Araneagryllus dylani Heads 2010, SP. NOV.
Creators: name: Heads, Sam W.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2010
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Orthoptera
Phalangopsidae
Araneagryllus
Araneagryllus dylani

description: ARANEAGRYLLUS DYLANI SP. NOV. (FIGS 1–3)    Etymology: The specific epithet is a noun in the genitive case, and is named in honour of my son, Dylan L. Heads. The gender is masculine.   
 Type: Holotype female: Dominican Republic, Early Miocene (Burdigalian, 18–20 Mya) Dominican amber; AMNH specimen number DR-12-32. Syninclusions: this piece of amber is particularly rich in biotic inclusions, including an isopod, a thysanuran, a collembolan, an auchenorrhynchan, two chalcidoid wasps, and numerous Diptera. The specimen is notable for the development of a white emulsion, particularly around the abdomen and mouthparts.   
 Diagnosis: As for the genus (vide supra).   
 Description: Female: body form robust (Figs 1, 2A); 12.11-mm long, measured from head to abdominal apex (excluding ovipositor). Head hypognathous (Fig. 2B); vertex broad, with numerous dark spots extending towards the fastigium, which protrudes between the antennal fossae and is covered with a patch of short setae; frons gently sloping; frontal costa shallow, indistinct; subocular furrow distinct, curved medially towards the frontoclypeal suture; genae almost triangular in shape, covered in minute pits, with two dark spots beneath the compound eyes and a much smaller dark spot towards its ventral margin; compound eyes well developed, globose, situated high on the head, and protuding laterally; ocelli absent; antennal fossae situated directly anterior of the compound eyes; scape large, longer than wide and pedicel markedly smaller, only slightly longer than wide; first, second, and third flagellomeres small, as long as wide; subsequent flagellomeres markedly longer than wide; clypeus, labrum, and other mouthparts largely obscured by white emulsion; mandible apparently strong; maxillary palp long, terminal palpomere markedly inflated apically; labial palp smaller, largely obscured by emulsion. Pronotum shield-like, wider than long, with prominent median and marginal carinae and irregularly spaced short setae; pleural margin with prominent dark band and pale ‘lip’ on anterior pleural lobe; median carina with dark stripe, bordered laterally by several dark spots; anterior and posterior margins of pronotum with prominent rows of long setae. Meso- and metanotae and abdominal tergites broad, decreasing in size posteriorly and of largely uniform dark coloration; posterior margins of abdominal tergites with rows of setae. Abdomen largely obscured by emulsion; cerci incomplete (truncated by surface of amber), broad basally, narrowing apically, with a dense covering of setae; epiproct triangular, covered with emulsion; ovipositor incomplete (truncated by surface of amber), strong basally, narrowing apically; subgenital plate broad basally, narrowing slightly posteriorly, with a small median posterior notch. Pro- and mesothoracic legs long, robust (Fig. 3A, B). Procoxa large, broadly articulated with prosternum; protrochanter much smaller, largely obscured by a large bubble; profemur broad basally, narrowing very slightly towards apex, covered in fine setae and numerous irregular dark patches; numerous longer setae on the dorsal surface, particularly distally; genicular lobes prominent, inflected; protibia a little over half the length of profemur, with three dark bands and two apical spurs of equal length; tympana absent; probasitarsus three-quarters as long as protibia, with prominent apical spine; second tarsomere small; third tarsomere long, gracile. Mesocoxa approximately half the size of procoxa; mesotrochanter small, triangular; mesofemur similar to profemur, with irregular dark patches, prominent genicular lobes, but with more numerous long setae; mesotibia a little over half the length of mesofemur, with three dark bands and two apical spurs of equal length; tarsus as in the prothoracic leg. Metathoracic leg long, robust, saltatorial (Fig. 3C); metafemur strongly inflated basally, with numerous dark patches along the outer facets and dark bands distally; metatibia equal in length to metafemur, with four dark bands; denticulate with two parallel rows of between ten and 12 short spines and four long subapical spurs; three apical spurs, with the median spur markedly longer; metabasitarsus long, with a single dark band, and one long apical spur; second tarsomere much reduced; third tarsomere long, gracile, slightly curved.
description: Published as part of Heads, Sam W., 2010, The first fossil spider cricket (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Phalangopsinae): 20 million years of troglobiomorphosis or exaptation in the dark?, pp. 56-65 in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 158 (1) on page 58, DOI: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00587.x, http://zenodo.org/record/10114839