| Araneagryllus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Orthoptera |
| Family: | Gryllidae |
| Subfamily: | Phalangopsinae |
| Tribe: | Luzarini |
| Subtribe: | Amphiacustina |
| Genus: | † Araneagryllus Heads, 2010 |
| Species: | A. dylani |
| Binomial name | |
| Araneagryllus dylani Heads, 2010 |
|
Araneagryllus is an extinct monotypic genus of cricket in the subfamily Phalangopsinae with the sole species Araneagryllus dylani.[1] The fossil was recovered in the Dominican Republic from early Miocene Burdigalian stage Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola.[1][2] Araneagryllus is the first Phalangopsinae cricket to be described from the fossil record.[1]
The genus is known from a single 12.11 millimetres (0.477 in) long female specimen, the holotype, currently deposited in the collections of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, as number "DR-12-32", and which was first studied by Dr. Sam W. Heads.[1] Dr. Heads published his 2010 type description in the the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society volume number 158.[1] The genus name is a combination of the Latin aranea meaning "spider" and gryllus,meaning "cricket" in reference to the common name given the subfamily where Araneagryllus is placed.[1] The species name is in honor of Dylan L. Heads, son of Dr. Heads.[1] The female has a notable development of a white "emulsion" developed around the mouth parts and on the abdomen.[1]
Araneagryllus dylani possesses a wide shield-like, pronotum which has irregularly spaced setae and prominent ridges along the center and margins.[1] The legs are long with areas of short and long setae, and are marked with a pattern of dark marking ranging from spots on the profemur to stripes on the mesotibia.[1] The metatibia sports two rows of ten to twelve spines, four subapical spurs, and three apical spurs. The middle apical spur is notably longer then the other two spurs.[1] Both cerci the joint of one hind leg and the ovipositer are are incomplete, having been removed during shaping and polishing of the amber specimen.[1] Cladistic analysis places Araneagryllus within a clade composed of Arachnopsita, Leptopedetes, Longuripes, Mayagryllus, Nemoricantor, and Prolonguripes. All seven genera, among other characters, possessing an elongated middle apical spur.[1]
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