates again, in the female from Kinabalu there is no connection between both veins; media anterior free from base, single branched or fused in about mid-length for about two cells lengths with RS; MP and CuA with common stem, dividing behind basal third, and the anterior branch divides again about at mid-length resulting in three branches, MP, CuA1 and CuA2; cubitus posterior undivided, free throughout; with 4 anal veins. Legs: Hind femur with rather strong spines on both ventral margins, the last internal spine markedly larger than the preceding. Hind tibia with a pre-apical spine on both ventral margins. Coloration. General color black; face, central areas of vertex and pronotum, thoracic sternites, coxae and basal two thirds of all femora brown or of light color. Face yellowish brown, marbled with lighter and darker spots and flecks. Tegmen blackish brown; veins and veinlets in about basal half light greyish, in apical half veins dark brown, veinlets of lighter color; hind wing blackish brown with dark veins and veinlets, partly with light cross-veins. The female from Mt. Kinabalu that had been originally conserved in alcohol is of lighter color: the basic color is medium to dark brown, the pronotum has only the margin black, and the black color of the genicular area of all legs is less extended. The tegmen is medium brown but almost transparent along fore and hind margins. The hind wings have a light brown infumation, dark brown veins and medium brown cross-veins ( Fig. 76K ). Male. Subgenital plate ( type of M. a. conjuncta ) wide at base, strongly constricted before mid-length and projecting central area with moderately converging lateral margins; apical margin subtruncte; styli small and thin, inserted at medial constriction of plate, their tips not reaching half the length of the median process. See also extensive descriptions in Griffini (1910) and Karny (1926a) . Female. Seventh abdominal sternite larger than preceding sternites, black; in middle of hind margin with a small yellowish modification consisting of a pair of lateral pits with swollen margins and a short medial furrow with swollen lateral margins, open anteriorly and terminating posteriorly in a small elevation. Subgenital plate black, with medial furrow and converging lateral margins, base little excised to fit the modification of the seventh sternite, apex slightly bilobate ( Fig. 76M ). Base of ovipositor with oval swelling at very base; basal to subbasal area stout and thick, black. Ovipositor behind subbasal area narrowed, yellowish brown and with concave ventral margin; tip subacute ( Fig. 74J , 76M ). Measurements ( 1 female from Kinabalu).—body w/wings: 36; body w/o wings: 29; pronotum: 6; tegmen: 27.5; hind femur: 15.5; tegmen width: 10.5; antenna: 110; ovipositor: 7.5 mm . For variation see Karny (1926a) .