Workbook

Subfamily Monoplistinae

Recognition (from Otte and Alexander 1983 (Monographs Acad. nat. Sci. Philad. 22).

• body length 4-13mm

• body covered in scales

• pronotum relatively long

• male forewings rarely reaching end of abdomen, hindwings absent

• females always wingless

• hind tibiae without moveable spurs

• clypeus extending onto dorsum of head

Genus Ornebius

Ornebius is the largest genus in this taxon and is defined by the following features:

• body length more than 7.5 mm

• last dorsal segment of abdomen not black between cerci

• genital processes brown to pale brown or whitish

• posterior margin of forewings with continuous black or brown band or with 3 darkened areas

• tibiae I and II slightly or strongly banded

• front of mirror not hidden beneath pronotum

Images of an Ornebius species on Brisbane Insects website.

Home Records

Individuals of this genus found at home on two occasions.

11/2/15 - immature male found under mat on front deck. short forewings, just extending from beneath pronotum. body length 8mm

5/5/18 Female found on bedroom window.

Strongly banded legs I and II indicate that these crickets belong to Illaroo Group of species. Other features of this group are:

• face usually with contrasting markings;

• 10th tergite of abdomen usually with two tufts of setae near centre;

• forewings often with 3 dark marks along posterior margin

Ornebius dandiri

Otte and Alexander report that there is only one species in the Illaroo Group that occurs in NSW - Ornebius dandiri (type locality in central coastal NSW).

Recognition:

Males.

• body colour brownish

• legs banded

• face without distinct markings of O. antakira

• top of frons pale

• dividing suture of rostrum black

• maxillary palpi brown, length of 5th segment 1.83X width and 1.29X length of 4th segent

• lateral lobes of pronotum dark brown, nearly black; dorsal surface lighter

• posterior margin of forewing has 3 dark spots - spot at posterior medial corner very indistinct

• anterior portion of forewing including anterior portion of mirror brown

• posterior mirror vein largely dark

• file with 160 teeth

• femora and tibiae marked as in O. antakira

• tarsi I and II; 1st segment with dark proximal and distal bands

• tibia III with 3 bands

• dorsum of abdomen dark brown with two spine shaped projections on 10th tergite.

• venter of abdomen somewhat lighter than dorsum.

• genital processes brownish, slightly darker at tips and dark brown at base

• cerci unbanded and with small patches of dark scales

Male in above home sighting matches most of these criteria, although cannot use wing morphology as the individual is immature.

Females

• head coloured as in male, pronotum darkest along lower margin of lateral lobes

• legs marked as in male

• dorsum of abdomen brown darker than pronotum

• ovipositor 4.1mm long, bowed at base but straight through most of its length, 2.22X long as pronotum

• cerci with scattered dark scales

This is a workbook page … a part of our website where we record the observations and references used in making species identifications. The notes will not necessarily be complete. They are a record for our own use, but we are happy to share this information with others.