Early colonization of New Caledonia by ultrasonic crickets from New Guinea (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Eneopterinae): Historical biogeography and description of a new genus

Abstract

New Caledonian crickets of the tribe Lebinthini are renowned for their high endemicity and their use of high-frequency calling songs. Although previous studies have found them to originate from New Guinea around 30 Ma, recent discoveries of new lineages of Lebinthini in New Caledonia and in Australia questioned this result. Here, we describe Kanakinthus koniambo Le Flanchec & Robillard gen. et sp.nov., a new genus and species endemic to New Caledonia. We also describe three new species of the endemic genus Agnothecous: A. anonymous Le Flanchec, Vendanger & Robillard sp.nov., A. borendyi Le Flanchec, Vendanger & Robillard sp.nov. and A. kwakwe Le Flanchec, Vendanger & Robillard sp.nov. We include these new taxa and the Australian Lebinthini in a molecular phylogeny of the subfamily Eneopterinae, estimate their divergence times and reconstruct their historical biogeography. Our results confirm the monophyly of the clade endemic to New Caledonia and its origin from a single colonization event from New Guinea, around 30 Ma, shortly after the archipelago completely re-emerged in its current configuration, 34 Ma. We also infer an independent colonization of Australia by the genus Julverninthus from New Guinea, around 25 Ma.