Poecilimon varicornis (De Haan, 1842)

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:73232

Locusta (Ephippigera) varicornis: Haan 1843: 185

Poecilimon varicornis: Ramme 1933: 519; Fontana & Buzzetti 2004: 449; Ullrich et al. 2009: Table S1 (now P. salmani from Muğla province, Turkey, coll. H. Sevgili).

Type Locality: Lebanon-Syria

Holotype: Female

Previous examined materials: Lebanon, Beharr, Zedernpass, 0 8.1932, 2100–2200 m, 4♂♂, 3♀♀ (leg. R. Ebner, det. Ramme, Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) . Syria, 1♂ (incomplete, Leiden Museum) (Fontana and Buzzetti, 2004).

Examined materials: Lebanon, Beharr, 0 8.1932, 1♂, 2♀♀ (R. Ebner); Libanon, am Fusse des Zedernpasses bei Beharr, 2100–2200 m, 0 8.08.1928, 1♀ (R. Ebner) (Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin (MfN) (The specimens from Lebanon deposited in MfN were examined during the visit of HS to Berlin in 2006, HS). In Berlin there is a couple from Syria, including the holotype (according to Ramme; or a paratype (OSF); photos in OSF), collected by Ehrenberg (Ramme 1933).

Male: Fastigium slightly wider than half width of scapus, narrowing apically, sometimes with parallel sides, slightly depressed and faintly sulcate dorsally (Fig. 22J). Pronotum slightly selliform, with slightly constricted prozona, slighlly divergent posteriorwards on the metazona. Hind margin of metazona slightly concave (Figs. 22J). Pronotum slightly concave dorsally (especially on the metazona) in profile (Fig. 25 A–C). In profile, paranota with frontal margin perpendicular, caudal margin long and obtusely oblique (Fig. 25C). Tegmina shorter than pronotum with whitish edges and not reaching posterior margin of first tergite (Figs. 25K, 25D). Cerci gradually narrowing distalwards, distal 1/3–1/4 obtusely incurved; preapical rows 4–6 includes denticles (Fig. 25F–G). Subgenital plate small, slightly tapering backwards, with shallow incision on caudal margin (Fig. 25G).

Stridulatory file: Unknown.

Bioacoustic: Unknown.

Female: Fastigium as in male (Fig. 22K). Pronotum selliform, constricted at mesozona with slightly concave caudal margin (Figs. 22K, 25E). In profile, pronotum slightly concave (Fig. 25B). Tegmina visible, but shorter than half of pronota, apex rounded (Fig. 25E). Ovipositor, gonangulum and lamella as in Fig. 25H.

Remarks: P. varicornis was described as L. (Ephippigera) varicornis from Lebanon. Fontana and Buzzetti (2004), who reported some information on the taxonomic story, examined the examples which were collected by R. Ebner from Lebanon (diagnosed by W. Ramme). They have reported that the distribution of the P. varicornis is limited to Lebanon. A database (http://www.biologie.uni-ulm.de/systax/) and OSF contain some pictures of the museum samples, diagnosed as P. varicornis by W. Ramme which were collected from Fethiye, Göçek (Muğla, TR) deposited in Hamburg Museum (ZMUH). However, W. Ramme did not publish any information about these specimens. According to the data obtained from the fresh materials, collected in this area, it became clear that the population distributed around Muğla was not P. varicornis . Along with the previous specimens from this area, the population is given as a new species in this study ( P. salmani)

This species has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List (2017–3). There is also not enough data about P. varicornis, and it was not possible to consider it on the basis of the extent of occurrence criteries of IUCN (DD = data deficient).