Isophya rhodopensis subsp. rhodopensis

Isophya rhodopensis rhodopensis / leonorae —intermediate forms

(Fig. 169)

Karyotype: Warchałowska-Śliwa et al. 2008 (as I. rhodopensis).

Description: The populations from the southwestern part of the Western Rhodope Mountains (Trigrad Village in Bulgaria and neighbouring Zagradenia forest in Greece) show morphology of I. rhodopensis leonorae with some transitions to the nominate subspecies, mostly in the narrower male tegmen and less widened cercal tooth. Other populations from the central part of Western Rhodope, though morphologically belonging to the typical I. rhodopensis, showed a song (Fig. 169) of very short syllables without after-clicks, thus similar to these of I. rh. leonorae (compare with Fig. 168 C). In few individuals from Shiroka Polyana Lake and Stoykite Village the syllables (in groups of 4–5; Т=27°С) were strongly shortened (even shorter than in I. rh. leonorae), lasted 50–107 ms (mean 71±17, n=15), and consisted of 25–48 dense impulses (mean 36±8; n=15; their separation is frequently very difficult) with an impulse period of 2–4 (to 5) ms (mean 1.9).

Distribution (Fig. 193) and phenology: Distributed in the central and southwestern part of Western Rhodope (Rodopi) in Bulgaria and Greece (Willemse and Willemse 2008 as I. leonorae) as east as the valley of Vacha River and the neighbouring mountain slopes reaching Pamporovo resort where it merges with the nominate subspecies. Northwards, the intermediate populations border the Northwestern form of I. rh. rhodopensis before Batak Lake. Found in lush (frequently ruderal) mountain meadows at 1300–1800 m alt. Nymphs—IV–VII, imago—(VI–)VII–IX.