Gomphocerus (Gomphocerus) turcicus Mistshenko, 1951

Mol, Abbas, Şirin, Deniz, Taylan, Mehmet Sait & Sevgili, Hasan, 2023, A review of the Anatolian Gomphocerus Thunberg, 1815 (Orthoptera: Acrididae Gomphocerinae) via morphological and bioacoustics characters: data suggesting a new species, a new subgenus and three new statuses, Zootaxa 5353 (5), pp. 401-429 : 417-420

Gomphocerus (Gomphocerus) turcicus Mistshenko, 1951 stat. n. et sp. rev.

Gomphocerus sibiricus turcicus Mistshenko, 1951: 120 , Fig. 1069 (allotype-female, Asia Minor, Bulgar Dağ (= Turkey, Niğde: Bolkar Mountain).

Gomphocerus sibiricus turcicus Mistshenko : Karabağ 1958: 146; Gomphocerus sibiricus turcicus Mistshenko : Weidner 1969: 206; Gomphocerus sibiricus turcicus Mistshenko : Demirsoy 1977: 225; Gomphocerus sibiricus Linnaeus, 1767 ; Güneş 1984: 137; Gomphocerus sibiricus turcicus Mistshenko : Çıplak et al. 1999: 766; Gomphocerus sibiricus turcicus Mistshenko : Mol & Zeybekoğlu 2013: 98; Gomphocerus sibiricus turcicus Mistshenko : Mol et al. 2017.

Diagnosis. There are differences Gomphocerus (Gomphocerus) turcicus Mistshenko, 1951 stat. n. et sp. rev. and G. sibiricus as follows.

Length of the faveolae 3–4 times longer than width in male, 4.20–5.3 in female (in G. sibiricus 2.5 times longer than wide), the ratio of the length of hind femur to maximum width of hind femur 4.20–5.43 in male, 4.14–4.5 in female (in G. sibiricus 4.5 in both sexes), mesosternal interspace wide, 1.78–2.2 times wider than long in male, 1.83–2.8 in female (in G. sibiricus as high as wide or 1/4 times higher in both sexes), tegmen 3.33–3.66 times as long as maximum width in male, (in G. sibiricus 3.8–4 times). In addition to that there is also a geographical separation (in G. sibiricus present), etc. ( Uvarov 1931; Harz 1975; Willemse 1985; Mol 2012 ).

Redescription. Head and pronotum ( Fig. 7 ): Head wider than pronotum in both sexes except mesosoma in male. Vertex acute angular and smooth fastigium, with median carina and raised in both sexes. Vertical diameter of the eye/minimum width of vertex 1.4–1.8 in male, 1.0– 1.32 in female, vertical diameter of eye/subocular groove 1.2–1.5 in male, 1.08–1.32 in female. Antennae filiform with apical club, longer than head plus pronotum in male, shorter in female; its longest medial segment 2.66–3.1 times as long as wide in male, 1.5–1.77 (2.33) in female; the ratio of the length to width of the sixth segment from the head on the antennae clavatus ( Fig. 7 ) is 1.50–3.08 in males and 1.85– 2.10 in females. Pronotum widened, its frontal margin convex hind margin angular in male, obtuse angular in female; median carina distinct and entire. Typical transversal sulcus (third sulcus) distinctly curved, located behind middle of the median carina, cut behind the middle of the median carina, length of the in front of the transversal sulcus/length of the behind the transversal sulcus 1.43–1.75 in male 1.3–1.52 in female; The maximum/minimum width between lateral carinae 3.00– 3.25 in male, 2.16–2.59 in female. Front tibia ( Fig. 9 ) pear-shaped in male, its length 2.85–3.14 times of its maximum width. Hind femur long, its length 4–4.57 times of its maximum width in male 4.14–4.5 in female. Mesosternal interspace wide, 1.76–2.2 times wider than long in male, 1.83–2.5 (2.81) in female.

Thorax: Tegmina ( Fig. 8 ) overlapping dorsally surpass tip of the hind femur in both sexes; apical portion of the tegmen (from the end of the first radial to the apex) exist in both sexes, tegmen 3.33–3.66 times as long as maximum width in male, 3.44–4.90 in female. The length Pc-field/ the length of tegmen 0.27–0.30 in male, 0.40– 0.62 in female; the greatest width of costal field/ the greatest width of precostal field 1.26–1.81 in male, 0.77–1.06 in female; the greatest width of costal field/ the greatest width of subcostal field 1.90–2.38 in male, 3.85–4.20 in female; subcostal vein nearly smooth, radial vein slightly sinuate S-shape; the Cubital-1 and Cubital-2 vein fused with one another here and there, Cu-2 field generally distinct in both sexes. Tympanal opening semicircle shaped, its medial height nearly 1.93 times of its medial width in male. Mesosternum and metasternum with circular tubercules in male, the alae as long as the tegmen in both sexes.

Abdomen ( Fig. 10 ): Cerci in male 1.64–1.87, and in female 1.21–1.68 times as long as wide; nearly reach the apex of anal tergum in male and shorter than anal tergum in female; middle of anal tergum widened like a channel; ephiphallus two lobes, anterior projection of ephiphallus spicular, cingular valves of penis longer than apical valves. Apical part of the subgenital plate two small tubercules in female.

Coloration. In general appearance head plus pronotum blackish brown, abdomen yellowish brown dorsally and yellowish brown ventrally. From vertex to clypeus blackish brownish, clypeus and genea yellowish brown sometimes yellowish in female; mouthparts whitish in male, yellowish-brown in female; the pronotum brownish black, inner and outer side of lateral carinae sometimes blackish, terga blackish. Tegmina brownish with dark spots along precostal and medial field and around the stigma, sometimes anal field; hind femur brownish dorsally and yellowish ventrally with an oblique blackish band dorsally and internally. Subgenital plate in male and epiproct and paraproct in female body-coloured, subgenital plate yellowish-brown in female.

Material examined. Turkey, Niğde: Ulukışla, Bolkar Mountain , 1.viii.2021, 2544 m., N 37.416297, E 34.553538, 7 males, 5 females, (leg. A. Mol , H. Sevgili. D. Şirin & M.S.Taylan) (deposited in ASUBTAM) .

Remarks. This species has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List (2022-2). The distribution of the G. turcicus is restricted and its habitats are strongly under the threat of the anthropogenic effects such as camping areas, picnic areas, hiking routes, and overgrazing. The species should be considered as a Critically Endangered (B1ab (i, iii)) status on the basis of the extent of occurrence criteries of IUCN (https://www.iucnredlist.org/).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Dorsal and lateral view of head and pronotum, and antennae in both sexes of Anatolian Gomphocerus taxa.

FIGURE 8. Tegmina in both sexes of Anatolian Gomphocerus taxa.

FIGURE 9. Foreleg of male and hindfemora in both sexes of Anatolian Gomphocerus taxa.

FIGURE 10. Tenth tergite and subgenital plate in both sexes of Anatolian Gomphocerus taxa.