Heteracris annulosa Walker, 1870

Fig. 39

References for Socotra.

Grunshaw 1991: 39.

Diagnostic notes.

Heteracris annulosa has a broadly rounded male subgenital plate without an attenuated арех. The general colouration is variable and the tegmina have large brown spots merging into transverse bands. Hind wings are colourless. The internal surface of the hind femora is always with median and distal blасk spots. Spots on the external surface are variable, generally median and distal spots, sometimes absent. If present, spots on the median external area are always restricted to the upper half of this area, never extending to the median line, like in H. adspersa .

Distribution and occurrence.

It is widespread in North Africa, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Central Asia and Arabia (Grunshaw 1991). In the Socotra Archipelago, it has only been found once on Abd el Kuri by Kenneth Guichard (Fig. 39) (Guichard 1967; Grunshaw 1991). He collected six specimens on 7 May 1967, labelled with the locality J. Saleh. According to his travel notes, he went up Jebel Saleh on its north-western slope that date and collected some Scintharista notabilis (Walker, 1870) there (Guichard 1967). The material is probably in the NHMUK, but we did not find it.

Habitat and biology.

The habitat of H. annulosa on the slopes of Jebel Saleh, Abd el Kuri, is probably formed by dry, stony soils with scattered bushes and Euphorbia abdelkuri (Fig. 87).