Parvotettix

Parvotettix is an extant[1] genus of cave cricket[2] from the order Orthoptera in the family Rhaphidophoridae, endemic to Tasmania, Australia.[3][1] The genus was established in 1968 by Aola Richards and contains six species she described.[4] Parvotettix is a sister group to the subfamily Macropathinae, forming a paraphyletic Australian grouping.[1]

Parvotettix
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Suborder: Ensifera
Family: Rhaphidophoridae
Subfamily: Macropathinae
Tribe: Macropathini
Genus: Parvotettix
Richards, 1968

Habitat

Parvotettix occupy epigean, subterranean habitats.[5] Parvotettix were initially discovered in limestone caves.[3] Various species within the genus Parvotettix inhabit environmental structures such as mine adits, large rock crevices, tree logs, caves, burrows created by other animals and within houses.[5] Parvotettix thrive in dark, moist environments in colder temperatures[5][3] at sea level.[2]

There is no threatening conservation risk associated with Parvotettix.[6] Environmental factors that increase vulnerability for Parvotettix include predation by rodents that are introduced to the area, interspecific competition, climate change impacts and illegal capture by humans.[6]

Geographic distribution of members of the genus Parvotettix, in Tasmania, Australia. Data was retrieved from inaturalist sightings of Parvotettix.

Geographical origin

The lineage Parvotettix is sister to all cave cricket species in the Southern Hemisphere,[1] suggesting dispersal from Tasmania around the globe.[7] None of the Macropathinae have wings so their distribution has been suggested to date to Gondwana breakup.[7][1] The six species of Parvotettix are not closely related to other Australian genera in Tasmania (e.g. Micropathus) or genera in south-eastern mainland (e.g. Novotettix).[2][1] The dispersal of Parvotettix from or to Tasmania may have been facilitated by a land bridge which connected the areas of Wilson's Promontory, Victoria and Flinders Island, Tasmania in the Pleistocene period until approximately 10,000 to 15,000 years ago.[2] Species of Parvotettix have been observed on Cape Barren Island and Flinders Island.[2] Relationships among the six Parvotettix species might be explained by geographic isolation and connection as during the Pleistocene era the Furneaux Islands and north-eastern Tasmania were joint together,[2] and 1,500 years after the linkage between Wilson's Promontory and Flinders Island, a land bridge formed joining Flinders Island and Tasmania.[2]

Morphology

Parvotettix are wingless,[1] have short setae covering the body surface, long thin legs with apical spines and long antennae that narrows near the tip.[8] Parvotettix have a segmented body where from segment four, the length of each segment is approximately the same whilst segments become reduced in size.[8] Maxillary palps with the third and fourth segments being of approximate length to each other.[8] They also possess coxa and a spine.[8]

Species
  • Parvotettix domesticus Richards, 1970[4]
  • Parvotettix fortescuensis Richards (fontescuensis Otte, 2000)[4]
  • Parvotettix goedei Richards, 1968[4]
  • Parvotettix maydenaensis Richards, 1971[4]
  • Parvotettix rangaensis Richards, 1970[4]
  • Parvotettix whinrayi Richards, 1974[4]

References
  1. Beasley-Hall, Perry G.; Tierney, Simon M.; Weinstein, Phillip; Austin, Andrew D. (September 2018). "A revised phylogeny of macropathine cave crickets (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae) uncovers a paraphyletic Australian fauna". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 126: 153–161. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2018.04.024. PMID 29678644. S2CID 5021183.
  2. Richards, Aola (December 1972). "The distribution and possible origins of Tasmanian cave crickets" (PDF). In Proceedings 8th National Conference, Australian Speleological Federation: 85–87.
  3. Richards, Aola (5 December 1971). "The Rhaphidophoridae (Orthoptera) of Australia. Part 9. The distribution and possible origins of Tasmanian Rhaphidophoridae, with descriptions of two new species" (PDF). Pacific Insects. 13 (3–4): 575–587.
  4. "genus Parvotettix Richards, 1968: Orthoptera Species File". orthoptera.speciesfile.org. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  5. Richards, Aola (20 August 1974). "The Rhaphidophoridae (Orthoptera) of Australia. Part II. New species from the Bass Strait islands and Tasmania" (PDF). Pacific Insects. 16: 245–260.
  6. "Cave Cricket - Threatened Species Link". www.threatenedspecieslink.tas.gov.au. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  7. Allegrucci, Giuliana; Sbordoni, Valerio (2019). "Insights into the molecular phylogeny of Rhaphidophoridae, an ancient, worldwide lineage of Orthoptera". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 138: 126–138. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2019.05.032. ISSN 1055-7903. PMID 31132518. S2CID 167220487.
  8. Richards, Aola (10 May 1968). "The Rhaphidophoridae (Orthoptera) of Australia, part 6: two new species from Northern Tasmania" (PDF). Pacific Insects. 10 (1): 168.
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