Tuarega insignis (Lucas, 1751)

Chobanov, Dragan & Massa, Bruno, 2022, On some Moroccan Pamphagidae, with the description of a new species of Euryparyphes (Orthoptera: Caelifera), Zootaxa 5104 (3), pp. 409-425 : 410

Tuarega insignis (Lucas, 1751) ( Fig. 1C )

Type locality: Algeria, Kefoum-Tebouc .

Material examined. W of Tindite , 33.68745°N, 3.68032°W (900 m), 1.VI.2013 (1♀) .

Distribution. T. insignis is a widespread species in all desert and arid areas of North Africa.

Remarks. Kirby (1910) included Batrachotettix elephas Saussure, 1884 among the synonyms of T. insignis , but Massa (2013) excluded it because Saussure (1884) was referring to a species with sexual dimorphism (‘ elytra et alae? ’). However, Saussure (1888 p. 135–136), citing the 1884 description, wrote that the indication of locality ( South Africa) for Batrachotettix elephas was false, that it was one subimago (old nymph) and, as the adult was unkown to him, he was induced in error because of the similarity of nymphs of Tuarega with Batrachotettix . Thus, B. elephas is really a synonym of T. insignis (J. Mestre, pers. comm. to BM).

Figures

FIG. 1. General view and habitat of selected species of Moroccan Pamphagidae. A–C—Tmethis cisti (A, male; B, female; C, habitat of this species and Tuarega insignis W of Tindite); D, E—Acinipe tubericollis (D, female; E, habitat near Zaio); F, G—Paracinipe alticola (F, female; G, habitat near Achahoud); H, I—Paracinipe dolichocera (H, female; I, habitat of this species and Euryparyphes flexuosus near El Kebab); J–L—Paracinipe theryi (J, K, females of different color; L, habitat between Biougra and Tafraout).