Isophya rhodopensis petkovi Peshev, 1959

Dragan P. Chobanov, Beata Grzywacz, Ionuţ Ş. Iorgu, Battal Cιplak, Maya B. Ilieva & Elżbieta Warchałowska-Śliwa, 2013, Review of the Balkan Isophya (Orthoptera: Phaneropteridae) with particular emphasis on the Isophya modesta group and remarks on the systematics of the genus based on morphological and acoustic data, Zootaxa 3658 (1), pp. 1-81 : 38-39

Isophya rhodopensis petkovi Peshev, 1959 , stat.nov.

( Figs 18 , 47, 71 , 96 , 121 , 167 , 173 , 193 )

Isophya petkovi Peshev : Peshev 1959a (sp.n.).

Morphological description: Peshev 1959a. Karyotype: Warchałowska-Śliwa et al. 2008 (as I. petkovi —partim: cf. localities).

Supplement to the description and diagnosis: The subspecies is characterised by a massive body and very large size for the genus (similar to I. taurica and I. longicaudata ). Male tegmina are visibly shortened (shorter than in I. rh. rhodopensis and I. rh. leonorae ) with stronger approximation of CuP and CuA. The stridulatory file is 3.5–3.7 mm long with 140–160 teeth ( Fig. 167 A). The disc of tegmina (before and after the dark stridulatory area) is yellowish-brown. The lateral stripes of metazone are blackish. Female stridulatory apparatus is shown in Fig. 167 C. Male cercus tooth ( Fig. 167 B) is similar to that of I. rh. rhodopensis . The song ( Fig. 173 ) consists of groups of few (2–6) syllables with few after-clicks (2–8, rarely one), whose number is higher when the temperature is lower. The impulses of the main syllable part are clearly separated and the impulse period at 20–22°С reaches 14– 18 ms at the beginning and again 10–12 ms at the end of the main part. The impulse period within the additional part (after-clicks) is 50–200 ms.

Bioacoustics: The temporal characteristics of the male calling song vary at different temperatures. At 20°С: syllables—main part 261–292 ms (mean 277±11; n=10) with 54–68 impulses (mean 61±5; n=10) and impulse period of 3–18 ms (mean 4.5); total duration of the syllable with 5–8 after clicks— 1447–2039 ms (mean 1784±173; n=10). At 27.5°С: syllables—main part 166–192 ms (mean 179±8; n=10) with 64–72 impulses (mean 69±2; n=10) and mean impulse period of 2.6 ms; total syllable duration with 1–2 after-clicks—560–708 ms (mean 630±51; n=10).

Distribution ( Fig. 193 ) and phenology: Distributed in the Eastern Rhodope Mountains ( Bulgaria and Greece— Kallithea by Willemse and Willemse 2008 as I. rhodopensis ; new for Greece), Sakar ( Bulgaria) and the neighbouring lowlands between 50 and 1200 m. No doubt this taxon has a restricted occurrence also in the northeasternmost corner of European Turkey. Nymphs—(?II–)III–V(–VI), imago—V–VI(–VII).

4. Isophya costata species group

The group shows more specialised characters than I. modesta group and may have evolved from it or both groups have common origin. The body is moderately large to large. Hind femur is 16–23 mm long (usually 17–20). The width of fastigium verticis is 1/2 to equal to that of scapus. The disc of male pronotum is elongated, slightly to strongly widened in metazone, flat or moderately raised in metazone. Male tegmina are equal to or shorter than pronotum, frequently bulged, with shortened Costo-Medial part and compact, widened stridulatory area. CuP is moderately (in I. stysi Cejchan, 1958 ) to (usually) very long (>3/4-4/5 times of the hind margin of metazone) and wide (wider than 3rd or even 2nd antennal limb); CuP is moderately bulged, much wider than CuA; both are situated at about the same level over the pronotal surface (or CuA is slightly higher) and are closely approximated to each other. The stridulatory file has 50–275 teeth. Female tegmen has blunt to truncated (rarely slightly concave) hind margin and reticulate venation. Hind femur may lack or have from 1–2 to over 10 ventral spines. The pit between gonangulum and lamella is partly closed, the lamella is thin, without an excision. The ovipositor is moderately to very long for the genus (2 to over 3 times longer than pronotum). The main colouration is green (sometimes with light bands or variegated in I. dobrogensis ). Tegmina are usually greenish, sometimes with darkened stridulatory area. The lateral margins of pronotum in metazone have reddish stripe above the light band. Melanism is absent. The song (when known) consists of single or groups of syllables lasting 140–1100 ms. The X-chromosome of I. modestior may be acrocentric or subacrocentric (type 1A or 2A according to Warchałowska-Śliwa et al. 2008 and unpublished data) in different populations (see below).

Morphological traits of most taxa such as short and wide male tegmina and position of CuA and CuP, blunt female tegmina, high number of stridulatory teeth and shape of cerci indicate close relationships with the I. kraussii group.

Presently we consider the group with six species— I. boldyrevi Miram, 1938 , I. costata Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878, I. dobrogensis , I. modestior , I. stepposa Bey-Bienko, 1954, I. stysi Cejchan, 1958 , distributed in the Northern Balkan Peninsula, Central Europe ( Austria, Hungary, NE Italy), the Carpathian Basin and Eastern Europe through the steppe belt eastwards to Volga Upland (Privolzhskaya vozvyshennost) in the region of Saratov.

Figures

FIGURE 193. Distribution of I. rhodopensis leonorae, I. rh. leonorae / rhodopensis – intermediate forms, I. rh. rhodopensis – typical and northwestern form, and I. rh petkovi on the Balkan Peninsula.

FIGURES 1 – 18. General appearance of some Balkan Isophya. 1, 2 — I. hospodar (1 — male, 2 — female); 3 — I. thracica (male); 4, 5 — I. rectipennis (4 — male, 5 — female); 6, 7 — I. pavelii (6 — male, 7 — female); 8, 9 — I. bureschi (8 — male, 9 — female); 10, 11 — I. andreevae (10 — male, 11 — female); 12, 13 — I. plevnensis (12 — male, 13 — female); 14, 15 — I. m. modesta (= intermedia) (14 — male, 15 — female); 16 — I. l. longicaudata (male); 17 — I. rhodopensis leonorae (male); 18 — I. rh. petkovi (male) (Figures 6 – 11, 17, 18 — photo M. Langourov).

FIGURES 56 – 79. Morphology of female head, pronotum and tegmina of the Balkan Isophya and I. yaraligozi (localities as in Figs 31 – 55 unless specifically given): 56 — I. hospodar; 57 — I. rectipennis; 58 — I. pavelii (paratype of I. rammei Peshev); 59 — I. thracica; 60 — I. bureschi; 61 — I. yaraligozi; 62 — I. tosevski; 63 — I. andreevae (paratype); 64 — I. clara; 65 — I. miksici (paratype); 66 — I. plevnensis (paratype); 67 — I. longicaudata adamovici (paratype, BG: Sliven, 1000 m, NMNHS); 68 — I. l. longicaudata; 69 — I. rhodopensis leonorae (BG: “ Alibotush, 1500 m ”, 13.07. 1959, NMNHS); 70 — I. rh. rhodopensis (as in Fig. 46 but 17.07.1956); 71 — I. rh. petkovi; 72 — I. modestior; 73 — I. dobrogensis; 74 — I. zubowskii; 75 — I. aff. camptoxypha (MK: Bistra Mt., 2.08. 2004, CC); 76 — I. gulae (paratype, BG: Dolna Topchiya, 10.07. 1974, NMNHS); 77 — I. obtusa (BG: Vezhen Peak, 15.07. 1969, NMNHS); 78 — I. amplipennis (TR: “ Turkey | 1960 | Sureya Bey ”, NHM); 79 — I. speciosa (BG: Sakar Mt., 14.06. 1952, NMNHS). Scale (if present; black line right of the specimen) = 10 mm.

FIGURES 80 – 104. Male abdominal terminalia of the Balkan Isophya and I. yaraligozi (localities as in Figs 31 – 55): 80 — I. hospodar; 81 — I. rectipennis; 82 — I. pavelii; 83 — I. thracica; 84 — I. bureschi; 85 — I. yaraligozi; 86 — I. tosevski; 87 — I. andreevae; 88 — I. clara; 89 — I. miksici; 90 — I. plevnensis; 91 — I. longicaudata adamovici; 92 — I. l. longicaudata; 93 — I. m. modesta (= intermedia); 94 — I. rhodopensis leonorae; 95 — I. rh. rhodopensis; 96 — I. rh. petkovi; 97 — I. modestior; 98 — I. dobrogensis; 99 — I. zubowskii; 100 — I. aff. camptoxypha; 101 — I. gulae; 102 — I. obtusa; 103 — I. amplipennis; 104 — I. speciosa. Scale (if present) = 2 mm.

FIGURES 105 – 129. Female abdominal terminalia of the Balkan Isophya and I. yaraligozi (localities as in Figs 31 – 55 unless specifically given); figures of the whole ovipositor are followed by enlarged figure of the ovipositor base: 105 — I. hospodar (BG: Dolni Glavanak, 25.04. 2005, CC); 106 — I. rectipennis (BG: Byala Vill., 27.06. 2002, CC); 107 — I. pavelii (BG: Chernogorovo, 29.05. 2006, CC); 108 — I. thracica; 109 — I. bureschi (BG: Bansko, 8.08. 2006, CC); 110 — I. yaraligozi; 111 — I. tosevski; 112 — I. andreevae (BG: Kresnensko Hanche, 19.04. 2006, CC); 113 — I. clara; 114 — I. miksici (BG: Gorski Dom Lodge, 24.06. 2006, CC); 115 — I. plevnensis (BG: Levishte, 14.07. 2009, CC); 116 — I. longicaudata adamovici (BG: Karandila, 24.06. 2008, CC); 117 — I. l. longicaudata (BG: Sofia University Botanical garden, 26.06. – 1.07.2004, CC); 118 — I. m. modesta (= intermedia); 119 — I. rhodopensis leonorae (BG: Livade, 9.08. 2006, CC); 120 — I. rh. rhodopensis (BG: Bachkovo, 600 m, 23.05. 2004, CC); 121 — I. rh. petkovi (BG: Gluhite Kamani, 23.06. 2008, CC); 122 — I. modestior (BG: Bankya, 24.05. 2006, CC); 123 — I. dobrogensis; 124 — I. zubowskii; 125 — I. aff. camptoxypha (data as in Fig. 75); 126 — I. gulae; 127 — I. obtusa (BG: Ravnets Ridge, 14.07. 2009, CC); 128 — I. amplipennis (as in Fig. 78); 129 — I. speciosa (BG: Bankya, 24.05. 2006, CC). Indications on Fig. 127 show, respectively: G—gonangulum; L—lamella; P—lateral pit between lamella and gonangulum. Scale (if present) = 5 mm.

FIGURES 162 – 167. SEM of taxonomically important structures of Isophya: 162, 163 — I. rhodopensis leonorae (162 — BG: N Pirin Mts; 163 — BG: Alibotoush Mt.); 164 – 166 — I. rhodopensis rhodopensis (164 — typical form, BG: above Smolyan; 165 — northwestern form, BG: Batak Lake; 166 — typical form or transitional to I. rh. petkovi, BG: near Assenovgrad); 167 — I. rhodopensis petkovi (BG: Glouhite Kamani Locality). A—male stridulatory file (162, 166 — scale 200 μm; the rest—scale 1 mm); B—ventral / ventro-apical view of apex of male cerci (scale 100 μm); C—female stridulatory apparatus (162 — scale 100 μm; 166 — scale 200 μm; the rest—scale 500 μm).

FIGURES 168 – 173. Male calling song at two different speeds (air temperature at recording shown; time scale below): 168 — I. rhodopensis leonorae (BG: Alibotoush Mt.; 168 B and C—song of two males from the same population); 169 — I. rhodopensis rhodopensis / leonorae (transitional / hybrid form, BG: Rhodope Mts, Shiroka Polyana Lake); 170 – 172 — I. rhodopensis rhodopensis (170 — northwestern form, BG: Batak Lake; 171 — typical form, BG: above Smolyan; 172 — typical form, BG: Turun Village) 173 — I. rhodopensis petkovi (BG: Glouhite Kamani Locality).