Corresponding author: Nancy Collins (
Academic editor:
Klaus-Gerhard Heller
A new species of
According to the current listing on the
Oecanthines in the
Four chirping species in the
In 1965, RD Alexander recorded songs of eight unknown chirping oecanthines in Mexico. TJ Walker analyzed the recordings (
A 2019 photograph (Fig.
BVAG monitored light intensity when the tree crickets were first heard singing over a five-day period. Light intensity measurements were used from online data in the Querétaro area (
Measurements were made after the specimens were euthanized by freezing. Specimens were preserved in 70% alcohol until delivery to permanent depositories. Photographs were taken using a Samsung tablet and a Nikon D90 camera with a +4 Macro Close Up Neewer lens. Photographs, video, and sound recordings will be made available for viewing at
Specific epithet in honor of Natasha Mhatre, who has worked extensively with
The genus
MEXICO, holotype ♂, alcohol vial, Querétaro, Corregidora, Fraccionamiento Vista Real,
(in mm). Light olive green wings with dark staining along some veins. Pronotum milky buff color. Grayish tan head with four lighter streaks running to pronotum, and light pink patch near scapes. Pedicel and scape pale green. Antennae pale greenish white. Eye color purplish. Palpi translucent tan. Oval black mark on each pedicel and scape. Abdomen light olive green with scattered darker blotches. Femurs translucent olive green; tibiae and tarsi light olive green. Body length 13.5; tegminal length 13.7; tegminal width 6.8; pronotal length 2.2; distal pronotal width 2.4; hind femur length 10; cerci 4.9. The stridulatory file length is 1.5 mm, and the stridulatory teeth count is 36.
Overall color of both sexes can range from light brown (Fig.
Antennae filaments translucent greyish white or tan. Eye color purple to brown. Palpi translucent tan. Pronotum has a milky or creamy buff or light olive color (Figs
Adult female coloring and ovipositor length (on non-native
Nymphs as in photos of 3rd–5th instars (Figs
Tree crickets were found on ten plant species:
According to records on the National Water Commission website, rainfall totals for Querétaro were (listed in mm from January 2018 through March 2019): 9.2, 10.0, 2.8, 24.1, 39.5, 161.8, 31.4, 71.7, 110.2, 58.6, 31.1, 3.8, 7.5, 2.3, and 4.6. The lowest temperatures occurred in January 2018 (5.3°C in 2018 and 8.5°C in 2019). The warmest temperatures from January-March 2019 were 24.7°C, 28.1°C, and 29.6°C.
Light intensity readings ranged from less than 5 W/m2 to 12 W/m2 at the time males began singing. Song monitoring in January and February revealed Otomi tree crickets began singing from one minute before to eleven minutes after sunset and were singing within 10 minutes of sunset in temperatures of 17–18°C and past midnight in temperatures less than 12°C. The holotype male and one paratype female were video recorded mating while in captivity. A video clip can be viewed at
The song pattern and chirp configuration of Otomi tree cricket were instrumental in diagnosing this new Mexican oecanthine. Waveform analysis showed that each chirp was comprised of a long string of pulses with no groupings (Figs
Waveforms of the calling song of
Audio recording of the calling song of
Calling song recording of
Comparisons of song patterns, single chirps and single bursts of trilling.
At all temperatures, the chirping pattern of Otomi tree cricket was irregular. This sporadic rate and pattern were unlike any of the other known chirping species in North America. Fig.
Graph comparing chirps per minute at given temperatures.
Data and sources of chirps per minute at recorded temperatures of
Species | Temp C | Ch/min | Source |
---|---|---|---|
|
12.5 | 69 | SINA 585slo |
18.3 | 114 | SINA 585slj | |
25 | 180 | ML 124884 | |
|
17.2 | 76 | ML 124705 |
20.2 | 90 | ML 124791 | |
24.6 | 108 | SINA 588sl | |
|
15 | 32 | IC and BG Querétaro |
17 | 42 | ||
19 | 58 | ||
20.8 | 48 | ||
|
21.7 | 24 | NC Texas USA |
23.2 | 34 | ||
27.5 | 47 | ||
|
23.2 | 20 | ML 114499 |
25.3 | 24 | ML 125543 | |
26.6 | 30 | NC Nicaragua |
Characters that separate
Fourteen species of
Comparison of characters for 14 other species of
Stridulatory Teeth Total | Pedicel Mark | Scape Mark | Song Type | Source Providing Details | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
44 | Comma | Teardrop |
|
|
|
24 | No marking | No marking | ||
|
27–29 | Post | Post | Continuous trilling |
|
|
48 | Line | Line | Regular trilling chirps | |
|
|
No marking | Line |
|
|
|
|
No marking | Line or no marking |
|
|
|
51–54 | No marking | No marking |
|
|
|
|
Line | Line | Long regular chirps |
|
|
|
No marking | No marking |
|
|
|
50–53 | L-shape and dot | Line and dot | ||
|
47 | L-shape | Thick vertical mark | Continuous trilling |
|
|
|
Oval | Thin post |
|
|
|
44 | Bowed line | Line |
|
|
|
38–46 | Line | Line |
|
We describe this new species of
Since the songs of
While Otomi tree cricket is currently known only from Querétaro, Mexico, more investigation is needed to understand its full geographic range, elevations of occurrence, and types of habitat. More exploration is needed throughout Mexico for other undescribed species heard by RD Alexander over 50 years ago.
We encourage others to post submissions of observations to iNaturalist, as we believe there are other new species waiting to be discovered by specialists reviewing photographs and/or sound recordings on this worldwide public website. There are many non-entomologists and citizen scientists eager to provide data for investigations of insects in their locations.
We thank the California Academy of Sciences for maintaining the website