Saga syriaca, Lucas, 1864

Khudhur, Farhad A. & Ahmed, Soran H., 2020, New distribution records of the genus Saga Charpentier, 1825 (Orthoptera Tettigoniidae: Saginae) from Iraq, Zootaxa 4894 (2), pp. 297-300 : 298-299

S. syriaca Lucas, 1864

Figs 1c, d; Fig. 3d, e;

2 ³³ Dekon , 14 km SW Sulaymaniyah (35.50°N, 45.31°E), 6.8.2020 (F.A. Khudhur leg.). 1 ♀♀, 2 ³³ Dekon, 14 km SW Sulaymaniyah (35.50°N, 45.31°E), 1.9.2020 (F.A. Khudhur leg. & S.H. Ahmed) .

FIGURE-1: S. ephippigera ♀ (a.), S. ephippigera ³ (b.), S. syriaca ♀ (c.) & S. syriaca ³ (d.).

S. ephippigera (Figure-1 a. & b.) is a medium sized insect with male measurements to 65 mm and female measurement to 70 mm. The head is large and the body is thick. The ovipositor, slightly curved upwards, its length is about twice the length of the pronotum. Body color ranges from green to dark brown and the face is darker in color than the body (Figure- 3 a-d). The female is wingless, while the male has short wing tegmina measuring a third of the length of the pronotum.

FIGURE-2: Distribution map of S. ephippigera (blue) & S. syrica (red) in Iraq.

S. syriaca (Figure-1 c. & d.) is larger and more robust than S. ephippigera , males measuring about 90 mm and females about 100 mm, each with a larger head and thicker body. The ovipositor has the same shape and size of that of S. ephippigera . Body color ranges from light tan color to green and dark brown with reddish brown face color (Figure-3 e. & f.). Female wingless; male tegmina shorter than those of S. ephippigera , measuring about one quarter of the length of the pronotum.

FIGURE-3: S. ephippigera ♀ (c. & d.), S. ephippigera ³ (a. & d.), S. syriaca ♀ (e.) & S. syriaca ³ (f.).

These two species are distributed in separated areas without syntopic populations, in steppes, valleys and mountain plains. They live on slopes of 0–45° at elevations range from 500 m to 1700 m a.s.l. S. ephippigera ocurs during late spring and early summer, while S. syriaca appears during late summer.