The genus Paragryllodes Karny, 1909 in tropical Africa (Orthoptera, Grylloidea, Phalangopsidae): new taxa and field observations on the habitat of the species

The African species of the phalangopsid genus Paragryllodes are revised on the basis of an important material recently collected in Eastem and Central Africa. The type species of the genus, P. borgerti Kamy, 1909, is redescribed, together with P. fuscifrons Chopard, 1934 and P. pictus Chopard, 1958, and 11 new species (P. bipunctatus n. sp., P. centralis n. sp., P. deleportei n. sp., P. dissimilis n. sp., P. kessala n. sp., P. longixiphus n. sp., P. makandensis n. sp., P. makokou n. sp., P. minor n. sp., P. orensis n. sp., P. unicolor n. sp.) are described. Keys for males and females are given for Eastem African species and for Westem and Central African species. Direct observations of the crickets in the field allow to define the life habits of these forest-dwelling species as noctumal, dendrophilous and cavicolous, hiding during the day in cavities above ground level. Preliminary data on the distribution of Paragryllodes in Africa are given.