Chorthippus antecessor Sirin & Ciplak

Sirin, Deniz, Helversen, Otto Von & Ciplak, Battal, 2010, Chorthippus brunneus subgroup (Orthoptera, Gomphocerinae) in Anatolia with description of two new species: data suggest an Anatolian origin for the lineage, Zootaxa 2410, pp. 1-28 : 13-17

Chorthippus antecessor Sirin & Ciplak sp. n.

Holotype male, Turkey, Adana, road from Develi to Doġanbeyli, around Hanyeri, 38 12.126 N, 36 0 3.472 E, 1616 m, 21.07.2004, (D. Sirin, D. Berger & M.S. Taylan);

Other material studied: Paratypes 10 males, 9 females, same data as holotype; paratypes 3 males and 5 females, same data as holotype, 19.07.2005, (B. Ciplak, D. Sirin, M.S. Taylan & S. Kaya) (Holotype and paratypes in Akdeniz University, Zoology Museum – AUZM; Collection B. Ciplak).

Diagnosis. Chorthippus antecessor sp. n. is a member of the C. biguttulus group by the character combination defined to characterize the group ( Figs 3 , 5 , 8 ,). It is belonging to C. brunneus subgroup by the typical leg movement pattern performed during stridulation: both hind legs perform the same movement pattern and produce typical syllables of the single type throughout the phrase ( Fig. 16 ). It is similar to C. bornhalmi and C. miramae in that the song of single long phrases which consists of long syllables. This species differs prominently from these two species, as well as from other members of C. brunneus subgroup, by its distinctive morphology. The diagnostic characters defining this new species (both in male and female) are; the tegmina that hardly reaching to the end of the abdomen (others exhibit tegmina extending far beyond the end of the abdomen and reaching to 2/5 of the hind tibiae), the stigma located near the apex of the tegmina (see metric data of LTMSA in Appendix 1, 2), the presence of a false vein in costal field of tegmina and the vertical foveolae length measuring twice its width (this ratio is 2.5–3 in others).

Song. The calling song of a male is a typical phrase ( Fig. 16 ) consisting of 11–82 syllables (41.4 ± 17.5). Phrase duration varies from 1.4 to 10.4 (6.2 ± 2.6 s). The phrase begins quietly and maximum intensity is usually reached between 1/4–1/3 of the phrase, however, in some of the songs there is often a more gradual crescendo roughly up to half of the phrase. The syllable period lasts about 103.6–135.5 ms (113.1 ± 9.1) ( Fig. 16 B). The opening hemisyllable is generally longer than the closing hemisyllable roughly during the first half of phrase and almost equal during the latter half ( Fig. 16 B). There are 3–4 steps during opening hemisyllable but there are no tick pulses consistent with these steps. Characteristic tick pulses of closing hemisyllables created by the downward steps of the hind femur produce 3 pulses in the early part of the phrase and 4 in the later part. Consistent with the location of these tick pulses, closing hemisyllables include 2 gaps in syllables during the first 3rd, and 3 in that of the rest of the phrase.

Head. Slightly wider than pronotum; vertical diameter of eye/maximum length of faveolae 3.9–4.2 in male, 2.7–3.0 in female; interocular distance (minimum)/length of subocular groove 0.6–0.7 in both genders; length of the medial antennal segment/maximum width of the medial antennal segment 2.2–2.7 in male, 2.3– 2.8 in female; length of subocular groove/vertical diameter of eye 0.6–0.7 in male, 0.8 in female; maximum length of foveolae/maximum width of foveolae, 2.5–3.1 in male, 2.4–2.7 in female; antenna filiform, 1.5 – 1.6 times longer than head+pronotum in male, 1.2–1.3 times longer in female.

Pronotum. Frontal margin weakly convex and hind margin angular or obtuse angular; median carinae distinct and entire; first lateral sulci extend near to median carinae passing lateral carinae, second lateral sulcus reach close to lateral carinae or sometimes pass them only, typical transversal sulcus (third sulcus) straight or indistinctly curved, located just before middle or exactly on middle and length of pronotum before typical sulcus / length of pronotum after typical sulcus 0.9–1.0 in male, 0.8–0.9; lateral carinae distinct and entire, more thicker in the beginning of metazona in both genders and slightly curved in the middle half of prozona; maximum distance between lateral carinae / minimum distance between lateral carinae 2.0– 2.4 in male and 2.3–2.6 in female.

Tegmen. 4.5–4.7 times as long as maximum width in male, 4.6–5.5 times in female; maximum width of precostal area/maximum width of costal area 0.6–0.7 in male, 1.1–1.2 in female; medial area far beyond the medial of the tegmen in both genders; precostal vein fuse with costal vein around 1/3 part of tegmina from base in male, 2/3 part of tegmina from base in female; maximum width of costal area/maximum width of subcostal area 1.4–1.9 in male, 1.3–1.6 in female; maximum width of medial area/maximum width of precostal area 1.1–1.3 in male, 1.0– 1.2 in female; stigma located 7/ 10 in part of the tegmina from the base in both gender.

Femur. Length of hind femur/maximum width of hind femur 3.9–4.1 in male, 4.1–4.5 in female; peg number of stridulatory file 100–136 in male, 113–126 in female.

Coloration. Dirty or redish brown dorsally and yellowish ventrally in general appearance; each part of pronotum light brown around median carina, black or blackish along light lateral carinae, pronotum totally dark brown including lateral carinae in some specimens; there are dark patterns on head and paranota. Tegmina mostly brownish, costal field totally light in some males; there are dark spots along medial field or sometimes also along costal field. Hind femur in body colour, with an oblique blackish band internally near the base and dark patterns externally, yellow or brownish yellow ventrally; hind knee dark brown; hind tibiae yellow or yellowish-brown being slightly darker ventrally.

Distribution. This species is presently known only from its type locality. The present data suggest that it is restricted to the Southern Anatolian Taurus ( Fig. 1 ).

Discussion. See the ‘Taxonomy’ subheading of the Discussion.

Etymology. Since data from our study suggest it to be a remnant of the ancestral stock of the whole subgroup it is named to express this inference.

Figures

FIGURE 1. The localities visited to collect Chorthippus members in Anatolia (small circles represent the localities visited, large filled circles represent the records of C. bornhalmi; filled triangle represent the record of C. antecessor sp. n.; large filled quadrangle represent the records of C. relicticus sp. n.).

FIGURES 3 – 4. Male habitus (A) and tympanum (B). 3 — C. antecessor sp. n., 4 — C. relicticus sp. n..

FIGURES 5 – 7. Pronotum (A—male and B—female). 5 — C. antecessor (Adana); 6 — C. relicticus (Karaman); 7 — C. bornhalmi (Antalya-Termessos).

FIGURES 8 – 10. Tegmina (A—male and B—female). 8 — C. antecessor (Adana); 9 — C. relicticus (Karaman); 10 — C. bornhalmi (Antalya-Termessos).

FIGURES 14 – 16. Male calling song (A—Complete phrase, B—a part of syllable periods), 14 — C. bornhalmi from Greece; 15 — C. bornhalmi from Anatolia; 16 — C. antecessor from Adana.