The fifth species of the genus Capillogryllus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae; Gryllinae; Gryllini; Brachytrypina): Capillogryllus megastomus sp. nov., from Gyirong, China

The small and mute cricket genus Capillogryllus Xie, Zheng & Liang, 2003 is endemic to China. Here, we describe its fifth species, Capillogryllus megastomus sp. nov., discovered in forest leaf litter of Gyirong County, Xizang. This new species is distinguished from all congeners by the following combination of characters: the male has an extremely broad head, distinctly wider than the pronotum, and massively developed mouthparts, whose vertical length in lateral view is longer than the length from the vertex to the clypeus; the hind femur bears distinct blackish-brown stripes on the outer side; the epiphallus has a broadly, archly concave median bridge.

The new species is similar to Capillogryllus yuani Wu, Zhang & Ma, 2023 in coloration and Capillogryllus dolabripalpis Xie & Zheng, 2003 in the structure of the male genitalia and ovipositor, but detailed morphological comparisons confirm its status as a new species. Description, diagnosis, morphological illustrations, a distribution map, and a key to all known species of the genus are provided.