Prophalangopsis

Prophalangopsis is a South Asian insect genus, in the family Prophalangopsidae, distantly related to crickets and other Ensifera, erected by Francis Walker in 1869.^[1] There is one species: Prophalangopsis obscura, which is a winged insect species found in North India and the Tibetan Plateau. It is one of only a few surviving species in the family Prophalangopsidae. F. Walker described it in 1869 from a single male specimen from India.^[a][1] Liu et al collected two possible female specimens in 2009.^[3][4]

Prophalangopsis
Prophalangopsis obscura, dorsal view
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Orthoptera
Suborder:	Ensifera
Family:	Prophalangopsidae
Genus:	Prophalangopsis
Species:	P. obscura
Binomial name
Prophalangopsis obscura (Walker, F., 1869)
Synonyms[1]
Tarraga obscura Walker, F., 1869

Bioacoustic modeling

In 2022, researchers attempted to recreate the call that P. obscura would make with its legs by using 3D scanning, microscopy, and a Laser Doppler vibrometer.^[2][5][6]

Gallery

• 
  Charlie Woodrow, Prophalangopsis obscura (2022)
• 
  The lateral habitus of a P. obscura specimen collected in India.
• 
  The tympanal organ of a P. obscura specimen collected in India.

Notes

1. Walker identified the location as Hindustan, which is present-day India. Sir John Bennet Hearsey, a British army officer stationed in North India, collected the specimen.^[2]