Saga hakkarica, Şirin & Taylan & Sevgili & Mol, 2019

Şirin, Deniz, Taylan, Mehmet Sait, Sevgili, Hasan & Mol, Abbas, 2019, Bioacoustics review of Anatolian species of the predatory bush-cricket genus Saga (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Saginae) with the description of a new species, Zootaxa 4664 (1), pp. 83-102 : 91-93

Saga hakkarica sp.nov. Şirin & Taylan

Holotype male, Turkey, Hakkari, Bayköy, N: 37°32.89’, E: 43°42.70’, 2035 m. 13.VII.2018, leg.: M.S. Taylan (Ho- lotype deposited in Tekirdağ Namik Kemal University, Biology Department, Museum of Entomology—NKUEM; Collection of D. Şirin).

Other material studied: Paratypes 2 males, 3 females, Turkey, Hakkari, Bayköy, N: 37°32.89’, E: 43°42.70’, 2035 m. 13.VII.2018, leg.: M.S. Taylan (Paratypes deposited in Tekirdağ Namik Kemal University, Biology Depart- ment, Museum of Entomology—NKUEM; Collection of D. Şirin).

Descriptive diagnosis. Saga hakkarica sp.n. is a member of the Saga genus by the character combination defined to characterize the genus. Among the specimens of this species, it shares similarities with S. ephippigera Fischer von Waldheim, 1846 , by its general morphological characters. The new species illustrates similarity to S. ephippigera with robust species formation, thickened dorsal border of tegmina, and the shape of cerci in male ( Figures 8A, B, 9A, B , 10A, 11A ). Also, these characters can separate together Saga hakkarica sp.n. and S. ephip- pigera from all other Saga species. Saga hakkarica sp.n. differs prominently from S. ephippigera by its distinctive morphology. The male subgenital plate has a wide rounded posterior incision in Saga hakkarica sp.n. ( Figure 10B ) and has a sharp angular posterior incision in S. ephippigera ( Figure 11B ). Also this character is the similar and smaller version in females of both species ( Figures 10D, 11D ). The female cercus is subconical in dorsal view and is without apexial incision in Saga hakkarica sp.n. ( Figure 10C ); however, it is cylindrical from base to apex and there is an incision just before the end of it in S. ephippigera ( Figure 11C ). The posterior border of pronotum in both gender of Saga hakkarica sp.n., is strongly curved (3.2–3.6 mm for male and 2.0– 2.3 mm for female) ( Figure 12B, D ) and is also curved in S. ephippigera (2.0– 2.5 mm for male and 1.0–1.4 for female) ( Figure 13B, D ). Besides, the length/maximum width of hind femur rate is more than 8.8 in the male and 9.5 in the female (the same rate is less than 7.5 in the male and 8.5 in the female of S. ephippigera ). The length/maximum width of cercus rate is less than 2.7 in the male and 2.8 in the female (the same rate is more than 2.7 in the male and 3.0 in the female of S. ephip- pigera). The new species also differs significantly from S. ephippigera by the number of stridulatory pegs in male (42–45 in Saga hakkarica sp.n. and 50–55 in S. ephippigera ).

Description. Head beyond medium size for genus. Frons densely granular, and mostly black or dark brown in male and yellow and greenish yellow in female ( Figure 12A, C ).

Pronotum. Always with rough surface and no lateral keels. Anterior margin of pronotum weakly curved, posterior margin curved strongly upwards (3.2–3.6 mm for male and 2.0– 2.3 mm for female) ( Figure 12B, D ). Anterior and posterior margins weakly black in both genders ( Fig. 12B, D ). Maximum measurements of pronotum length and width 13.5–16 mm in the male and 13–14.5 in the female.

Thorax. Tegmina bearing the stridulatory veins, the relatively small apical lobes of the tegmina scarcely reach the middle of the metazona in the male ( Figure 8A, B ); male left tegmina bears around 42–45 stridulatory pegs. The tegmina are very small in female. Prosternum armed with a pair of slender spines, and the mesosternum and metasternum are provided with stouter spines.

Femur. The length/maximum width of the hind femur is of 8.8–10.0 in the male, and 9.5–10.0 in the female. The number of ventral spines (average number of two rows of spines on the femur) on first and second femur is of 10–11 in the male, and 9–10 in the female. The number of ventral spines (average number of two rows of spines on the femur) on hind femur is of 15–16 in the male, and 14–18 in the female. The number of ventral spines (average number of two rows of spines on the tibia) on first and second tibia is of 9–11 in the male, 10–11 in the female. The number of ventral spines (average number of two rows of spines on the tibia) on hind tibia is of 11–13 in the male, and 12–13 in the female, and the number of dorsal spines (average number of two rows of spines on the tibia) on hind tibia is of 16–19 in the male, and 15–18 in the female.

Abdomen. Subgenital plate with a broad, rounded posterior incision in male ( Figure 10B ) and it is similar and smaller in the female ( Figure 10D ). Cercus subcylindrical, and narrowed just before the apical tooth ( Figure 10A ) in male; female cercus subconical in dorsal view ( Figure 10C ) and without apical incision; measurements is 2.5–2.7 times longer than broad in male and 2.6–2.8 times in female. Ovipositor very elongate and provided with some dorsal, lateral and ventral rows of denticles ( Figure 8C ); it is slightly longer than the hind femur and is 2.3–2.6 times longer than the pronotum.

Coloration. Males mostly light reddish, brown and dark yellowish dorsally and yellowish ventrally; females almost always uniformly yellowish. Frons and head generally yellowish and with black parts in males and yellowish in females. The disk of pronotum light reddish in the males and yellowish in females. Tegmina from base to apex dark in basal half, remainder yellowish ( Figure 8A, B ). Femora yellowish dorsally in both genders. Fore and middle femora of rhombus-shape, black colour in ventral of hind femur in the male and slightly in female. Genicular lobes dark brown or blackish in males and brownish yellow in females.

Song recording: Male specimens are collected from Turkey, Hakkari, Bayköy, N: 37°32.89’, E: 43°42.70’, 2035 m. 13.VII.2018, leg.: M.S. Taylan, and the calling songs are recorded from two males at 29 ˚C under labora- tory conditions (by M.S. Taylan).

Description of song: Eleven records from two males were examined. The calling song consists of phrases ( Figure 14B ) with irregular intervals. Phrase durations vary between 0.28 and 0.42 s (0.34 ± 0.04) and each phrase contains 13–17 syllables (14.83 ± 1.10). The phrase generally begins with an isolated low amplitude first syllable, which is shorter than ordinary syllables and lasts for 16.82–21.62 ms (18.99 ± 1.34). The isolated first syllable is followed by contiguous/ordinary syllable series. The first syllable of the syllable series has low amplitude and is of shorter durations than the remaining syllables within the syllable series ( Figure 14C ). The oscillographic analyses show that the ordinary syllable periods duration varies between 10.00 and 71.62 ms (22.16 ± 11.14), and opening hemisyllable and closing hemisyllable of ordinary syllables within the phrase cannot be distinguished ( Figure 14D ). The phrase ends with last loud syllable, which has a longer duration than the previous syllables in phrase, and its duration vary between 53.74 and 71.62 ms (63.47 ± 4.76).

Distribution. This species is presently known only from its type locality ( Figure 14A ).

Etymology. The name is derived from the locality of the highlands of Hakkari City, Turkey.

Figures

FIGURE 14. Distribution map (A) and male calling song of Saga hakkarica sp.n. (B—phrase series, C—two complete phrases and D—a group of syllables).

FIGURES 8–9. Tegmina dorsal view (A), Tegmina lateral view (B) and Ovipositor (C). 8—Saga hakkarica sp.n. Hakkari, Bayköy population and 9—Saga ephippigera Erzincan, Ocak population (Scale A and B = 2 mm, Scale C = 5 mm).

FIGURES 10–11. Male cercus-Anal tergum (A), Male subgenital plate (B), Female cercus-Anal tergum (C) and Female subgenital plate (D). 10—Saga hakkarica sp.n. Hakkari Bayköy population and 11—Saga ephippigera Erzincan, Ocak population (Scale A, B, C and D = 2 mm).

FIGURES 12–13. Male head frontal view (A), Male pronotum frontal and dorsal view (B), Female head frontal view (C) and Female pronotum frontal and dorsal view (D). 12—Saga hakkarica sp.n. Hakkari Bayköy population and 13—Saga ephippig- era Erzincan, Ocak population (Scale A, B, C and D = 5 mm).