Melanogryllus Chopard, 1961

Genus Melanogryllus Chopard, 1961 View in CoL

Chinese name: ḡēș

Melanogryllus Chopard, 1961: 276 View in CoL

Type species. Gryllus desertus Pallas, 1771 View in CoL

Diagnosis. Body size medium for Gryllinae , black and densely covered with short hairs. Pronotum broad. Anterior tibiae armed with inner and outer tympanum; posterior femora developed. Genitalia with epiphallus varying in Vshape or U-shape. Females of some species possess short forewings, and the length of the ovipositor variable as to species.

Distribution. China ( Xinjiang, Xizang, Yunnan, Taiwan, Guangdong, Hongkong).

Key to the species of Melanogryllus View in CoL from China

1. Male head and pronotum broad and the forewings reach abdominal apex......................................... 2

- Male head and pronotum narrowed and the forewings do not reach the abdominal apex.............................................................................................................. M. desertus ( Pallas, 1771) View in CoL

2. The apical field of male forewings broad; females short-winged and the ovipositor longer than half of the body length................................................................................. M. chopardi Bey-Bienko, 1968 View in CoL

- The apical field of male forewings narrowed; females long-winged and the ovipositor shorter than the half of the body............................................................................... M. bilineatus Yang & Yang, 1994 View in CoL