Description of a remarkable cricket from Cuba, establishing the genus Matildacris (Orthoptera, Phalangopsidae)
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: A new genus and species of long-legged crickets (Grylloidea, Phalangopsidae) is described from Cuba, using characters of general morphology and male genitalia. Matildacris gageae Desutter-Grandcolas gen. nov., sp. nov. is characterized by the absence of glandular structures in male genitalia, the presence of a strong and acute pseudepiphallic ‘C-sclerite’, and two strong parts, equally developed, in the pseudepiphallic parameres, among other characters. Its forewings are devoid of a stridulum and the left forewing presents a strong diagonal desclerotized groove, a feature not previously observed in crickets; by analogy with other insect orders, this character could keep the wings in the closed position. We compare the genitalia structures of Matildacris Desutter-Grandcolas gen. nov. to other Neotropical Phalangopsidae taxa and discuss their diverse forewing conditions.
Source: Zootaxa
Institutions: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Sorbonne Université, Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Université de Strasbourg, Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Cuba, Université Paris Cité, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement, Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement de Paris, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Aix-Marseille Université, Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie Marine et Continentale, Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología y Medio Ambiente
Language: English
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7164346186