Ellipes ceratiola, Woo, 2025

Ellipes ceratiola sp. nov.

Figs 10–12 View FIGURE 10 View FIGURE 11 View FIGURE 12 , 17 View FIGURE 17

Etymology. Named after the monotypic shrub Ceratiola ericoides ( Florida rosemary), a distinctive plant which appears to function as a keystone species in many locations where it grows. Although there is little to no Ceratiola within the habitats of the other Florida upland Ellipes species ( E. eisneri , E. deyrupi , and E. ignis sp. nov.), Ceratiola occurs at three out of the four known localities for this new species, and may be responsible for maintaining, through allelopathy, the open sand gaps which are required by the new species.

Proposed Common Name. Rosemary Pygmy Mole Cricket

Holotype repository. TAMUIC

Material examined (n=50). Holotype: USA • ♂; Florida : Gilchrist County: Fort White WEA; 29.904, -82.788; 03 July 2022; B. Woo, A. Dunn leg.; sandhill with bare patches ( TAMUIC). Allotype: USA • ♀; Florida: Gilchrist County : same information as holotype ( TAMUIC). Paratypes: USA, Florida • 1 ♂, Alachua County : Goethe SF — Watermelon Pond Tract; 29.561, -82.632; 16 July 2022; B. Woo, L. Chen leg.; Ceratiola bald near wetlands ( TAMUIC) • 15 ♀, Gilchrist County : same information as holotype ( TAMUIC) • 9 ♀, 2 nymphs; Levy County : Goethe SF — Bailey Trail; 29.443, -82.544; 02 July 2022; B. Woo leg.; open sandhill with Ceratiola (TAMUIC) • 4 ♂, 17 ♀, Taylor County: SR-51, about 2 mi N Steinhatchee; 29.713, -83.357; 03 July 2022; B. Woo, A. Dunn leg.; sandhill with bare patches ( TAMUIC). GoogleMaps

Diagnosis. Differs from most other known species of Ellipes by the combination of its flightless condition, lack of swimming plates, and occurrence in xeric habitat. Distinguished from the other Florida upland Ellipes species ( E. eisneri , E. deyrupi , and E. ignis sp. nov.) by its distinctive coloration and disjunct range. In the field, it may be distinguished from its closest congener, E. eisneri , by head pattern.

Measurements (mm). Body (head to end of abdomen): ♂, 3.0–3.6; ♀, 3.7–4.9; length of pronotum: ♂, 0.6–0.8; ♀, 0.7–1.0; length of forewing: ♂, 0.6–0.9; ♀, 0.7–1.0; length of hind femur: ♂, 1.7–2.0; ♀, 1.8–2.3.

Description. Male ( holotype). ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 ). Coloration in life ( Fig. 4): Head mostly creamy, with dark brown base and two dark spurs extending towards antennal bases; two brown marks between antennal bases; antennae creamy with tan apices; eyes black. Pronotum creamy overall; dorsum with large dark brown spot, symmetrical and becoming rounded on lateral lobes; posterior edge of spot poorly defined. Forelegs creamy, darkening to tan on tibiae; middle legs creamy, with dark markings on femora and tibiae, and elliptical white mass in tibiae; hind femora creamy, with two irregular brown transverse bands; apical crescents of hind femora light brown; hind tibiae creamy. Tegmina dark brown, anal area and apices white. Abdomen dark brown, tergites with irregular dark brown median spots; basal segment of cercus dark brown, apical segment cream; paraproctal processes white.

Antennae 10-segmented. Forewings about as long as pronotum; hind wings absent. Male stridulatory file ( Fig. 6C View FIGURE 6 ) 0.33 mm in length, with about 38 teeth. Swimming plates of hind tibia absent. Male epiproct ( Fig. 6A View FIGURE 6 ) about as wide as long; very shallowly indented basally, convex apically, with long apical bristle about ¾ its length. Paraproct hooks strongly sclerotized, rounded apically and widened at middle. Male subgenital plate ( Fig. 5C View FIGURE 5 ) truncated. Female subgenital plate ( Fig. 5D View FIGURE 5 ) tapered apically, pinched laterally and rounded at apex.

Habitat. All localities where E. ceratiola sp. nov. has been found are open sandhill with large bare sand gaps ( Fig. 4D–E). In Goethe SF, it occurred in the large sand gaps created by Florida rosemary colonies that were situated within more typical ‘high pine’ habitat with a dense groundcover, where E. ceratiola sp. nov. was not found. At Watermelon Pond, the species was again associated closely with barren sand gaps in the immediate vicinity of Florida Rosemary populations, which were present along small ridges around the edge of a wetland. At Fort White, E. ceratiola sp. nov. was common in gaps along a sand road in overgrown sandhill. At Steinhatchee, it was found in what appeared to be a naturally open sandhill habitat composed mostly of small saplings of Sand Post Oak ( Quercus margaretiae (Ashe) Small ). Turkey Oak ( Quercus laevis ) was present at all localities, and Florida rosemary ( Ceratiola ericoides ) was found at three out of four localities; other typical plants found at two or more of the sites included Sandhill Milkweed ( Asclepias humistrata Walter ), Sand Live Oak ( Quercus geminata ), Shiny Blueberry ( Vaccinium myrsinites Lam. ), and Florida Scrub Frostweed ( Crocanthemum nashii (Britton) Barnhart ). Typical Orthopterans present at these localities included Spharagemon marmoratum pictum , Psinidia fenestralis (Serville) , Melanoplus rotundipennis (Scudder) , Schistocerca ceratiola Hubbell & Walker (a hostplant specialist on Florida Rosemary), Odontoxiphidium apterum Morse , and Pictonemobius sp.

Distribution. Found on the Northern Brooksville Ridge in Alachua and Levy Counties, the Bell Ridge in Gilchrist County, and an unnamed upland near Steinhatchee in Taylor County. Note: The record in Woo (2021) of E. eisneri from Bronson (Levy County) actually refers to E. ceratiola sp. nov.