New field data for old museum specimens: A peculiar cricket (Grylloidea, Orthoptera) from SW Spain

We obtained the first records of Sciobia (Thilptoblemus) natalia in Europe after a single record from Algeciras (Spain), about one century ago. We found the species in Tarifa, Benelup-Casas Viejas and Alcalá de los Gazules (Cádiz province) in plots with open land and herbaceous vegetation of wasteland, cattle states, edges of agricultural land, and hedgerows of pathways and local roads. The species may be common locally, in late spring. It may coexist with Sciobia (Thliptoblemus) caliendrum although the later presents a wider ecological spectrum whereas S. (T.) natalia prefers dense vegetation in more humid soils. Acoustic analyses indicate that the song of both species are very different, making field identification feasible. S. (T.) natalia may however easily go unnoticed among populations of the more conspicuous S. (T.) caliendrum. We discuss possible reasons why this species has gone unnoticed so far and factors that may pose at risk the maintenance of its populations.