Isophya rhodopensis rhodopensis Ramme, 1951

Dragan P. Chobanov, Beata Grzywacz, Ionuţ Ş. Iorgu, Battal Cιplak, Maya B. Ilieva & Elżbieta Warchałowska-Śliwa, 2013, Review of the Balkan Isophya (Orthoptera: Phaneropteridae) with particular emphasis on the Isophya modesta group and remarks on the systematics of the genus based on morphological and acoustic data, Zootaxa 3658 (1), pp. 1-81 : 36-38

Isophya rhodopensis rhodopensis Ramme, 1951 —typical and Northwestern form

( Figs 46, 70 , 95 , 120 , 164 –166, 170–172 , 193 )

Isophya rhodopensis Ramme : Ramme 1951 (sp.n.).

Morphological description: Ramme 1951; Bey-Bienko 1954; Harz 1969. Karyotype: Warchałowska-Śliwa et al. 2008 (as I. rhodopensis and I. petkovi —partim: cf. localities).

Supplement to the description and diagnosis: The body size varies. It is usually slightly smaller than in I. rh. leonorae , male tegmina are narrower and the stridulatory file is usually shorter— 2.9–3.7 mm with 134–155 teeth ( Figs 164–166 A), but in the lowland population from the region of Assenovgrad, intermediate to I. rh. petkovi , the file is up to 4.1 mm with 180 teeth. Main colouration of the disc of tegmina is green, rarely (in lowland populations) mixed with yellow. The lateral stripes of metazone are narrower than in leonorae and darker—reddish to blackish-brown. Female stridulatory apparatus is shown in Figs 164–166 C. Male cercal tooth ( Figs 164–166 B) is long and wide, usually more or less pointed but sometimes as in leonorae . According to its shape we could discern two forms— typical form with a wide cercus tooth similar to that of leonorae and Northwestern form with pointed tooth and song temporarily similar to that of I. rh. petkovi . The song ( Figs 170–172 ) consists of groups of 3–5 or more syllables. The syllables last 100–200 ms with 40–70 impulses and an impulse period of 2–7 ms. In all cases the syllable (main part) was followed by 1–5 after-clicks, thus the whole length (syllable+after-clicks) becomes 275–386 ms (27°С) to 800 ms (23°С).

Bioacoustics: Typical form. The structure of syllables vary to some extent between different populations. Specimens from Smolyan (close to the type locality of I. rhodopensis in the Central Rhodope Mts) and the neighbouring Turun Village showed the following characteristics at 27°С. Smolyan ( Fig. 171 ): syllables—main part 142–160 ms (mean 152±6; n=10) with 43–55 impulses (mean 49±4; n=10) and impulse period of 2–6 ms (mean 3.2); Turun ( Fig. 172 ): syllables—main part 105–116 ms (mean 110±3; n=10) wtih 50–55 impulses (mean 52±2; n=10) and impulse period of 2–5 ms (mean 2.1).

The animals from the northern slopes of Western Rhodope are morphologically and bioacoustically transitional to I. rh. petkovi in larger body, higher number of stridulatory teeth and development of black lateral stripes in metazone (compare below). The song of specimens from Assenovgrad and Bachkovo Village area at 23°С had longer interval between the main syllable part and the after-clicks, which is at least partly due to lower body temperature (but the main syllable part was even shorter). It had the following characteristics: syllables—main part 133–153 ms (mean 143±6; n=10) with 60–67 impulses (mean 63±2; n=10) and impulse period of 2–4 ms (mean 2.3) and a total duration with the after-clicks 714–762 ms (mean 739±16; n=8). Interestingly, here after-clicks were observed in all cases.

Northwestern form. Specimens from the region of Batak Lake (NW Rhodope), Krichim, Pazardzhik (W Thrace Lowland) and Sushtinska Sredna Gora Mountain showed stable difference in the shape of the cercal tooth ( Fig. 165 B) being narrower and pointed, similar to that of I. andreevae . The song ( Fig. 170 ) does not differ significantly from that of the typical form but the syllables are longer with more impulses: syllables—main part 164–194 ms (mean 185±8; n=10) with 63–68 impulses (mean 66±2; n=10) and impulse period of 2–4 ms (to 7 ms at the end of the main part) (mean 2.8) (T=28°С).

The populations from different regions show significant variation in the distribution of heterochromatine (Warchałowska-Śliwa et al. 2008) and are genetically variable (Grzywacz and Warchałowska-Śliwa 2008; Grzywacz-Gibała et al. 2010).

Distribution ( Fig. 193 ) and phenology: Specimens were found in the eastern and northwestern part of the Western Rhodope Mountains, the neighbouring parts of the Upper Thrace Lowland and Sushtinska Sredna Gora Mountain in Bulgaria. The subspecies possibly occurs also in the mountains above Xanthi (Rodopi district) in Greece. This taxon inhabits various terrains and habitats—from lowland scrub along rivers to subalpine meadows between 200 and 2190 m alt. Nymphs—(III–)IV–VI(–VII), imago—VI–VII(–IX).

Figures

FIGURE 193. Distribution of I. rhodopensis leonorae, I. rh. leonorae / rhodopensis – intermediate forms, I. rh. rhodopensis – typical and northwestern form, and I. rh petkovi on the Balkan Peninsula.

FIGURES 56 – 79. Morphology of female head, pronotum and tegmina of the Balkan Isophya and I. yaraligozi (localities as in Figs 31 – 55 unless specifically given): 56 — I. hospodar; 57 — I. rectipennis; 58 — I. pavelii (paratype of I. rammei Peshev); 59 — I. thracica; 60 — I. bureschi; 61 — I. yaraligozi; 62 — I. tosevski; 63 — I. andreevae (paratype); 64 — I. clara; 65 — I. miksici (paratype); 66 — I. plevnensis (paratype); 67 — I. longicaudata adamovici (paratype, BG: Sliven, 1000 m, NMNHS); 68 — I. l. longicaudata; 69 — I. rhodopensis leonorae (BG: “ Alibotush, 1500 m ”, 13.07. 1959, NMNHS); 70 — I. rh. rhodopensis (as in Fig. 46 but 17.07.1956); 71 — I. rh. petkovi; 72 — I. modestior; 73 — I. dobrogensis; 74 — I. zubowskii; 75 — I. aff. camptoxypha (MK: Bistra Mt., 2.08. 2004, CC); 76 — I. gulae (paratype, BG: Dolna Topchiya, 10.07. 1974, NMNHS); 77 — I. obtusa (BG: Vezhen Peak, 15.07. 1969, NMNHS); 78 — I. amplipennis (TR: “ Turkey | 1960 | Sureya Bey ”, NHM); 79 — I. speciosa (BG: Sakar Mt., 14.06. 1952, NMNHS). Scale (if present; black line right of the specimen) = 10 mm.

FIGURES 80 – 104. Male abdominal terminalia of the Balkan Isophya and I. yaraligozi (localities as in Figs 31 – 55): 80 — I. hospodar; 81 — I. rectipennis; 82 — I. pavelii; 83 — I. thracica; 84 — I. bureschi; 85 — I. yaraligozi; 86 — I. tosevski; 87 — I. andreevae; 88 — I. clara; 89 — I. miksici; 90 — I. plevnensis; 91 — I. longicaudata adamovici; 92 — I. l. longicaudata; 93 — I. m. modesta (= intermedia); 94 — I. rhodopensis leonorae; 95 — I. rh. rhodopensis; 96 — I. rh. petkovi; 97 — I. modestior; 98 — I. dobrogensis; 99 — I. zubowskii; 100 — I. aff. camptoxypha; 101 — I. gulae; 102 — I. obtusa; 103 — I. amplipennis; 104 — I. speciosa. Scale (if present) = 2 mm.

FIGURES 105 – 129. Female abdominal terminalia of the Balkan Isophya and I. yaraligozi (localities as in Figs 31 – 55 unless specifically given); figures of the whole ovipositor are followed by enlarged figure of the ovipositor base: 105 — I. hospodar (BG: Dolni Glavanak, 25.04. 2005, CC); 106 — I. rectipennis (BG: Byala Vill., 27.06. 2002, CC); 107 — I. pavelii (BG: Chernogorovo, 29.05. 2006, CC); 108 — I. thracica; 109 — I. bureschi (BG: Bansko, 8.08. 2006, CC); 110 — I. yaraligozi; 111 — I. tosevski; 112 — I. andreevae (BG: Kresnensko Hanche, 19.04. 2006, CC); 113 — I. clara; 114 — I. miksici (BG: Gorski Dom Lodge, 24.06. 2006, CC); 115 — I. plevnensis (BG: Levishte, 14.07. 2009, CC); 116 — I. longicaudata adamovici (BG: Karandila, 24.06. 2008, CC); 117 — I. l. longicaudata (BG: Sofia University Botanical garden, 26.06. – 1.07.2004, CC); 118 — I. m. modesta (= intermedia); 119 — I. rhodopensis leonorae (BG: Livade, 9.08. 2006, CC); 120 — I. rh. rhodopensis (BG: Bachkovo, 600 m, 23.05. 2004, CC); 121 — I. rh. petkovi (BG: Gluhite Kamani, 23.06. 2008, CC); 122 — I. modestior (BG: Bankya, 24.05. 2006, CC); 123 — I. dobrogensis; 124 — I. zubowskii; 125 — I. aff. camptoxypha (data as in Fig. 75); 126 — I. gulae; 127 — I. obtusa (BG: Ravnets Ridge, 14.07. 2009, CC); 128 — I. amplipennis (as in Fig. 78); 129 — I. speciosa (BG: Bankya, 24.05. 2006, CC). Indications on Fig. 127 show, respectively: G—gonangulum; L—lamella; P—lateral pit between lamella and gonangulum. Scale (if present) = 5 mm.

FIGURES 162 – 167. SEM of taxonomically important structures of Isophya: 162, 163 — I. rhodopensis leonorae (162 — BG: N Pirin Mts; 163 — BG: Alibotoush Mt.); 164 – 166 — I. rhodopensis rhodopensis (164 — typical form, BG: above Smolyan; 165 — northwestern form, BG: Batak Lake; 166 — typical form or transitional to I. rh. petkovi, BG: near Assenovgrad); 167 — I. rhodopensis petkovi (BG: Glouhite Kamani Locality). A—male stridulatory file (162, 166 — scale 200 μm; the rest—scale 1 mm); B—ventral / ventro-apical view of apex of male cerci (scale 100 μm); C—female stridulatory apparatus (162 — scale 100 μm; 166 — scale 200 μm; the rest—scale 500 μm).

FIGURES 168 – 173. Male calling song at two different speeds (air temperature at recording shown; time scale below): 168 — I. rhodopensis leonorae (BG: Alibotoush Mt.; 168 B and C—song of two males from the same population); 169 — I. rhodopensis rhodopensis / leonorae (transitional / hybrid form, BG: Rhodope Mts, Shiroka Polyana Lake); 170 – 172 — I. rhodopensis rhodopensis (170 — northwestern form, BG: Batak Lake; 171 — typical form, BG: above Smolyan; 172 — typical form, BG: Turun Village) 173 — I. rhodopensis petkovi (BG: Glouhite Kamani Locality).