Nocaracris emirdagi Unal, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Ünal, Mustafa
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Orthoptera
Pamphagidae
Nocaracris
Nocaracris emirdagi

description: Nocaracris emirdagi Ünal, sp. nov.
(Figs. 68, 563, 565, 647–650, 844)
Type locality. Turkey: Afyonkarahisar, Emir Dağları. Holotype: male (AİBÜEM).
Material examined. TURKEY: Afyonkarahisar, Emir Dağları, Yellibel, 2060 m, 23.7.2004, 1♂, 5♀; ibidem, 2000–2070 m, 15.7.2015, 4♂ (including Holotype), 13♀, plus 2♂, 3♀ in alcohol (leg. M. Ünal) (AİBÜEM).
Description. Male (Holotype): Body (Figs. 647, 648) stout, relatively compressed laterally. Fastigium of vertex broad and short, slightly depressed and sloping. Vertex between the eyes narrow, 1.2 times narrower than vertical diameter and as wide as transversal diameter of eye; vertex with distinct carinulae, slightly convex; supraocular foveola open type. Frontal ridge narrowed just below the median ocellus. Antennae with 12–13 segments. Pronotum (Figs. 565, 648) slightly compressed laterally, lateral carinae distinct; median carina slightly raised with a distinct longitudinal sulcus wide in anterior, gradually narrowing backwards; slightly convex in lateral view; anterior margin more distinctly, posterior margin slightly protruded as narrow convex. Anterior margin of prosternum strongly raised, broadly rounded collar-like, in some males slightly narrowed and sinuous. Mesosternal interspace 2.5 times wider than its length and narrower than mesosternal lobes. Hind femur (Fig. 647) almost 2.5 times longer than its height, basal half distinctly widened, sharply narrowing towards genicular lobes, but not form a preapical notch on dorsal margin. Hind tibia with 9 inner, 10 outer spines. Abdominal tergites (Figs. 647, 648) simple, median carina not raised and without posterior projection. Tympanum absent, but in some specimens strongly reduced tympanum visible, much smaller than the neighbour stigmal area. Arch of zygoma triangular, relatively wide; posterior lobes of zygoma slightly elongated; apodemes with distinct apical notch (Figs. 68 a, b); pseudolophi (Fig. 68 c) separated with 12–13 spines.
Female: Body (Figs. 649, 650) large, relatively and slightly compressed laterally. Fastigium of vertex very short and wide, distinctly depressed, slightly sloping. Vertex between the eyes wide, 1.2 times wider than vertical diameter and 1.5 times wider than transversal diameter of eye; vertex with very distinct carinulae, median carinula grooved; supraocular foveola semiclosed, but in some females open type; convex in lateral view. Antennae with 13–14 segments. Pronotum (Figs. 649, 650) compressed laterally, nearly roof-shaped; median carina slightly raised, with a distinct longitudinal sulcus along its length, slightly narrowing backwards; anterior margin distinctly, posterior margin slightly convex with a small median notch in dorsal view. Prosternum (Fig. 563) strongly raised broadly or triangularly rounded, not pointed. Mesosternal interspace 2.7 times wider than its length and slightly narrower than mesosternal lobes. Hind femur (Fig. 649) 2.6 times longer than its height; its shape and hind tibial spines as in male. Abdomen (Figs. 649, 650) as in male, but larger. Subgenital plate slightly wider than long, but in some females slightly longer than wide.
Coloration. Male: Body brown to dark brown with creamish and black spots and stains. Ventral half of head cream. First two segments of antennae lightened, remaining part dark brown. Pronotum brown, without typical light bands on paranota. Fore and mid legs dark brown, hind femur partly lightened with creamish-brown. Abdomen dark brown, typical light band brown; lateral sides of abdomen blackish-brown. Inner and ventral surfaces of hind femur black; inner surface of hind tibia and inner half of dorsal surface orange-red, in some males ventral surface slightly blackened; outer half of dorsal surface yellow including spines. Tarsus cream. Abdominal sternites and subgenital plate greyish-brown with a large blackish spot on both sides. Female: Body greyish and creamish light brown with some small black spots. Legs body color. Inner and ventral surface of hind femur black; inner surface of hind tibia pale orange including spines. Tarsus body color. All sternites cream.
Diagnosis. This new species is most related to N. tardus sp. nov., N. sureyana Ramme and N. burri (Uvarov). It is easily distinguished from them by the absence of the typical light bands on paranota and the orange hind tibia and relatively more compressed body. It is also different from N. burri by the strongly raised and broad prosternum (sharply pointed in N. burri), clearly less depressed body (strongly depressed dorso-ventrally in N. burri and N. sureyana). It is also similar to N. idrisi (Karabağ) by the relatively compressed body and somewhat the colors of hind legs. But it is different by the larger and stouter body, less distinct lateral carinae of pronotum, the shapes of arch of zygoma (narrower and less triangular in N. idrisi), posterior lobes of zygoma (short and compressed anteroposteriorly in N. idrisi) and apodemes (without or slightly distinct apical notch in N. idrisi). See also the “Diagnosis” of N. tardus sp. nov. and the key.
Measurements (mm). Holotype (male): body length 22.9; pronotum length 5.1; pronotum height 5.6; pronotum width anterior 5.2; pronotum width posterior 7.3; hind femur length 9.6; hind femur height 3.9. Paratypes: body length: male 21.3–23, female 39.8–46.6; pronotum length: male 4.9–5.3, female 7.9–9.4; pronotum height: male 5.1–5.8, female 9.2–10.8; pronotum width anterior: male 4.8–5.2, female 7.5–8.5; pronotum width posterior: male 6.7–7.3, female 10.6–12.6; hind femur length: male 8.9–9.6, female 13.1–14.8; hind femur height: male 3.6–3.9, female 4.9–5.6.
Etymology. “Emir Dağı” (Emir Mountain) is the type locality of this new species.
description: Published as part of Ünal, Mustafa, 2016, Pamphagidae (Orthoptera: Acridoidea) from the Palaearctic Region: taxonomy, classification, keys to genera and a review of the tribe Nocarodeini I. Bolívar, pp. 1-223 in Zootaxa 4206 (1) on pages 152-153, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4206.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/208260