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Submitted to: Journal of Orthoptera Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 8/20/2009 Publication Date: 9/14/2009 Citation: Nickle, D.A. 2009. New neotropical species of the Genus Phlugis (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Meconematinae) and comments on the tribe Phlugidini. Journal of Orthoptera Research. 12(1):37-56. Interpretive Summary: Katydids are usually plant-feeding insects, many species of which are agricultural or ornamental pests. Some species, however, are predaceous, feeding on aphids, flies, and other small insects. Seventeen new species of predaceous katydids are described in this paper as part of an investigation comparing diversity of katydids and their relatives (grasshoppers and crickets) from Peru with those from the United States. Some species of predaceous katydids may have use as natural enemies of pests of trees and shrubs, including all species in this study. User groups who may benefit from this research include researchers on biodiversity and tropical ecology, biological control, and the U.S. Forest Service. Technical Abstract: After reviewing the literature on the tribe Phlugidini, Tenuiphlugis Kavan (with 4 species) is herein synonymized with the genus Lucienola Gurney. Seventeen new species of the predaceous katydid genus Phlugis Karny (Meconematinae) are described and figured. All of these species were collected from rainforests in northern Peru. Three of them - along with the already described species P. teres (DeGeer) - regularly were captured along trails at ground level; the remaining fourteen were collected from treetop canopies 10-30 m above ground level, using pesticide foging methods. Based on the numbers of new forms collected from tree canopies, it is probable that many species of this already large genus are yet to be discovered as this niche is explored more thoroughly. |
