Scaphura Explained

Scaphura is a Neotropical genus of bush crickets in the subfamily Phaneropterinae. Some of the species within Scaphura are Batesian mimics of wasps,^[1] for example the type species, Scaphura nigra,^[2] is a polymorphic Batesian mimic of wasps of the genus Pepsis and Entypus (Pompilidae) and the potter wasps Polistes (Vespidae).^[3] The genus is restricted to South America.^[2] Another genus of Neotropical phaneropterine bush crickets, Aganacris, also are Batesian mimics of wasps.^[4]

Species

The following species are included on Scaphura:^[2]

• Scaphura argentina (Hebard, 1931)
• Scaphura conspurcata Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878
• Scaphura denuda Guérin-Méneville & Percheron, 1836
• Scaphura edwardsii Westwood, 1828
• Scaphura elegans (Serville, 1838)
• Scaphura fasciata Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878
• Scaphura infuscata Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878
• Scaphura lefebvrei (Brullé, 1835)
• Scaphura marginata (Walker, 1869)
• Scaphura nigra (Thunberg, 1824)
• Scaphura obscurata (Stoll, 1813)

Notes and References

1. Book: Herrel . Anthony . Speck . Thomas . 2006 . Ecology and Biomechanics: A Mechanical Approach to the Ecology of Animals and Plants . CRC Press. 0849332095.
2. Web site: genus Scaphura Kirby, 1825 . 13 September 2016 . Eades, D.C.; D. Otte; M.M. Cigliano & H. Braun. Orthoptera Species File. Version 5.0/5.0.
3. Mesa . Alejo . Fontanetti . Carmen Silvia . Ferreira . Amilton . 2010 . The chromosomes and the sex determining mechanism of Scaphura nigra (Orthoptera, Ensifera, Tettigoniidae, Phaneropterinae) . Journal of Orthoptera Research . 19 . 2 . 239–242.
4. ter Hofstede . H. . etal . 2017 . Revisiting adaptations of Neotropical katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) to gleaning bat predation . Neotrop Biodivers . 3 . 1 . 41–49 . 10.1080/23766808.2016.1272314 . 5312797 .