‘Mute’ cricket discovered in Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines — A new species of “mute” cricket has been discovered in Mindanao by a team of local and international scientists.

The new species, named Paranisitra flavofacia, was among the three species of crickets discovered by the Museum of Natural History of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) in Laguna.

The crickets were discovered following surveys conducted in the town of Del Carmen in Siargao Island last year. Similar samples were also collected from Zamboanga Peninsula.

The team was led by UPLB researchers Sheryl Yap and Jessica Barbecho. They were joined by researchers from the National University of Singapore, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle in France and Russian Academy of Sciences.

In a paper published in the journal Zootaxa, the researchers said the mute cricket belongs to the genus Paranisitra, a group of wingless, long-legged crickets found mainly in the Philippines.

Flavofacia – which comes from the Latin flavo (yellow) and faciem (face) – was seen as distinct from other species primarily due to its yellow to brown coloration, particularly on its face.

Like the other species in the group, it lost its ability to sing due to the lack of wings. 

“Paranisitra is relevant to address questions related to the evolution of communication systems in crickets. This genus became mute as a consequence of the complete loss of its wings,” wrote the researchers.

“The causes and circumstances of this loss of acoustic communication represent a fascinating topic for future research,” they added.

The researchers said while the Philippines is considered one of the mega biodiversity hotspots in the world, only few scientists have been able to study crickets in detail.

They also noted that most of the studies are concentrated in Luzon, “and only limited works have been done in Mindanao, particularly on crickets.”

In addition to flavofacia, also discovered were a new species of bark cricket (Endodrelanva siargaoensis) and sword-tailed cricket (Trigonidium solis). 

Researchers said the two other species were capable of singing, an ability that they use to communicate and find mates.