Anacridium aegyptium (Linnaeus, 1764)

Usmani, Mohammad Kamil, 2008, Studies on Acridoidea (Orthoptera) with some new records from Fezzan, Libya, Zootaxa 1946, pp. 1-41 : 18

13. Anacridium aegyptium (Linnaeus, 1764)

(Egyptian Tree Locust)

Diagnosis: It can be identified by its large size, brownish- grey colour; large blunt prosternal process; hind wing with a broad and diffuse brown fascia; hind tibia bluish-grey with pale spines; apically dark; male supraanal plate trilobate; male subgenital plate trilobate, with rounded lobes.

Habitats: This species occcurs in mixed habitat of grass, low vegetation, plants and trees and feed upon grapes and other crops. The natural habitat seems to be open bushy or woodland vegetation, usually moves into cultivated fields and Orchards. When disturbed, fly very high, 5–10 meters in the air and land on other trees. This species is recorded as entirely arborivorous but smaller plants are also attacked including a few graminae. Grapes and other crops were also attacked in Libya ( Popov, 1975). Adults and hoppers of various stages were collected from grape plants and cultivated crops.

Material examined: Al Shati region: Brack , 1 ♂, 2 ♀, on grass, 7.xii.1992 ; 3 ♂, 6 ♀, on grape, great millet & millet, 4.vi.1993; Mahruqah , 1 ♀, on alfalfa, 2.xii.1992 ; Tamzawah , 3 ♂,on grape, 4.xi.1992 . Ghat region: Al Awaynat , 2 ♂, 3 ♀, on grass & millet, 20.vii.1995 ; Ghat, 3 ♂, 5 ♀, 18.vii.1995 . Murzuk region: Al Qatrun , 1 ♂, 3 ♀, on great-millet, 15.v.1993 ; Ed Disah , 1 ♀, on alfalfa, 27.iv.1993 . Sebha region: Al Zighan , 1 ♂, 2 ♀, on grass & grape, 18.v.1994 ; Ghodwa , 1 ♂, 2 ♀, on alfalfa, 18.vii.1994 ; Samnu , 1 ♂, 1 ♀, on alfalfa, 18.vii.1995 ; Sebha, 1 ♀, on grass, 8.vi.1995 . Wadi Haya region: Al Abyad , 3 ♂, 2 ♀, on great millet & millet, 2.xi.1992 .

Localities: Cyrenaica: Augila, Barca, Bengasi, Cirene, derna, Fueihat, Ghemines, Gialo, Merg, Oasi di Giarabub ,, Porto Bardia, Tolmetta; Tripolitania: Ain Zara, Contrada Fornaci, Meschia, Mimuna, Misurata, Mizda, Scegga, Tripoli; Fezzan: Al Abyad, Al Awaynat, Al Qatrun, Al Zighan, Brak, Ed Disah, Ghat, Ghodwa, Mahruqah, Samnu, sebha, serdeles, Tamzawah .

Distribution: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, N. Sudan, Togo, Ethiopia, Somaliland, Portugal, Spain, Cape verde, Madeira, France, Corsica, Switzerland, italy, Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, Bulgaria, Crete, Cyprus, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Persian Gulf, Iran, Afghanistan, Baluchistan, European Russia, Transcaucasis, Central Asia, S.W. Asia, Middle Asia, S. Europe, South European part of the USSR, Caucasus, Southern Kazakhstan, India.

Remarks: This species is commonly called Egyptian Tree Locust. It is widely distributed in different parts of Libya. This species was recorded from Tripolitania and Cyrenaica by Werner (1908), Ghigi, (1913), Giglio-Tos (1923), Zanon (1924), Capra (1929), Salfi (1930a,b), Jannone (1938) and Dirsh & Uvarov (1953). Salfi (1935a) and Ajaili et al. (1989) recorded this species from Fezzan.