Oecanthus mhatreae sp. nov. (Gryllidae: Oecanthinae): A new species of tree cricket from Mexico, with an irregular song pattern and unique chirp-like trill configuration

Abstract

A new species of Oecanthus is described from Mexico. Oecanthus mhatreaesp. nov. occurs in central Mexico in the understory of tropical deciduous forest. Oecanthus mhatreaesp. nov. is currently known only from the Corregidora area of the Mexican state of Querétaro. The widened tegmina and chirp-like brief trills song are consistent with some members of the rileyi species group; however, this new species of tree cricket is different in several aspects. The chirp-like brief trills are generally irregularly spaced, it does not have the expected grouping of the chirp pulses, and the colors of buff, light olive green, or light brown are vastly different than the four known pale green species in the rileyi species group of the Western Hemisphere. Morphology, habitat, and song details of this new species, with the common name of Otomi tree cricket, are provided in this paper. Video can be viewed at www.oecanthinae.com.