1.14 Anonconotus baracunensis Nadig, 1987

Ch: ALSW; ERL: NT; P; %C: 15.83; ER: 1620-2730 m; Ph: VII-XI

Perhaps the most relevant orthopteran species in the MNP, A. baracunensis is a steno-endemic taxon, distributed only at high elevations in a restricted area on the Monviso massif (Sindaco et al. 2012; Sardet et al. 2015). In the park, this species has been observed in the Po Valley only, mostly living in alpine and subalpine grasslands, often close to small shrubs. According to these data, the occurrence of this taxon in the Varaita Valley reported by Sindaco et al. (2012) has to be confirmed (maybe referred to A. baracunensis ssp. occidentalis, now A. occidentalis), since the Monviso peak likely constituted an insurmountable barrier in the biogeographical history of this species. A. baracunensis is classified as Near-threatened by Hochkirch et al. (2016) due to its expected vulnerability to climate change, thus representing a conservation priority in the MNP, especially because the protected area includes about a third of the known global range of this taxon.

In this paper, the distribution of A. baracunensis has been carefully mapped for the first time on a vast area (i.e. 13900 ha), enhancing the information previously based on few occurrence data, collected in a limited number of easy-accessible localities. In particular, new extremes were identified concerning the altitudinal range of this species, thanks to the specimens observed at 1620 m (Pian Charm-S. Lucia della Vardetta path, Ostana; 16/08/2019; DG) and at 2730 m (in the surroundings of Colle Armoine, Crissolo; 17/09/2020; DG).