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

description: Nocaracris tardus Ünal, Bugrov & Jetybayev, sp. nov.
(Figs. 67, 561–562, 564, 643–646, 844)
Type locality. Turkey: Isparta, Barla Dağı. Holotype: male (AİBÜEM).
Material examined. TURKEY: Isparta, Barla Dağı, Kızılgedik Yaylası, 2200–2400 m, 18.7.2011, 3♂; ibidem, 10.7.2015, 5♂ (including Holotype), 4♀, plus 1♂, 1♀ in alcohol; Afyonkarahisar, Sandıklı, Şuhut yolu, Çakmaktepe Geçidi üstü, 1980 m, 8.7.2015, 1♂, 5♀; Afyonkarahisar, Çay, Gelincikana Tepesi, 2085 m, 13.7.2015, 8♂, 4♀, plus 2♂ in alcohol; Afyonkarahisar, Karakuş Dağı, Tatarlı Köyü, Oylu Yaylası, 1880-1890 m, 9.7.2015, 4♀, plus 1♀ in alcohol; Afyonkarahisar, Kumalar Dağı, Radar, 2188-2200 m, 7.7.2015, 4♂, 5♀, plus 1♂, 2♀ in alcohol (all leg. M. Ünal) (AİBÜEM); Kütahya, Murat Dağı, 2300 m, 19.7.2003, 2♂, 7♀ (leg. M. Ünal); Murat Dağı, 2100–2300 m, 22.7.2004, 2♂; Murat Dağı, 2100 m, 19.6.2013, 2♂, 8♀, plus 2♀ in alcohol; Kütahya, Nalbant Tepesi, 1680–1690 m, 6.6.2006, 2♀ (leg. M. Ünal) (AİBÜEM); Konya, Akşehir, Sultan Dağı, 2050 m, 17.6.2014, 3♂, 6♀, plus 1♂, 2♀ in alcohol (leg. M. Ünal, A. G. Bugrov & I. E. Jetybayev); Isparta, Yalvaç, Sultan Dağı, 2100-2300 m, 11.7.2015, 1♂, 5♀ (leg. M. Ünal) (AİBÜEM); Turkey, in mts. S. of Akşehir, 38.20 N, 31.35 E, c. 5000 ft, 11.5.1979, 2♂, 1♀ (leg. A. Lumsey) (NHMUK).
Description. Male (Holotype): Body (Figs. 643, 644) relatively depressed dorso-ventrally. Fastigium of vertex slightly depressed and sloping. Vertex between the eyes narrow, 1.2 times narrower than vertical diameter and only 1.1 times wider than transversal diameter of eye; vertex convex in lateral view, with distinct carinulae, supraocular foveola distinct, open type. Frontal ridge very slightly narrowed and not incised just below the median ocellus. Antennae with 12 segments. Pronotum (Figs. 643, 644) slightly compressed laterally, with relatively weak lateral carinae; median carina slightly raised with a distinct longitudinal sulcus along its length, slightly narrowing backwards, in some males sulcus weaker and more narrowing backwards; convex in lateral view, in some males straight; anterior margin convex, posterior margin almost straight in dorsal view. Prosternum strongly raised, collar-shape, anterior margin irregularly sinuous, not pointed. Mesosternal interspace almost 2 times wider than its length, but clearly narrower than mesosternal lobes. Hind femur (Figs. 643) 2.3 times longer than its height, proximal part distinctly widened, sharply narrowed in preapical part, but without preapical notch, dorsal margin with fine denticles. Hind tibia with 8–9 inner, 9–10 outer spines. Abdominal tergites (Figs. 643, 644) simple; median carina not raised without posterior projection. Tympanum absent, but in some males with strongly reduced tympanum, much smaller than the neighbour stigmal area (like P. burri and P. sureyana). Arch of zygoma narrow and elongated; posterior lobes of zygoma narrow, but variable in the other males even in the same habitat; tumida of zygoma narrow and sharp; basal valves of penis strongly widened; apodemes with a distinct apical notch, but this character is also variable (Figs. 67 a, b); pseudolophi (Fig. 67 c) separated, with 11–13 small spines.
Female: Body and pronotum (Figs. 645, 646) relatively compressed laterally, but less compressed in some females, lateral carinae weak, but more distinct in some females; median carina very slightly raised, with a distinct longitudinal sulcus along its length, narrowing backwards; anterior and posterior margins of pronotum convex in dorsal view, in some females posterior margin straight; pronotum straight or slightly convex in lateral view. Fastigium of vertex short and wide. Vertex between the eyes wide, 1.2 times wider than vertical diameter and 1.4 times wider than transversal diameter of eye. Antennae with 12–14 segments. Prosternum (Figs. 561, 562) distinctly raised, collar-shape, a wide tongue-shape or narrowly rounded in the middle. Mesosternal interspace almost 2.5 times wider than its length and slightly narrower than mesosternal lobes. Abdominal tergites (Figs. 645, 646) and tympanum as in male. Hind femur (Fig. 645) 2.7 times longer than its height. Hind tibia with 9 inner, 10 outer spines. Subgenital plate slightly longer than wide, in some females almost as long as wide.
Coloration. Body dark brown to creamish brown with some black spots and stains. Ventral half of head, outer surfaces of legs creamish-brown with irregular black spots. First 3–4 segments of antenna creamish, remaining part brown. Typical light bands on paranota distinct with a series of black spots. Typical light band on abdomen distinct in male, absent in female except several specimens. Anterior margins of abdominal sternites with large black spots on both sides in male, absent in female. Female body creamish brown in the type locality, but variable from greyish-brown to dark brown in the other localities. In male: inner and ventral surfaces of hind femur black except the inner dorsal margin which body color; inner surface and inner half of dorsal surface of hind tibia black with all the inner spines; outer half of dorsal surface yellowish-cream with its spines; tibial spines with black tips. Tarsus bright red. In female: inner surface of hind femur black, genicular lobes and dorsal margin of inner surface body color; outer half of ventral surface red; inner surface of hind tibia blue with yellow spines, their tips black, but in the other females inner surface of hind tibia variable blackish-blue, dark blue, light blue or slightly greenish-blue sometimes turning to red apically. Tarsus bright red.
Diagnosis. This species is most related to N. burri (Uvarov), N. sureyana Ramme and N. emirdagi sp. nov. by the large and stout body, the absence of tympanum (but visible a vestigial one in some specimens). It is distinguished from N. burri and N. sureyana by the coloration of hind tibia with black inner aspect in male, blue, dark blue inner aspect with yellow spines in female (bright red in both sexes of N. burri; yellow-orange in female of N. sureyana); the more compressed body (body distinctly depressed dorso-ventrally in N. burri and N. sureyana), the broad, strongly raised, collar-shaped prosternum (clearly less raised, sharply pointed in N. burri; less raised narrow triangular in N. sureyana), the less distinct lateral carinae of pronotum (raised and very distinct in N. burri and N. sureyana). The prosternum and the general body shape of the specimens from Murat Dağı are slightly more similar to N. sureyana, but the coloration of hind tibia is distinct. It is different from N. emirdagi by the presence of the typical light band on paranota and the coloration of hind tibia (typical light band absent; hind tibia orange-red in both sexes of N. emirdagi).
Measurements (mm). Holotype (male): body length 21.6; pronotum length 4.8; pronotum height 5.5; pronotum width anterior 4.9; pronotum width posterior 7.4; hind femur length 9.2; hind femur height 4. Paratypes: body length: male 20.8–26.8, female 38.7–47.1; pronotum length: male 4.5–5.6, female 7.2–9; pronotum height: male 4.7–5.9, female 8.4–10.5; pronotum width anterior: male 4.5–5.5, female 7.3–8.6; pronotum width posterior: male 6.3–8, female 10.3–12.8; hind femur length: male 9.1–10.9, female 12.3–15.8; hind femur height: male 3.6– 4.3, female 4.6–5.7.
Etymology. This species name is the Latin word “ tardus ” (slow, tardy, sluggish) indicating the moving habits of these insects.
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 150-152, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4206.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/208260