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

description: Nocaracris monticolus Ünal, sp. nov.
(Figs. 74, 583, 585, 591, 689–692, 845)
Type locality. Turkey: Van, Çatak, Kavuşşahap Dağları. Holotype: male (NHMUK).
Material examined. TURKEY: Van prov., Satak [Çatak] dist., Kavuşşahap Dağ, 3000 m, 23.7.1954, 2♂ (including Holotype), 7♀ (leg. P. H. Davis); Çatak dist., Kavuşşahap Dağ, 2300–2700 m, 23.7.1954, 1♂, 1♀ (leg. P. H. Davis); Prov. Van, Gevaş dist., Artos Dağ, 8000 ft, 15.7.1954, 2♀ (leg. P. H. Davis); Bitlis prov., Kambos Dağ, above Hümüz (Ağaçköprü Köyü), 4500–7000 ft, 1.7.1954, 1♂, 5♀ (leg. P. H. Davis); Prov. Bitlis, above Kotum (Küçüksu Köyü, Tatvan), 6000–6500 ft, (no date, but probably 7.1954), 3♀ (leg. P. H. Davis) (NHMUK).
Description. Male (Holotype): Body (Figs. 689, 690) very slender, relatively small and slightly compressed laterally. Fastigium of vertex narrow and elongated, slightly depressed and sloping. Vertex between the eyes narrow, 1.25 times narrower than vertical diameter and as wide as transversal diameter of eye; vertex not swollen, slightly convex in lateral view, with distinct carinulae; supraocular foveola closed; median carinula weakly grooved. Antennae with 12 segments. Pronotum (Figs. 689, 690) slightly compressed laterally, with distinct lateral carinae; median carina low, slightly raised, with a distinct longitudinal sulcus along its length, its anterior end wide, narrowing backwards; almost straight in lateral view; anterior margin convex, posterior margin straight in dorsal view. Prosternum swollen, anterior margin raised, tridentate, with a small and acute median projection, in one male lateral denticles indistinct. Mesosternal interspace narrow, 1.8 times wider than its length and distinctly narrower than mesosternal lobes. Hind femur (Fig. 591) relatively broad, 2.6 times longer than its height, proximal part wide gradually narrowing to apex, the widest point in proximal part, dorsal margin slightly convex, ventral margin distinctly sloping towards genicular lobe. Hind tibia with 9 inner, 9–11 outer spines. Mesonotum and metanotum with weakly grooved, first abdominal tergite not grooved median carinae. Abdominal tergites (Figs. 689, 690) simple, slightly raised, never protruded posteriorly. Tympanum absent. Phallus (Figs. 74 a, b) slender; arch of zygoma narrow; posterior lobes of zygoma weakly elongated; apodemes wide, with a very weak apical notch; basal valves of penis narrow; pseudolophi (Fig. 74 c) separated with 8–11 spines.
Female: Body (Figs. 691, 692) slender, slightly compressed. Fastigium of vertex narrow, slightly depressed and sloping. Vertex between the eyes narrow, as wide as vertical diameter and 1.3 times wider than transversal diameter of eye; vertex convex in lateral view, with a weakly grooved median carinula; supraocular foveola distinct, almost closed. Antennae with 12 segments. Pronotum (Figs. 691, 692) as in male, straight in lateral view. Prosternum (Fig. 583) pointed as in male. Mesosternal interspace wide, almost 3 times wider than its length and as wide as mesosternal lobes. Hind femur (Fig. 585) 2.7 times longer than its height, dorsal margin slightly, ventral margin distinctly convex, the widest point in the proximal part. Hind tibia with 9–10 inner, 10–11 outer spines. Abdominal tergites (Figs. 691, 692), mesonotum and metanotum as in male. Tympanum absent. Sugenital plate longer than wide, almost as wide as in some females.
Coloration. Male: Body greyish-brown with black and cream spots and stains. Gena, central part of pronotum cream. Antenna cremish-brown. Femora brown with black spots. Fore and mid tibia creamish-brown. Typical light band on paranota weak. Typical light band on abdomen distinct with greyish-brown. Lateral sides of abdomen blackish-brown. All sternites yellowish-cream, anterior margins with a large pale brown on both sides. Inner and ventral surfaces of hind femur blackish-brown. Inner and dorsal surfaces of hind tibia completely black with inner spines, outer spines slightly creamish, apical end of tibia dark red. Tarsus dark red. Female: Body as in male but lighter in some females. Ventral half of head and pronotum creamish, their dorsal parts greyish-brown with black spots. All sternites yellowish-cream without any dark pattern. Inner and venral surfaces of hind femur blackishbrown, its inner ventral carina with a distinct red spot basally. Inner side of hind tibia black including spines turning to dark greyish-blue dorsally, outer spines yellowish-cream. In one female from Kambos Dağ inner side of tibia with a red band along its length. Tarsus red.
Diagnosis. This new species is different from N. van sp. nov. by the black hind tibia of male, the slightly wider and less convex vertex in male (1.15 times wider than vertical diameter of eye in N. van), the less sloping male fastigium, the more swollen prosternum with sharply pointed anterior margin (broader anterior margin in both sexes of N. van), the mesosternal interspace in female as wide as its lobes (clearly wider than mesosternal lobes in female of N. van), the longer tumida of zygoma (short and small in N. van), the wider apodemes, the more sloping and larger female fastigium of vertex. This new species is similar to N. latipes by the general body structure, the shapes of prosternum and mesosternum. But it is different by the more slender body, narrower hind femur (2.4 times longer than its height in the male, 2.5 times in female of N. latipes), the hind leg coloration (inner surface of hind femur black, ventral surface of hind femur and inner surface of hind tibia orange in male; basal half of hind tibia bluish-green turning to red in apical half in female of N. latipes) and the distribution (N. latipes is found in N. Caucasia). It is also near to N. karadagi sp. nov. by the general shape of slender body and pronotum. But it is different by the pointed prosternum (narrowly rounded, collar-shaped in N. karadagi), the narrower longitudinal sulcus of pronotum (distinctly wider and slightly narrowing backwards in N. karadagi), the shape of hind femur (the widest point in the middle in N. karadagi), the pseudolophi with less spines (10–15 spines in N. karadagi), the closed type supraocular foveola (open in N. karadagi); the straighter female pronotum (more convex in N. karadagi) and the hind legs coloration (hind tibia blood red in N. karadagi).
Measurements (mm). Holotype (male): body length 19.4; pronotum length 3.9; pronotum height 4.3; pronotum width anterior 3.8; pronotum width posterior 5.5; hind femur length 8.4; hind femur height 3.2. Paratypes: body length: male 19.4–22.7, female 32.8–39; pronotum length: male 3.9–4.3, female 5.5–7; pronotum height: male 4.3–4.5, female 6.4–8.3; pronotum width anterior: male 3.8–4.3, female 5.5–6.8; pronotum width posterior: male 5.5–6, female 8–9.4; hind femur length: male 8.4–10, female 10.8–12.9; hind femur height: male 3.2–3.6, female 3.8–4.8.
Etymology. This new species is named after the latin “ monticolus ” (inhabitant of mountains) as it is found in high mountains.
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 168-171, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4206.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/208260