Overexploitation of wildlife is pervasive in many tropical regions, and in addition to being a significant conservation and sustainability concern, it has received global attention given discussions over the origins of zoonotic disease outbreaks. Where unsustainable, consumption of wild meat by urban residents has been identified as a major socio‐environmental challenge, given it is a significant driver of wildlife declines. Yet, information on urban wild meat consumers and possible ways to target conservation interventions remains lacking. Using one of the largest datasets of urban wild meat consumers (1391) collected through structured questionnaires in 20 towns and cities, we model the demographic, psychographic and spatial factors associated with wild meat consumption patterns in southern Cameroon. We find that nearly half of the sampled consumers ate wild meat once per week or more, and find that the probability of being a frequent consumer was greater among men, those living in smaller towns, and those who do not consider there to be a link between eating wild meat and disease. Threatened pangolin species are highly preferred among urban consumers, and most consumers did not consider there to be a link between COVID‐19 and pangolins. Most respondents had eaten wild meat since the beginning of COVID‐19 and had not reduced their wild meat consumption due to COVID‐19. For the first time, we show that consumers with beliefs against a link between wild meat consumption and disease and those with greater income were less likely to have decreased their wild meat consumption. We identified stakeholders including teachers and religious/community leaders as potentially appropriate messengers for demand‐reduction campaigns, with television and radio being the most trusted communication channels among wild meat consumers. Crucially, our study advances current scientific understanding of the factors that influence wild meat consumption frequency and change due to COVID‐19 by urban consumers (particularly health beliefs and settlement size). We discuss how our results could be used to inform the design of wild meat demand‐reduction interventions to bring the consumption of wild meat towards sustainability in Cameroon, and our approach applied pan‐tropically. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Leptus (L.) cameroonicus sp. nov. is described based on larvae ectoparasitic on Eyprepocinemis plorans ibandana (Orthoptera: Acrididae). Charletonia braunsi (Oudemans, 1910) is reported for the first time from Cameroon. E. plorans ibandana is new host for Leptus species, C. braunsi, C. cameroonensis Haitlinger & Kekeonou, 2014 and C. justynae Haitlinger, 1987. New metric and meristic data for the descriptions of L. (L.) aggoratus Haitlinger, 1990, L. (L.) bertoldi Haitlinger, 1993, L. (L.) benzaliensis Fain & Elsen, 1972, L. (L.) maranaensis Haitlinger, 1987, L. (L.) maringensis Fain & Elsen, 1972, L. (L.) mogadoranus Haitlinger, 1990, L. (L.) ogazulacus Haitlinger, 1990, L. (L.) pasopaicus Haitlinger, 1990 and Charletonia cameroonensis, based on examination of type material and additional specimens, are provided. Status of Momorangia gabini Haitlinger, 2004 is discussed. M. gabini is correct name, not Charletonia gabini. Keys to African Leptus and Charletonia are provided.

The specimens studied were collected with sweep net and pitfall in the forests, agro-forests, herbaceous fallows, and crop fields of 14 localities in the southern part of Cameroon, from August 2015 to February 2018. The results show that Heteracris hannai sp. nov. and Heteracris lecoqi sp. nov. differ from previously known species of the same genus by the pattern of coloration and the details or shape of the phallic complex. H. lecoqi sp. nov. is characterized by light brownish body; male cercus with flattened, downcurved and obtuse apex; lophus strongly curved; interlophal space with V shape; apodeme of cingulum bow, convergent, with V-shape; valve of cingulum in lateral view longer than apical valve of penis; ramus in ventral view joined. H. hannai sp. nov. is distinct to other species by brown to grey body; male cercus with apex rounded, curved inside; lophus curved; interlophal space with U-shape; apodeme of cingulum thick, slightly parallel, with U shape; valve of cingulum in lateral view hardly longer than apical valve of penis; ramus in ventral view opened. The characteristics of H. guineensis are closer to H. hannai sp. nov. than to H. lecoqi sp. nov. H. lecoqi sp. nov. was collected only in the fallows while H. hannai sp. nov. was collected in the forests, agro-forests, fallows, and crop fields. Compared to H. guineensis, both new species are scarce in the natural vegetation and their distribution area is limited to two and four localities respectively for H. lecoqi sp. nov. and H. hannai sp. nov. All these three grasshopper’s species were recorded as accidental species in all types of vegetation.

A survey was conducted in two successive years, from March 2016 to March 2018, in three regions of Cameroon, during which two new species were collected in two regions and described. These two species, Gryllotalpa cameroonensis sp. nov. and Gryllotalpa tamessei sp. nov. were caught using the pitfall method in forests, agroforests, herbaceous fallows, and crop fields. From an ecological point of view, both new species were accidental in all vegetation types except crop fields, in which Gryllotalpa cameroonensis sp. nov. was accessory. Their habitat characteristics might require sandy soil for G. cameroonensis sp. nov. and silty soil for G. tamessei sp. nov., as well as low soil moisture and acid soil for both new species. The descriptions were followed by a revised key to the Afrotropical parva group species. This paper helps update the data on mole cricket biodiversity in Africa.

Gerista dimidiata Bolívar, 1905 is the only species in its monotypical Afrotropical genus. It occurs at swampy-forest edges, where it is typically found on broad-leaved forest grasses. Prior to this study, G. dimidiata was only recorded from Nigeria and Bioko Island in Equatorial Guinea. Here, we report the first occurrence of G. dimidiata for Cameroon, specifically from the Littoral Region in Yansoki and Missole I, significantly expanding the known distribution range of the species. We also redescribe the species, based on material collected from Cameroon, including the first description of the male genitalia. This discovery highlights the incomplete state of knowledge regarding Afrotropical grasshopper diversity in general and specifically in Cameroon.