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| Oecanthus beameri Collins & Lightfoot, 2022 DOI: 10.3897/jor.31.79036 |
Abstract
A new species of tree crickets, Oecanthus beameri sp. nov., is described from the gypsum dunes of White Sands National Park in New Mexico, United States. The new species is currently known only from the type locality, where it appears to be specific to the gypsophile plant hoary rosemary mint (Poliomintha incana). This new species has the narrowed tegmina and calling song that are found in the nigricornis species group. Although it has morphological similarities to O. quadripunctatus and O. celerinictus, there are differences in the subgenital plates, tegminal measurements, coloring, tibial markings, song frequency, and song pulse rate. This new species has been given the common name White Sands tree cricket. We provide a key to all species in the nigricornis group. Video and song recordings are available online as Suppl. materials 1–8.
Keywords: bioacoustic, biodiversity, gypsophile, Oecanthus, Poliomintha incana, White Sands National Park
Family Gryllidae Laicharting, 1781
Subfamily Oecanthinae Blanchard, 1845
Tribe Oecanthini Blanchard, 1845
Genus Oecanthus Serville, 1831
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| Oecanthus beameri sp. nov. A. Male habitus, dorsal view; B. Front view of a singing male; C. Antennal markings. Photo credit James Bailey, iNaturalist; D. Ventral abdomen color of adult male. Photo credit Jared Shorma, iNaturalist; E. Ventral abdomen color of adult female; F. Faint horizontal lines on proximal portion of hind femora. Photo credit James Bailey, iNaturalist. |
Oecanthus beameri sp. nov.
Diagnosis.— The antennal markings of O. beameri sp. nov. can total two, three, or four, with the medial mark on the scape usually broken into two pieces (Figs 3C, 4), while O. quadripunctatus has either two or four marks with the medial mark on the scape being a solid post, and O. celerinictus always has a solid medial mark on the scape and never lacks the upper outer mark on the scape and is never round. The two antennal marks on the pedicel of O. walkeri (Collins and Symes 2012) touch, and those of O. argentinus touch or nearly touch, while the marks on O. beameri sp. nov. do not.
Etymology.— Specific epithet in recognition of Raymond Beamer who collected the specimens in 1932 that were discovered in the ANSDU collection in 2019. The common name, White Sands tree cricket, is for the location where this species was discovered with high potential for endemism.
Nancy Collins and David C. Lightfoot. 2022. A New Species of Tree Cricket (Orthoptera, Gryllidae, Oecanthinae) from Chihuahuan Desert Gypsum Dunes in the United States and A Key to the nigricornis Species Group. Journal of Orthoptera Research. 31(2): 181-189. DOI: 10.3897/jor.31.79036
