Myrmeleotettix maculatus Thunberg 1815

Myrmeleotettix maculatus (Thunberg, 1815)

Gomphocerus maculatus Thunberg, 1815.

Material examined. (see Table 1)

Morphological description. See Harz (1975) and the characters given above.

Calling song (original data). The calling song lasts about 13.3–22.1 (16.2 ± 3.4) s and consists of 15–25 (19.5 ± 4.2) syllables. Syllable periods were shorter in the early part of the sequence and continue with slower ones of 520–820 (690 ± 50) ms to end (see details in Table 6).

Courtship song. The courtship song consists of the following three phases. Phase I involves two subparts, Phase Ia and Phase Ib (Fig 9A –C). Duration of Phase Ia is 4.0– 10.5 s and contains jerk-like pulses. Duration of Phase Ib ranges between 10.1– 15.1 s and composed of about 13–22 (18.1 ± 3.5) syllables, period of which usually is about 580–810 (621 ± 40) ms. Phase II begins with relatively loud sound which is produced by the sudden downstroke of the hind legs. During this phase male throw antennae backwards. After moving of the antenna, male produces a sequence with different syllable type. These syllables are louder and slower than those in the Phase I. Duration of Phase II ranges between 12.6– 21.6 s (16.8 ± 3.3) and composed of 15–26 (20.6 ± 4.1) syllable periods each of which usually lasts 632–930 (723 ± 60) ms. The third sequence is Phase III. Syllables in initial part of this phase are similar to those in Phase II by presence of the jerks and that of the antennal waves. Duration of Phase III is 8.2– 13.1 s (11.1 ± 1.6) and contains rapid 18–28 (23.3 ± 3.5) syllable periods each of which lasts 403–581 (472 ± 30) ms.

Distribution. This species is distributed nearly in the whole West Palaearctic including large parts of West Asia, Europe and northwestern Africa (Bei-Bienko & Mistshenko 1951; Harz 1975). However, it seems that the range of the species is not continuous and that the species is present along altitudinal belts especially in the Mediterranean Basin. In Anatolia it is present along northern Anatolia particularly on altitudes around/higher than 2000 m.