Pholidoptera dalmatica ( Krauss, 1879 )

Skejo, Josip, Rebrina, Fran, Szövényi, Gergely, Puskás, Gellért & Tvrtković, Nikola, 2018, The first annotated checklist of Croatian crickets and grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Ensifera, Caelifera), Zootaxa 4533 (1), pp. 1-95 : 31

54. Pholidoptera dalmatica ( Krauss, 1879) = dinarski kožokrili konjic ( Fig. 5F )

First faunistic record for Croatia: Krauss 1879

Also reported as: P. maritima Zeuner, 1931 syn. nov. ( Zeuner 1931), P. brachynota Ramme, 1951 syn. nov. ( Ramme 1951), regarded synonymous with P. d. dalmatica ( Krauss, 1879)

Distribution in Croatia: Common in the Dinaric Alps and along the coast, on numerous Adriatic islands.

Distribution in Europe: Endemic to the Balkans—Dinaric Alps from Trieste ( Italy) via Slovenia and the coastal part of Croatia to Montenegro ( Hochkirch et al. 2016).

Taxonomic note: There are three subspecies of P. dalmatica described from Croatia—(1) P. d. brachynota Ramme, 1951 (described from Mt. Velebit, near Senj), (2) P. d. dalmatica ( Krauss, 1879) (described from Grobnik near Rijeka, and Bakar), (3) P. d. maritima Zeuner, 1931 (described from Hvar Isl.). Harz (1969) (after Ramme 1951) noted on P. d. brachynota distribution: „In der montanen Region vom Velebit bis in das Innere von BiH, verenzelt auch in Dalmatien.“ (“In montainous regions from Velebit to the inner BiH, sporadically also in Dalmatia.”). Difference from P. d. dalmatica in females is the subgenital plate shape (without prominent basal sclerites), and the great variability of titillators: some specimens have only one or two apical teeth or no apical teeth, like P. griseoaptera ( Harz 1969) . There is a continuity in distribution and high morphological variability in shape of cerci, pronotum, subgenital plate, titillators, length of wings, and coloration of P. dalmatica from Učka Mt. in Istria along the Dinaric arch to Southern Croatia (e.g. Snježnica Mt. in Dubrovnik area). Morphologically, specimens from Učka Mt., Ćićarija Mt., Velika Kapela Mt., Velebit Mt. and Plješivica Mt. (Rebrina, Skejo & Tvrtković, unpublished data) belong to the very same taxon, namely P. d. dalmatica . Since we did not find any relevant differences on a large amount of material, we synonymize P. d. brachynota syn. nov. with the nominal subspecies. Some authors consider P. d. maritima a separate species ( Ingrisch & Pavićević 2012), but without any evidence supporting its specific status. However, diagnostic characters of P. (d.) maritima syn. nov. also fit the variability range of P. d. dalmatica , thus we do not regard it a separate taxon, but a synonym of P. d. dalmatica .

Figures

FIGURE 5. Diversity of Croatian Ensifera—Tettigoniidae: Tettigoniinae. A. Decticus verrucivorus (Lazac 24.VII.2014. F. Rebrina), B. Bicolorana kraussi (Francikovac 26.VIII.2014. F. Rebrina), C. Gampsocleis abbreviata (Lisac 27.VI.2015. F. Rebrina), D. Metrioptera brachyptera (Lazac 24.VII.2014. F. Rebrina), E. Pachytrachis striolatus (Kruščica 4.VIII.2014. F. Rebrina), F. Pholidoptera dalmatica (Grabovača 7.VI.2014. F. Rebrina).