Ellipes ignis, Woo, 2025

Ellipes ignis sp. nov.

Figs 7–9 View FIGURE 7 View FIGURE 8 View FIGURE 9 , 17 View FIGURE 17

Etymology. From the Latin ignis , meaning fire, referring both to the bright coloration of this new species and to the fire-maintained nature of its habitat.

Proposed Common Name. Candy Cane Pygmy Mole Cricket (in reference to its red and white banding pattern) Holotype repository. TAMUIC

Material examined (n=39). Holotype: USA • ♂; Florida : Manatee County: Coker Prairie Tract; 27.46395, - 82.198355; 19 June 2022; B. Woo leg. ( TAMUIC) GoogleMaps . Allotype: USA • ♀; Florida : Manatee County: same information as holotype ( TAMUIC) . Paratypes: USA • 2 ♀, 4 nymphs, Florida : Manatee County: same information as holotype ( TAMUIC) • 1 ♂, 3 ♀, 5 nymphs; same locality as previous; 20 June 2022; B. Woo leg. ( TAMUIC) • 1 ♂, 2 ♀, 2 nymphs, Manatee County: Duette Preserve ; 27.487, -82.167; 30 May 2025; B. Woo leg. ( 1 ♀, ABS; others, TAMUIC) GoogleMaps • 2 ♂, 1 ♀, 1 nymph, Manatee County: Little Manatee River Southfork tract; 27.590, -82.237; 31 May 2025; B. Woo leg. ( 1 ♀, ABS; others, TAMUIC) GoogleMaps • 3 ♂, 10 ♀, Manatee County: Moody Branch WEA; 27.632, - 82.235; 30 May 2025; B. Woo leg. ( 1 ♂, 1 ♀, ABS; others, TAMUIC) GoogleMaps

Diagnosis. Differs from all other known species of Ellipes by the combination of its flightless condition, brick red coloration, lack of swimming plates, and occurrence in xeric habitat. Easily distinguished from the other upland Ellipes species ( E. eisneri , E. deyrupi , and E. ceratiola sp. nov.) by its distinctive coloration and highly disjunct range.

Measurements (mm). Body (head to end of abdomen): ♂, 3.5–3.7; ♀, 3.8–4.5; length of pronotum: ♂, 0.8; ♀, 0.7–1.0; length of forewing: ♂, 0.8; ♀, 0.7–0.9; length of hind femur: ♂, 1.8–2.0; ♀, 1.9–2.2.

Description. Male ( holotype). ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ). Coloration in life ( Fig. 1): Head burgundy, with short pale spur derived from base and another short pale streak just below compound eye; antennae light brown; eyes black. Pronotum brick red with anterior edge burgundy; lower posterior corner of lateral lobe rusty orange. Forelegs tan, darkening to brown on tibiae and tarsi; middle legs creamy, with dark markings on femora and tibiae, and elliptical yellow mass in tibiae; hind femora creamy, with two irregular brown transverse bands; apical crescents of hind femora brick red; hind tibiae brick red but fading to cream apically. Tegmina dark brown, anal area white; abdomen dark brown, with apical borders of tergites tan; basal segment of cercus dark brown, apical segment dark cream; paraproct processes yellow. Note that coloration fades considerably in ethanol-preserved specimens, especially compared with other Florida Ellipes species.

Antennae 10-segmented; head and pronotum with sparse covering of short pale setae. Forewings about as long as pronotum; hind wings absent. Male stridulatory file ( Fig. 3C View FIGURE 3 ) 0.4 mm in length, with about 44 teeth. Swimming plates of hind tibia absent. Male epiproct ( Fig. 3A View FIGURE 3 ) about as wide as long; shallowly indented basally, convex apically, with long apical bristle about ¾ its length. Paraproct hooks strongly sclerotized, rounded apically and greatly widened at middle. Male subgenital plate ( Fig. 2C View FIGURE 2 ) unspecialized, broadly rounded. Female subgenital plate ( Fig. 2D View FIGURE 2 ) tapered apically, with rounded apex.

Habitat. The type locality ( Fig. 1E) is xeric Florida scrub habitat dominated by Florida scrub oak ( Quercus inopina ). Other plants present at the locality include hog plum ( Ximenia americana L.), candyroot ( Senega nana (Michx.) J.F.B.Pastore & J.R.Abbott ), lesser Florida spurge ( Euphorbia polyphylla Engelm. ex Chapm. ), nodding pinweed ( Lechea cernua Small ), sand spikemoss ( Selaginella arenicola Underw. ), and rust weed ( Polypremum procumbens L.). Open sand gaps that harbored Pygmy Mole Crickets were mostly restricted to the sand road edges. Broken or dead pieces of rust weed, which have similar coloration to E. ignis , were common in these gaps, providing a possible source of crypsis for these insects. All specimens of E. ignis were collected within an hour or two of rain. Other Orthopterans present at the type locality included Chortophaga australior (Rehn & Hebard) , Trimerotropis maritima (Harris) , Spharagemon marmoratum pictum (Scudder) , Melanoplus spiracor Woller & Kelly , and Pictonemobius sp. Other localities in Manatee County where E. ignis was collected were nearly identical in habitat to the type locality.

Distribution. Restricted to appropriate habitat in Manatee County, Florida.