Chorthippus relicticus Sirin, Helversen & Ciplak

Sirin, Deniz, Helversen, Otto Von & Ciplak, Battal, 2010, Chorthippus brunneus subgroup (Orthoptera, Gomphocerinae) in Anatolia with description of two new species: data suggest an Anatolian origin for the lineage, Zootaxa 2410, pp. 1-28 : 18-19

Chorthippus relicticus Sirin, Helversen & Ciplak sp. n.

Holotype male: Turkey, Karaman, road from Alanya to Sarıveliler, around Civandere village, 36 41.984 N, 32 30.740 E, 1675 m, 17.07.2005 (B. Ciplak, D. Sirin, M.S. Taylan & S. Kaya).

Other material studied: Paratypes 18 males and 16 females, same data as holotype; paratypes 3 males and 5 females, same data as holotype, 0 2.07.2007 (D. Şirin ve M.S. Taylan). (Holotype and paratypes in Akdeniz University, Zoology Museum—AUZM; Collection B. Ciplak).

Diagnosis. Chorthippus relicticus sp. n. is a member of the C. biguttulus group by the character combination defined to characterize the group ( Figs 4 , 6 , 9 ). It is belonging to C. brunneus subgroup by the typical leg movement pattern performed during stridulation: both hind legs perform the same movement pattern almost synchronously and produce typical syllables of the single type throughout the phrase. Among members of this subgroup it shares similarities with C. brunneus and C. jacobsi by the song composed of a few short phrases consisting of short syllables ( Fig. 18 ). Of the three close relatives, C. jacobsi and C. relicticus sp. n. are more similar by the longer phrase duration of 400 – 750 ms excluding C. brunneus in which phrase duration is 110 – 330 ms. But, the new species differs prominently from these two species, as well as from all other members of C. biguttulus group, by the high number of stridulatory pegs both in male (175–225; mean 196.5) and female (194–245; mean 221.8).

Song. There are 1–2 phrases per calling song. Phrase duration varies between 380 – 880 ms (551 ± 10 ms) ( Fig. 18 A; Table 2). The first phrase of the song is usually shorter than the following one. The syllable number per phrase ranges between 15 and 33, each of which consists of two pulses ( Fig. 18 B). Syllable duration ranges between 20.2 – 28.9 ms (Table 2). Syllables of C. relicticus are generated by one straight up- and one downstroke of hind leg. The amplitude of the first pulse is higher than that of the second ( Fig. 18 B).

Head. Part before the interocular distance (minimum) in males mostly darker than the later part; vertical diameter of eye/maximum length of foveolae 2.6–3.2 in male, 2.8–3.1 in female; interocular distance (minimum)/length of subocular groove 0.5–0.6 in male, 0.5–0.7 in female; length of the medial antennal segment/maximum width of the medial antennal segment 1.8–2.2 in male, 1.6–1.8 in female; length of subocular groove/vertical diameter of eye 0.6–0.8 in male, 0.8 in female; maximum length of foveolae/ maximum width of foveolae, 2.6–3.4 in male, 2.7–3.3 in female; Antenna filiform, 1.4 – 1.6 times longer than head+pronotum in male, 1.1 times longer in female.

Pronotum. Median carina distinct and entire; first and typical transversal (third sulcus) sulcus passing lateral carinae and median carina, second lateral sulcus reach close to lateral carinae or sometimes pass them only, typical sulcus located before middle and length of pronotum before typical sulcus/length of pronotum after typical sulcus 0.7–0.8 in both genders; Lateral carinae distinct and entire, more thicker in the beginning of metazona in both genders and slightly curved in the middle half of prozona; maximum distance between lateral carinae / minimum distance between lateral carinae 2.3–2.7 in male and 2.5–2.8 in female.

Tegmen. Tegmina extending far beyond the end of the abdomen and reaching to 1/5 of the hind tibiae in male, 2/ 5 in female; costal field does not have a false vein; tegmen 4.5–5.5 times as long as maximum width in male, 5.3–5.9 times in female; maximum width of precostal area/maximum width of costal area 0.5–0.7 in male, 1.0– 1.1 in female; medial area end just before the medial of the tegmen in both genders; precostal vein fuse with Costal vein around 1/3 part of tegmina from base in male, 2/3 part of tegmina from base in female; maximum width of costal area/maximum width of subcostal area 1.7–2.0 in male, 1.4–1.8 in female; maximum width of medial area/maximum width of precostal area 0.9–1.1 in male, 0.9–1.0 in female; stigma located 6/10 part of the tegmina from the base in both gender.

Femur. Length of hind femur/maximum width of hind femur 3.8–4.2 in male, 4.3–4.8 in female; Peg number of stridulatory file 175–225 in male, 194–245 in female.

Coloration. Dark brownish dorsally and dirty yellowish ventrally in general appearance; median carina black or blackish from begin to end, pronotum totally dark brown including lateral carinae in some specimens; there are dark patterns on head and lateral pronotal lobes. Tegmina mostly yellowish, there are dark spots along medial field or sometimes also along costal field. Hind femur mostly dirty reddish or in body colour, with an oblique blackish band internally near the base and dark patterns externally, yellow or brownish yellow ventrally; hind knee light brown; hind tibiae yellow or yellowish-brown being slightly darker ventrally. Distribution. This species is presently known only from its type locality. Present data suggest that it is restricted to the Southern Anatolian Taurus ( Fig. 1 ).

Etymology. Since it is assumed to be a relict of the ancestral population of C. brunneus and C. jacobsi it is named to express this inference.

Figures

FIGURE 1. The localities visited to collect Chorthippus members in Anatolia (small circles represent the localities visited, large filled circles represent the records of C. bornhalmi; filled triangle represent the record of C. antecessor sp. n.; large filled quadrangle represent the records of C. relicticus sp. n.).

FIGURES 3 – 4. Male habitus (A) and tympanum (B). 3 — C. antecessor sp. n., 4 — C. relicticus sp. n..

FIGURES 5 – 7. Pronotum (A—male and B—female). 5 — C. antecessor (Adana); 6 — C. relicticus (Karaman); 7 — C. bornhalmi (Antalya-Termessos).

FIGURES 8 – 10. Tegmina (A—male and B—female). 8 — C. antecessor (Adana); 9 — C. relicticus (Karaman); 10 — C. bornhalmi (Antalya-Termessos).

FIGURES 17 – 18. Male calling song (A—Complete song, B—one phrase). 17 — C. brunneus from Germany; 18 — C. relicticus from Karaman.