Integrative taxonomy of the sword-tail cricket Symphyloxiphus abbreviatus (Bruner, 1916) (Orthoptera, Grylloidea, Trigonidiidae) reveals intraspecific variation across its broad geographic range

This study employs an integrative taxonomic approach to investigate intraspecific variation in the Sword-tail Cricket Symphyloxiphus abbreviatus (Bruner, 1916) across its broad geographic range. We analyzed specimens from four localities spanning northeastern to southern Brazil, combining morphological and bioacoustic data. Morphological analysis revealed conserved traits across all populations, particularly in male genitalia and tegmina structure. However, regional differences in body coloration were noted. We provide the first description of the calling song of S. abbreviatus, characterized as a broken trill composed of two-pulse chirps, consistent across all populations. Despite the conserved calling song structure, several acoustic parameters, including dominant frequency (DF), chirp rate (Ch/s), chirp duration (Ch/d), chirp period (Ch/p), and inter-chirp interval (I/Ch), exhibited significant intra- and inter-population variation. This work extends the known distribution of S. abbreviatus from Mato Grosso State, Brazil, to northeastern and southern Brazil, highlighting its ecological versatility across diverse biomes such as the Amazon, Atlantic Forest, and Pampa. Our findings underscore the value of integrating morphological and acoustic data for accurate species delimitation in crickets.