Nocaracris crassipes Ünal, 2016

Ünal, Mustafa, 2016, Pamphagidae (Orthoptera: Acridoidea) from the Palaearctic Region: taxonomy, classification, keys to genera and a review of the tribe Nocarodeini I. Bolívar, Zootaxa 4206 (1), pp. 1-223 : 183-184

Nocaracris crassipes Ünal , sp. nov.

( Figs. 78 , 524–525 , 617 , 723–726 , 846 )

Type locality. Turkey: Sivas, Gürün, Yenibektaşlı-Kürkçü. Holotype: male (AİBÜEM).

Material examined. TURKEY: Sivas, Gürün, Yenibektaşlı-Kürkçü , 2010 m, 2.7.2009, 38.51.239 N, 37.01. 0 43 E, 1♂ (Holotype), 2♀ (leg. M. Ünal) ; Gürün, Ziyaret Geçidi , 1900 m, 38.49.696 N, 36.53.750 E, 2.7.2009, 7♀ (leg. M. Ünal), 1900–1930 m, 15.7.2008, 7♀, 1900–1950 m, 16.7.2008, 6♀, plus 4♀ in alcohol (leg. M. Ünal & A. Erden) ; Kayseri, Pınarbaşı, Faciekencili Köyü, Dağyolu , 2025 m, 38.46.294 N, 36.14.747 E, 3.7.2009, 2♂, 4♀ (leg. M. Ünal) (AİBÜEM).

Description. Male (Holotype): Body ( Figs. 723, 724 ) small, stout, relatively compressed laterally, with small distinct tubercles. Fastigium of vertex ( Fig. 617 ) short, depressed and clearly sloping. Vertex ( Fig. 617 ) between the eyes 1.13 times narrower than vertical diameter of eye and 1.06 times narrower than transversal diameter of eye; vertex with distinct carinulae; supraocular foveola semiclosed; median carinula very thin and grooved; vertex swollen, convex in lateral view. Eye ( Fig. 617 ) distinctly broad, almost rounded only 1.06 times longer than wide. Antennae with 12 segments. Pronotum ( Figs. 723, 724 ) compressed laterally, but broad; lateral carinae weak; median carina not raised, with a thin longitudinal sulcus, widened only at anterior end; almost straight in lateral view; anterior margin convex, posterior margin straight in dorsal view. Anterior margin of prosternum pointed, raised with a sharp, narrow triangular, median projection. Hind femur ( Fig. 524 ) 2.3 times longer than its height, basal half strongly widened, then sharply narrowing towards genicular lobes, forms a weak preapical notch on dorsal margin. Hind tibia with 9 inner, 10 outer spines. Mesonotum and metanotum with weak median carinae among distinct tubercles, very weakly grooved. Mesosternal interspace 2.3 times wider than its length and slightly narrower than mesosternal lobes. Abdominal tergites ( Figs. 723, 724 ) simple, with slightly raised median carinae. Tympanum absent. Phallus (78a, b) slender, long and narrow; arch of zygoma narrow, elongated; posterior lobes of zygoma narrow and short; apodemes narrow without apical notch; basal valves of penis long, widened at base; pseudolophi ( Fig. 78 c) separated, with 15–16 spines.

Female: Body ( Figs. 725, 726 ) small, stout, relatively compressed laterally, but broad. Fastigium of vertex short and broad, slightly depressed and sloping. Vertex between the eyes broad, 1.2 times wider than vertical diameter and 1.5 times wider than transversal diameter of eye; median carinula wavy, grooved. Eye oval, 1.2 times longer than wide. Antennae with 12 segments. Pronotum ( Figs. 725, 726 ) compressed laterally with distinct small dense tubercles, roof-shaped; lateral carinae practically absent; median carina not raised, with a thin longitudinal sulcus, slightly wider at anterior end; convex in lateral view, in some females straighter. Prosternum as in male but median projection longer. Mesosternal interspace 2.6 times wider than its length and slightly narrower than mesosternal lobes. Hind femur ( Fig. 525 ) shape as in male, basal half strongly widened, dorsal and ventral margins almost parallel, then strongly and sharply narrowed in preapical part. Hind tibia with 9 inner, 10 outer spines. Abdominal tergites ( Figs. 725, 726 ) simple with slightly raised median carina and with very small posterior projection never surpassing the hind margin of tergite. Tympanum absent. Subgenital plate slightly longer than wide.

Coloration. Male: Body light brown with black spots and cream pattern. Dorsal surface of head, pronotum, anterior half of abdomen with weak, small, sparse black spots. Antenna dark brown. Typical light bands on paranota very weak. Fore and mid legs light brown. Outer surface of hind led yellowish-cream; inner surface of hind femur black, dorsal margin body color, ventral margin dark red basally; ventral surface blackish-red. Inner surface of hind tibia black including spines; inner half of dorsal surface blackish dark blue, outer half body color with yellowish outer spines; apical end of hind tibia with a small red spot dorsally. Tarsus bright red. Typical light band on abdomen weak, yellowish-cream. Female: unicolor cream with indistinct small blue and black spots. Antennae with brown apical segments. Inner and ventral surfaces of hind femur black, in some females outer margin of ventral surface red. Hind tibia as in male but, dark blue predominant on inner and dorsal surfaces. Tarsus bright red.

Diagnosis. This new species is recognizable by the shape of hind femur, strongly widened in basal half and sharply narrowed in preapical part, the small but stout body, the absence of lateral carinae of pronotum and the hind tibia black in male, dark blue in female. It is the second member of the N. niethammeri sp. group. in the shape of hind femur. It is near to N. niethammeri by the shape of hind femur, the compressed stout body, and the pointed prosternum. But it is different by the smaller body, the hind tibia, black in male, dark blue in female (bright light red in both sexes of N. niethammeri ), the male eye, almost as wide as long (distinctly oval, 1.25 times longer than wide in male of N. niethammeri ). The hind leg coloration of this new species is similar to the closely distributed populations of N. subrubratus Ramme. But , the shape of stout hind femur with weak preapical notch (very slender, without preapical notch in N. subrubratus ), the rounded male eye (clearly oval, 1.33 times longer than wide in N. subrubratus ), the stouter body and the shape of phallus are very different (see also the key).

Measurements (mm). Holotype (male): body length 19.8; pronotum length 4; pronotum height 4.7; pronotum width anterior 4.4; pronotum width posterior 6; hind femur length 8; hind femur height 3.5. Paratypes: body length: female 32–38.2; pronotum length: female 6–7.6; pronotum height: female 7.9–9.6; pronotum width anterior: female 6.5–7.4; pronotum width posterior: female 9.2–10.7; hind femur length: female 10.8–12.5; hind femur height: female 4.5–5.1.

Etymology. The Latin “ crassipes ” refers to the widened (thickened) hind femur.

Figures

FIGURE 846. Distribution of the species of genera Nocaracris and Turkanocaracris.

FIGURES 69 – 82. Male phallic complex. a phallus lateral, b phallus dorsal, c epiphallus, d phallus posterior view. 69 Nocaracris cejchani; 70 Nocaracris cyanipes; 71 Nocaracris judithae; 72 Nocaracris karadagi; 73 Nocaracris palandoken; 74 Nocaracris monticolus; 75 Nocaracris van; 76 Nocaracris karshitoros; 77 Nocaracris goektepe; 78 Nocaracris crassipes; 79 Turkanocaracris levigatus; 80 Turkanocaracris davisi; 81 Araxiana woronowi; 82 Nocarodes serricollis. Scales 1 mm (short scale for a, b, c; long scale for d).

FIGURES 522 – 554. Body parts. 522 – 527 hind femur, 522 Nocaracris niethammeri, male; 523 ditto female; 524 Nocaracris crassipes, male holotype; 525 ditto female paratype; 526 Nocaracris subrubratus, male paratype; 527 Nocaracris karshitoros, female paratype. 528 – 531 pronotal carinae in female, 528 Nocaracris bicoloripes; 529 Nocaracris dilekensis, holotype; 530 Nocaracris bodenheimeri; 531 Nocaracris burri. 532 – 536 female tympanum, 532 Nocaracris tunceli, paratype; 533 Nocaracris kosswigi; 534 Nocaracris bodenheimeri, without tympanum; 535 Nocaracris judithae; 536 Nocaracris minutus. 537 – 540 longitudinal sulcus of pronotum in female, 537 Nocaracris bulgaricus; 538 Nocaracris furvus furvus; 539 Nocaracris kosswigi; 540 Nocaracris tunceli, paratype. 541 – 544 female tympanum, 541 Nocaracris furvus furvus; 542 Nocaracris furvus kazdagi, paratype; 543 Nocaracris bulgaricus; 544 Nocaracris istanbul, holotype, without tympanum (right side). 545 – 546 Nocaracris istanbul, female holotype, 545 prosternum; 546 fastigium of vertex; 547 – 548 Nocaracris bulgaricus, 547 prosternum; 548 fastigium of vertex. 549 – 552 prosternum, 549 Nocaracris furvus furvus, male; 550 ditto female; 551 Nocaracris furvus kazdagi, male paratype; 552 ditto female paratype. 553 – 554 male fastigium of vertex, 553 Nocaracris rimansonae, lectotype; 554 Nocaracris tunceli, holotype.

FIGURES 611 – 624. Body parts and habitus. 611 – 613 male hind femur, 611 Nocaracris goektepe, holotype; 612 Nocaracris subrubratus, paratype; 613 Nocaracris bicoloripes. 614 – 615 male fastigium of vertex, lateral, 614 Nocaracris bicoloripes, 615 Nocaracris subrubratus, paratype. 616 – 617 male eye, 616 Nocaracris niethammeri; 617 Nocaracris crassipes, holotype. 618 – 620 Nocaracris furvus furvus, 618 male holotype; 619 male, not a type; 620 female, not a type. 621 – 624 Nocaracris furvus kazdagi, 621 male holotype; 622 ditto dorsal; 623 female paratype; 624 ditto dorsal.

FIGURES 723 – 742. Habitus and body parts. 723 – 726 Nocaracris crassipes, 723 male holotype; 724 ditto dorsal; 725 female paratype; 726 ditto dorsal. 727 – 738 Turkanocaracris levigatus, 727 male holotype; 728 ditto dorsal; 729 female paratype; 730 ditto dorsal; 731 male head and pronotum; 732 ditto dorsal; 733 male tympanum; 734 male prosternum; 735 male head, frontal view; 736 female head and pronotum; 737 ditto dorsal; 738 female head, frontal view. 739 – 742 Turkanocaracris davisi, 739 male without tympanum; 740 male prosternum; 741 male habitus; 742 ditto dorsal.