Nocaracris cejchani 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 : 155-156

Nocaracris cejchani Ünal , sp. nov.

( Figs. 69 , 566 , 655–658 , 844 )

Nocarodes cyanipes Fisch. de W.: Werner 1905: 2.

Paranocaracris n. sp.: Weidner 1969: 162.

Paranocaracris citripes bicoloripes f. marani f. n.: Demirsoy 1973: 423; Demirsoy 1977: 79.

Type locality. Turkey: Niğde, Aladağlar, Arpalık Yaylası. Holotype: male (AİBÜEM).

Material examined. TURKEY: Niğde, Çamardı, Aladağlar , Arpalık Yaylası , 2200 m, 9.6.2009, 4♂ (including Holotype), 13♀ (leg. M. Ünal) (AİBÜEM) ; Niğde, Çamardı, Poyrazoğlu Yaylası , 2165 m, 13.7.2008, 1♂, 2♀ (leg. M. Ünal) (AİBÜEM) ; Asia Minor, Erdschias [ Erciyes Dağı ], 5♀ (leg. Penther) (paratypes of P. marani ) (det. as Nocarodes cyanipes ) (det. A. Cejchan, 1967 as Paranocaracris marani sp.n.) ( NMW) ; Turkey, Antitaurus, Adana, Saimbeyli, Bakırdağ in Sencan dere, between Supandede & Gurumzi [ Gürümze ], 1000–1300 m, 1.6.1952, 1♂ (leg. P. H. Davis) ( NHMUK) . Additional Material: Kayseri, Erciyes , 25.7.1947, 2♂, 3♀ (National Museum Prague).

Description. Male (Holotype): Body ( Figs. 655, 656 ) slender, slightly compressed laterally. Fastigium of vertex ( Fig. 566 ) strongly sloping, slightly depressed. Vertex between the eyes narrow, 1.3 times narrower than vertical diameter and almost as wide as transversal diameter of eye; supraocular foveola irregularly distinct, open type; median carinula of vertex reaching to half of fastigium; convex in lateral view. Frontal ridge very shallowly grooved, indistinctly narrowed just below the median ocellus, then very slightly widening towards clypeus. Antennae with 12 segments. Pronotum ( Figs. 566 , 656 ) slightly compressed laterally, with very distinct lateral carinae; median carina raised with longitudinal sulcus clearly wide at anterior end, strongly and sharply narrowed posteriorly; convex in lateral view, slightly straighter in some males. Prosternum raised as a collar-like, broad truncate at apex, not pointed. Mesosternal interspace almost 2 times wider than its length, distinctly narrower than mesosternal lobes. Hind femur ( Figs. 655 ) 2.5 times longer than its height, dorsal margin distinctly convex in lateral view. Hind tibia with 9–10 inner, 10 outer spines. Abdominal tergites ( Figs. 655, 656 ) simple, with slightly raised median carina, not protruded backwards; metanotum and the first 4 abdominal tergites with distinct lateral carinae. Tympanum absent or a vestigial one visible, smaller than the neighbour stigmal area. Male phallus ( Figs. 69 a, b) slender and elongated; arch of zygoma elongated, not very narrow; posterior lobes of zygoma short and broad; apodemes narrow with distinct apical notch; pseudolophi ( Fig. 69 c) separated with 8–11 spines.

Female: Body ( Figs. 657, 658 ) slender, slightly compressed laterally. Fastigium of vertex short and broad, distinctly depressed and sloping. Vertex between the eyes wide, as wide as vertical diameter and 1.25 times wider than transversal diameter of eye; carinulae distict, median carinula long reaching to half of fastigium, slightly grooved; supraocular foveola open type. Antennae with 12–13 segments. Pronotum ( Figs. 657, 658 ) slightly compressed laterally with distinct lateral carinae; median carina slightly raised with a distinct longitudinal sulcus, wide anteriorly, narrowing backwards; very slightly convex in lateral view, straight or with a weak concavity in the middle part in some females; anterior margin clearly, posterior margin slightly convex in dorsal view. Prosternum as in male. Mesosternal interspace almost 3 times wider than its length and slightly narrower than mesosternal lobes. Hind femur ( Fig. 657 ) 2.6 times longer than its height, dorsal margin convex in lateral view. Hind tibia with 9 inner, 9–10 outer spines. Abdominal tergites ( Figs. 657, 658 ) as in male. Tympanum absent. Subgenital plate slightly longer than wide.

Coloration. Male: Body brown to dark brown with black and cream spots and pattern. Gena in median area, first 2–3 segments of antennae cream. Vertex behind the eyes, frontal ridge except median ocellus area blackened. Typical light bands on paranota cream; anterior part of typical transverse sulcus cream; both sides of median carina partly, ventral part of lateral carinae blackened, remaining parts of head and pronotum brown. Legs brown to creamish brown (hind femur) with distinct black spots. Typical light band on abdomen creamish; lateral sides of abdomen blackish-brown. Anterior margins of abdominal sternites and subgenital plate with a large black spot on both sides, remaining parts yellowish-cream. Inner and ventral surfaces of hind femur black, outer half of ventral surface weakly red, dorsal margin of inner surface body color. Inner surface of hind tibia black, spines yellowish except black base and tips. Tarsus with red inner half, outer side body color. Female: Body greyish-cream or brown with black or brown pattern. Some females unicolor creamish. Hind femur as in male. Inner surface of hind tibia on yellowish cream ground with bule spots and stains, completely light blue, dark blue or yellowish-cream in some females; spines always bright yellow with black tips. Tarsus red as in male. All sternites unicolor cream.

Diagnosis. This new species is most related to N. bodenheimeri (Uvarov) by the slightly compressed body and the distinct lateral carinae of pronotum, the hind tibia color in male and the shape of prosternum. But, it is different by clearly more slender body, more sloping fastigium of vertex, wider prosternal projection, more compressed female body, female hind tibia colors (black in N. bodenheimeri ), the shorter and narrower posterior lobes of zygoma, the narrower apodemes with distinct apical notch (apodemes wide, with much weaker apical notch in N. bodenheimeri ). It is similar to N. cinerascens Ramme by the female hind leg coloration and the distinct lateral carinae of pronotum. But it is very different by the slender and more compressed body, the black hind tibia in male (male tibia yellow to red in N. cinerascens ), the wider arch of zygoma (very narrow in typical N. cinerascens ), longer posterior lobes of zygoma (very short in typical N. cinerascens ). Its hind leg coloration is similar to N. subrubratus Ramme. But it is easily distinguished by the presence of lateral carinae of pronotum (absent in N. subrubratus ), distinctly less compressed body, the raised median carina of pronotum (not raised and pronotum roof-shaped in N. subrubratus ), the collar-shaped prosternum (distinctly pointed in N. subrubratus ). It is different from N. goektepe sp. nov. by the presence of lateral carinae of pronotum (absent in N. goektepe ), female hind tibia color (black in N. goektepe ), less compressed body, the raised median carina of pronotum (median carina not raised and pronotum roof-shaped in N. goektepe ), the narrow apodemes with apical notch (apodemes wider, without apical notch in N. goektepe ), the wider posterior lobes of zygoma (very narrow in N. goektepe ). It is also very different from N. tauricolus Ramme by the much more slender and smaller body (large and stout in N. tauricolus ), the clearly smaller head (very large in N. tauricolus ) and the cream-bluish tibia of female (black in N. tauricolus ).

Measurements (mm). Holotype (male): body length 21.3; pronotum length 4.7; pronotum height 4.7; pronotum width anterior 4.4; pronotum width posterior 6.4; hind femur length 8.8; hind femur height 3.5. Paratypes: body length: male 18.9–21.4, female 31.2–39.1; pronotum length: male 4.1–4.7, female 6–7.4; pronotum height: male 4.4–5, female 7.4–8.5; pronotum width anterior: male 4.2–4.8, female 6.1–7.3; pronotum width posterior: male 5.6–6.8, female 9–10.9; hind femur length: male 7.9–9.3, female 10.3–12.5; hind femur height: male 3.1–3.8, female 4–5.

Etymology. This new species is named in memory of Dr. Adolf Čejchan for his very valuable contributions to the family Pamphagidae , he was also the first researcher to consider the separate status of this new species.

Remarks. Cejchan labelled 5 females preserved in the NMW as “ Paranocaracris marani sp.n. ”. According to Weidner (1969; 162) “this taxon will be described later by Cejchan”, but Cejchan never published this species. On the other hand Demirsoy (1973: 423, 1977: 79) reported a new form, Paranocaracris citripes bicoloripes f. marani f.n., from the same locality based on the material of Cejchan preserved in the National Museum Prague. As it is known the form is not a valid taxon according to the ICZN (Articles 15.2, 45.5). In the present study, after the comparisons of the previous material in the NMW and the additional new material with the all taxa of the genus, it has been concluded that this is a new species.

Figures

FIGURE 844. Distribution of the species of genus Nocaracris.

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 555 – 583. Body parts. 555 – 556 male head and pronotum, 555 Nocaracris cinerascens, holotype; 556 Nocaracris ponticus, holotype. 557 – 558 female head, 557 Nocaracris tauricolus, holotype; 558 Nocaracris burri, topotype. 559 – 563 female prosternum, 559 Nocaracris burri; 560 Nocaracris sureyana; 561 and 562 Nocaracris tardus, paratypes; 563 Nocaracris emirdagi, paratype. 564 – 565 typical light band on pronotum in male, 564 Nocaracris tardus, holotype; 565 Nocaracris emirdagi, holotype, without light band. 566 – 568 male fastigium of vertex, lateral view, 566 Nocaracris cejchani, holotype; 567 Nocaracris bodenheimeri; 568 Nocaracris cinerascens, holotype. 569 – 570 female pronotum, 569 Nocaracris bodenheimeri; 570 Nocaracris cinerascens. 571 – 574 longitudinal sulcus of pronotum in female, 571 Nocaracris demirsoyi; 572 Nocaracris cyanipes; 573 Nocaracris curtus, allotype; 574 Nocaracris ponticus, allotype. 575 – 576 female frons, lateral view, 575 Nocaracris cyanipes; 576 Nocaracris curtus, allotype. 577 – 579 female eye, 577 Nocaracris minutus, holotype; 578 Nocaracris karadagi, paratype; 579 Nocaracris van, paratype. 580 – 583 female prosternum, 580 Nocaracris palandoken, paratype; 581 and 582 Nocaracris karadagi, paratypes; 583 Nocaracris monticolus, paratype.

FIGURES 653 – 666. Habitus. 653 – 654 Nocaracris bodenheimeri, 653 male; 654 female. 655 – 658 Nocaracris cejchani, 655 male holotype; 656 ditto dorsal; 657 female paratype; 658 ditto dorsal. 659 – 660 Nocaracris cinerascens, 659 male holotype; 660 female paratype. 661 Nocaracris tauricolus, female holotype. 662 Nocaracris acinosus, female holotype. 663 – 664 Nocaracris rubripes, 663 male; 664 female. 665 – 666 Nocaracris ponticus, 665 male holotype; 666 female allotype.