Tettigoniinae

Massa, Bruno, 2020, Annotated checklist of Orthoptera of the Maltese Islands, Zootaxa 4885 (1), pp. 107-124 : 109-110

Subfamily: Tettigoniinae

Tettigonia viridissima (Linnaeus,1758)

Fairly widespread but not common. Generally inhabits areas of dense shrubbery and field margins where tall vegetation occurs.

Distribution. Widespread and common across the Palaearctic region, as also in parts of the Middle Eastern and Oriental regions.

Platycleis affinis Fieber, 1853

Known from a handful of localities. Further field investigations are needed to shed light on its status. Moreover, fresh material needs to be examined to determine the subspecies that is present on Malta.

Distribution. Fairly widespread within the Palaearctic region.

[ Platycleis albopunctata (Goeze, 1778) ]

Two records were reported ( Cassar 1990a), comprising two males that were initially identified as P. grisea maura (see below). The specimens in question, which are deposited in the private collection of one of the authors [LFC], have since been re-examined by all three authors and, on the basis of morphometric and anatomical evidence, these have been assigned to Platycleis sabulosa Azam, 1901 .

[ Platycleis grisea (Fabricius, 1781) ]

Listed as a new record by Schembri and Ebejer (1983), based on two female specimens taken in 1973 and 1976 from Balzan and Ghadira respectively. Moreover, Cassar (1990a) reported that the two male specimens, listed as P. albopunctata ssp. maura Zeuner, 1941 were initially identified as P. grisea maura . However, the BMNH specialist who determined the latter specimens at the time recommended that the keys proposed by Harz (1969) be followed, on which basis he assigned them to P. albopunctata (see above). As in the case of the specimens initially assigned to the previously listed species, the Ghadira specimen (deposited in the Cassar collection) was also re-examined morphometrically and anatomically (terminalia) by the authors and it transpired that the specimen, formerly recorded as P. grisea , is Platycleis sabulosa . The Balzan specimen, taken in 1973, could not be traced for re-examination. Until new evidence proves otherwise, it is notionally assumed that the records initially pertaining to P. grisea were all a case of misidentification.

Platycleis intermedia intermedia (Serville, 1838)

A fairly widespread species, known from both coastal and inland localities, where it occurs within xeric and mesic biotopes colonized by grasses and dense shrubbery.

Distribution. Widespread and quite common throughout much of the Palaearctic region.

Platycleis sabulosa Azam, 1901

Material examined. MALTA: Buskett, 01.viii.1972, 1♀, 04.viii.1972, 1♀, 09.viii.1972, 1♀ (leg. G. Bonett; det. present authors; in LFC coll.); Ghadira saltmarsh, 10.vi.1976, 1♀ (leg. S. P. Schembri; det. present authors; in LFC coll.) [initially determined as P. grisea ( Schembri & Ebejer 1983) ]; 03.viii.1976, 1♂ (leg./det. L. F. Cassar; in LFC coll.) [initially determined as P. albopunctata ( Cassar 1990a) ]; Wardija, 29.v.1977, 1♂ (leg. C. J. Aquilina; det. present authors; in LFC coll.); White Tower Bay, 10.x.1977, 2♂♂ (leg. L. F. Cassar; 1♂ det. L. F. Cassar/1♂ det. present authors; in LFC coll.).

Occurs mainly in coastal locations. While this species tends to prefer arenaceous environments along the littoral, it has also been recorded from sclerophyllous habitats further inland.

Distribution. Parts of the Mediterranean, extending to the Canary Islands.

Tessellana tessellata tessellata (Charpentier, 1825)

A fairly common species, typical of low grass steppe such as Mediterranean xeric and subnitrophilous grassland communities dominated by Stipa capensis Thunb.

Distribution. Pan-Mediterranean species, extending to the Canary Islands.

Rhacocleis annulata Fieber, 1853

Relatively common within vegetation comprising tall grasses, particularly andropogonid grass steppe.

Distribution. Common in Sicily, with scattered records in southern Italy; the species is also present in France, where it was probably introduced.