Uromenus choumarae Nadig, 1976

Heller, Klaus-Gerhard, Puskás, Gellért, Szövényi, Gergely & Chobanov, Dragan P., 2021, Songs in the genus Uromenus (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Ephippigerini): A review with new information about some species, Zootaxa 4991 (1), pp. 93-115 : 105-107

Uromenus choumarae Nadig, 1976

MOROCCO, south of Tizi’n Test pass, 30.85885 N, 008.37760 W, 1940 m a.s.l., 10 vi 2013, leg. D. Chobanov. The male stridulatory file carries about 92 teeth ( Fig. 7 ; Tab. 2 ). In the middle of the file the inter-tooth intervals are about 77 µm .

Morphology. The species was described under (sub-)genus Steropleurus and classified together with S. (now Uromenus ) cockerelli Uvarov, 1931 in the Cockerelli Species group ( Nadig 1995). U. choumarae is typical with very long incurved male cerci with longer, basally very wide basal part (before the tooth) and much shorter and narrower apical part bearing a small sharp tooth at the tip ( Fig. 10G 1–2 ). Male 10th tergum, epiproct and titillators are shown on Fig. 10G 1–2 and Fig. 11H .

Ecology. The species was collected close to its type locality (Tizi’n Test pass) where it was common. The nymphs and young adults kept on bushes of Argyrocytisus battandieri and on Echinops sp. at the steep southern slopes of the southwestern High Atlas Mountains ( Fig. 1T ). The high altitude of its locality with south exposition defines cooler Köppen climate type CSb (Warm-summer mediterranean) towards DSb (Warm-summer mediterranean continental)( Verner et al. 2018). The species is possibly overlooked and may have broad range in the southwestern High Atlas.

Figures

FIGURE 1. General appearance and habitats of Uromenus species. A—U. elegans (Italy, Lazio), B–D—U. elegans (Crete; photos B and C taken by Ionuţ Iorgu), E, F—U. dyrrhachiacus, G—U. agarenus, H–J—U. finoti, K, L—U. robustus, M, N—U. tobboganensis, O—U. maroccanus, P, Q—U. melillae, R—U. innocentii, S, T—U. choumarae.

FIGURE 2. Oscillograms of male calling songs of the Uromenus species studied here, 10 second sections.

FIGURE 7. Male stridulatory files in Uromenus. A—U. elegans (Crete), B—U. dyrrhachiacus, C—U. finoti, D—U. galvagnii, E—U. robustus, F—U. tobboganensis, G—U. melillae, H—U. innocentii, I—U. choumarae.

FIGURE 10. Cerci of the Moroccan species of Uromenus studied here and of U. dyrrhachiacus. A—U. finoti, B—U. galvagnii, C—U. robustus, D—U. tobboganensis, E—U. melillae, F—U. innocentii, G—U. choumarae, H—U. dyrrhachiacus

FIGURE 11. Titillators of U. dyrrhachiacus and of the Moroccan species of Uromenus studied here. A—U. dyrrhachiacus, B—U. finoti, C—U. galvagnii, D—U. robustus, E—U. tobboganensis, F—U. melillae, G—U. innocentii, H—U. choumarae. Scale 2 mm except for U. dyrrhachiacus - 0.9 mm.