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The GSG Newshopper Newsletter of the IUCN SSC Grasshopper Specialist Group August 2014 Red List status of South African Katydids Threatened Orthoptera on the Seychelles The rescue of the Lord Howe Island Stick Insect

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The GSG Newshopper Newsletter of the IUCN SSC Grasshopper Specialist Group

August 2014

Red List status of South African Katydids Threatened Orthoptera on the Seychelles

The rescue of the Lord Howe Island Stick Insect

GSG Newshopper - August 2014

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Title and author(s) Page

Report from the Chairs . . . . . . . . 3 A. Hochkirch & M. Bushell Are Mantids in Good Health? . . . . . . . 4 R. Battiston & K. Schütte How grasshoppers help discovering new species in the Netherlands . . 6 R. Kleukers Red-list Assessments of South African Katydids . . . . . 7 C. Bazelet Good news for Acrostira euphorbiae . . . . . . 10 D. Hernández, H. López & P. Oromí A hope for the Crau Plain Grasshopper . . . . . . 11 M. Bushell, A. Hochkirch & L. Tatin

New Orthoptera-app and wiki-website . . . . . . 17 F. Rutschmann, M. Riesen & C. Roesti Searching for grasshoppers and crickets in Paradise . . . . 19 A. Hochkirch A large threatened weta is saved from extinction in New Zealand . . 23 C. Watts The conservation of the Lord Howe Island stick insect and an update on the . 26 ex-situ programme R. Cleave The discovery of the Mexican grasshopper Liladownsia fraile . . . 30 P. Fontana & R. Mariño-Pérez Rarity and ordinariness in bush crickets: status quo versus data accumulation . 37 D. Chobanov Recent paper abstracts . . . . . . . . 41 M. Bushell IUCN SSC Grasshopper Specialist Group Members - July 2014 . . . 49

Front Page: Cave Katydid (Cedarbergeniana imperfecta) from South Africa, recently listed as Critically

endangered. Photo by Piotr Naskrecki.

GSG Newshopper - August 2014

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Report from the Chairs Dear Friends and Colleagues, Welcome to the 2014 issue of the Newshopper, the newsletter for the IUCN SSC Grasshopper Specialist Group! We had a great deal of really excellent articles for this issue, so many thanks to all who contributed. In addition to our Facebook page where we can keep members updated, we now also have a webpage hosted by the IUCN containing further information about our group and some of the activities we have participated in, as well as featuring some species of Orthoptera and related taxa that are of interest to the conservation community. Since 2013 the group has been very active, with one of our first activities being a red-listing workshop held in Leiden, the Netherlands focusing on the European Orthoptera. This led to the first major update of the Orthoptera in November 2013 with 60 new species being added to the IUCN Red List. By May 2014 we have now assessed a total of 337 species of Orthoptera, with plans to increase this number continuously over the next few years. As 2014 is the 50

th anniversary of the IUCN Red List this is a great opportunity to promote the

conservation of Orthoptera. Also, in May 2014 a conservation strategy planning meeting was held in South France for the Crau Steppe Grasshopper, a species recently assessed as Critically Endangered and now the focus of a conservation effort, a report of which is featured in this newsletter. Hopefully this will be the first of many such projects and will help to highlight the importance of this charismatic group of invertebrates. As the group is expanding and becoming more proactive, and with Axel taking over the reins as the Chair of the IUCN Invertebrate Conservation Sub-Committee, it was decided to enlist another co-chair to help keep things running at the pace they are currently, Mark Bushell has accepted this position and hopes to keep the momentum of our group going, with many new activities and projects planned for the coming years. Please keep us informed about new and ongoing conservation projects of Orthoptera and their allies so that we can include these reports in the next Newshopper.

Best wishes, Axel Hochkirch & Mark Bushell, Co-Chairs

Attendees at the red-listing workshop held in Leiden, the Netherlands, May 2013. (l-r) Pedro Cordero Tapia, Luc Willemse, Rebecca Miller (IUCN Red List Unit), Stanislav Gomboc, Baudewijn Odé, Josip Skejo, Axel Hochkirch, Roy Kleukers, Dragan Chobanov, Gergely Szovenyi, Michael Sergeev, Mark Bushell, Paolo Fontana

GSG Newshopper - August 2014

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Are mantids in good health?

Roberto Battiston & Kai Schütte

We don’t have the answer to this question yet, but

we’re working on it with the ongoing project European

Redlisting of Mantodea. What we know is that research

on mantid conservation is becoming more important.

After a remarkable disinterest for these charismatic

insects during the second half of the last century, within

the last few years mantids have become an interesting

field of research, including conservation. There are still

few specialists working on these insects but the group of

experts is steadily growing and what is even better, the

cooperation is increasing. One of these joint efforts was

recently published (May 2014) in the special issue of the

scientific journal Zootaxa (3797), entirely dedicated to

mantids, entitled “A revived focus on the praying

mantises”. It contains 12 articles from 22 authors, often

the result of international collaborations. More interest

also means a greater focus on conservation problems -

problems we have dealt with in the special issue.

How diversity influences conservation will be discussed in York at the European Congress of Entomology in

August 2014, which will host a symposium entirely dedicated to mantids.

It is now more urgent than ever to generate more

interest on mantids and to have more people work on

their taxonomy and biology because the main threat

for these insects probably is that we still do not know

what the threats consist of.

For these reasons this spring we made an open call to

all the GSG specialists to collect new records and

provide additional specimens to use in genetic and

morphological analyses to solve at least part of their

problematic taxonomy. Particularly welcome and

important are specimens from the genera Ameles and

Pseudoyersinia, two small ground mantids with

brachypterous females and macropterous or

brachypterous males. Their taxonomy is extremely

problematic because many species are probably not

valid or have to be rearranged, because their

description based on few specimens or few

morphological characters only or their high degree of

morphological plasticity and the limited knowledge is

difficult to fit in IUCN criteria. This problematic

taxonomic state of the art is discussed in detail in the

mentioned special issue of Zootaxa for the Canary

Islands, most probably a hotspot for small range

endemic Mantodea in Europe.

The first two assessments (the update of

Apteromantis aptera to LC level, and the new CR/PE

Ameles fasciipennis) have been just published on the

IUCN Red-List website, but most of the other

European species is practically unknown by IUCN

standards. This can easily result in very misleading

Data Deficient assessments and thus not proof useful

for conservation actions and to promote further

research.

Ameles fasciipennis is a very good example for this:

Being a distinct and well defined single individual, it

appeared only once more than a century ago, then

probably disappeared. By IUCN standards this is the

rarest animal in the world, by scientific standards it

may be a taxonomical error or a biological deviation,

by conservation standards it is an unmanageable

animal. Or, it may really be a species we have lost.

Apteromantis aptera (photo – R. Battiston)

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That is the reason why it is now so important to gain more knowledge about the European Amelinae and to

work towards their conservation needs. We are thankful for two grants from SYNTHESYS that allow us to work

in the collections at the Natural History Museum in London and the National Museum of Natural Sciences in

Madrid. Both museums have important collections of European mantids, but we are still searching help from

other museums to obtain a detailed database of the mantids distribution. We have started to sequence

recently collected material, mainly from the Iberian Peninsula and first results are expected soon.

Contributions from GSG specialists and friends of these insects would be very helpful and welcome.

If you would like to help, please send any collecting information and/or specimens in alcohol 95% to Kai

Schütte, Biozentrum Grindel und Zoologisches Museum Dept. Entomology, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146

Hamburg, Germany. Thank you!

Roberto Battiston ([email protected]) & Kai Schütte ([email protected])

Heterochaeta orientalis - the cat mantis. (photo - P. Nasrecki)

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How grasshoppers help

discovering new species in

the Netherlands

Roy Kleukers

On July 23, 2013 nature photographer André den

Ouden was looking for Sphingonotus caerulans

near the city of Nijmegen. This species was

recently discovered in the Netherlands, but seems

to be declining again. He didn’t find any

Sphingonotus, but he did find Oedipoda

caerulescens, of which he took a few pictures.

Looking at the photos at home he discovered a

small striped creature near the front leg of the

grasshopper. Matty Berg, a springtail specialist,

was highly surprised. It turned out to be

Fasciosminthurus quinquefasciatus, a new species

to the Netherlands. This proves that looking at

grasshoppers can be even more rewarding than

we thought. The new species has been given the

appropriate common name zebra springtail.

(photo – A. den Ouden)

GSG Newshopper - August 2014

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Red-List Assessments of South African Katydids

Corinna S. Bazelet, Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University,

Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, SOUTH AFRICA.

In 2014, 129 species of South African katydids (Tettigoniidae) will have Red-List assessments published by the

IUCN. These species represent approximately three-quarters of the katydid species known to occur in South

Africa (169 species in total), and the full complement of species which are currently capable of being assessed.

Of the unsuitable species, seven are recognized new species which await formal description, and 33 are

species or subspecies whose validity requires verification such as members of the problematic genera Ruspolia

and Conocephalus, many of which can be distinguished only on the basis of their call, and are in need of

taxonomic revision on the basis of this character (Fig. 1). All of these species would be assessed as Data

Deficient due to our lack of confidence in the validity of the species and in the quality of available

distributional data, so we chose to exclude them from current assessment.

The complete Red-Listing of South African katydids represents the culmination of over a decade of work by

Piotr Naskrecki. In the early 2000’s, Piotr began to collect, photograph, and catalogue South African katydids,

meticulously storing all information in the MANTIS database which he developed. He opportunistically added

records of museum specimens from all major global collections, and in many cases catalogued all existing

specimens of a particular species. As a result of Piotr’s painstaking efforts, MANTIS now contains collecting

information from 810 geo-referenced South African localities (Fig. 2), in addition to numerous localities from

neighbouring countries. Work on the Red-List assessments began in November 2012 when Piotr and I met to

write most of the text which will appear in the final assessments.

A Critically Endangered South African katydid species: the Imperiled Green False Shieldback. (photo – P. Naskrecki)

GSG Newshopper - August 2014

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To assess the species, I first divided them into three categories: (1) species with a distribution which extends

beyond southern Africa (n=25) – all of these species emerged as Least Concern (LC); (2) species with a South or

southern African distribution and fewer than three known collecting localities (n=23) – all of these species

were Data Deficient (DD), Vulnerable (VU), Endangered (EN) or Critically Endangered (CR); and (3) species with

a South or southern African distribution with three or more collecting localities (n=81) – these species fell into

every Red-List category. I first calculated extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO) wherever

possible and prepared distribution maps using ArcGIS 9.2 (ESRI 2009) generously provided by the IUCN and

ESRI. I then uploaded all data and Piotr’s photographs into SIS and completed all draft assessments. All

threatened species (categories VU, EN and CR) were assessed on the basis of their geographic range (criterion

B) or as a result of having a very small and restricted population (criterion D2). No species could be assessed on

the basis of their population size (criteria A and C) or quantitative analysis (criterion E). At the time of writing,

57 assessments have been reviewed by Axel Hochkirch, Mark Bushell, and Baudewijn Odé and were published

in the first Red-List of 2014, and we plan to publish the remaining 72 species later this year in the second Red-

List of 2014.

So how are South Africa’s katydids faring? The majority (60% of assessed species) are LC. Many of these

species are widely-distributed generalist herbivores which show no signs of decline. Some of these species,

such as the Plangias (Plangia compressa and P. graminea) and the Armoured Katydids (Acanthoplus spp.), are

even facultative crop pests arguably in greater need of control than of conservation. A significant proportion of

species (12%) are DD because the available information is just not enough to estimate their future trends. For

example, the enigmatic Cederberg Shieldback (Namaquadectes irroratus) has only been encountered twice, in

1916 and 92 years later in 2008, despite many collecting trips and hours spent attempting to track it down.

Unfortunately, one-third of South Africa’s katydids are of conservation concern, with 28% of species assessed

as VU, EN or CR. Among the eleven CR species is the world’s only known Cave Katydid (Cedarbergeniana

imperfecta). This species persists in a small number of high elevation caves within the Cederberg Wilderness

Area of South Africa's Western Cape Province. Although no research has specifically focused on this species,

the highly fragmented nature of the populations and their current distribution at peak elevations is of great

concern. In the event of habitat destruction or change in climatic conditions within their caves, this species

appears to have few options for survival. Similarly, the Imperiled Grass False Shieldback (Paracilacris

periclitatus) was only encountered once in a small patch of remnant indigenous forest slated for cultivation to

exotic plantation forestry. At present, it’s unknown whether this species survives or not.

Completing the Red-List assessments will be the first step in an on-going process to draw attention to South

Africa’s fascinating and threatened katydid fauna. In the near future, Piotr Naskrecki and I hope to publish the

Red-List statuses of South African katydids within a field guide to the group. We also plan to analyse regional

trends and centres of endemism of the South African katydids and to compare these findings with those of

other insect groups for which similar data is available, such as the dragonflies and butterflies. Our hope is that

these findings will contribute towards the understanding of insect diversity trends within South Africa’s three

biodiversity hotspots, studies on which have mostly focused on plant diversity: the Cape Floristic Region,

Succulent Karoo, and Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany. We hope that these efforts will motivate local, young

researchers to study this fascinating group of insects, and motivate managers of South Africa’s extensive and

valuable protected areas to implement plans to protect threatened katydid species and their habitats. Finally,

we hope to promote the perception of insects as important components of biodiversity which should be

considered a conservation priority in their own right.

GSG Newshopper - August 2014

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Figure 1: Pie charts showing distribution of South African katydid species in terms of Red-List threat status. Numbers in parentheses indicate number of species. “Invalid taxa” are species and subspecies which are assumed to be invalid, although additional taxonomic research would be required to verify this assumption. We decided not to assess these taxa at present.

Figure 1: Map of South Africa showing all collecting locations of South African katydids, from Piotr Naskrecki’s MANTIS database. Biomes are listed in legend and colour-coded in order of aridity. It is clear from the map that coastal regions have been more intensively sampled than South Africa’s interior. Three global biodiversity hotspots which fall within South Africa are located along the coast.

GSG Newshopper - August 2014

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Good news for Acrostira euphorbiae

David Hernández, Heriberto López & Pedro Oromí

La Palma Stick Grasshopper, Acrostira euphorbiae, is

an endemic pamphagid from La Palma (Canary

Islands, Spain), where it has a highly reduced

distribution area mostly included in the protected

natural space of Tamanca, in the southwestern part of

the island. Field observations indicate that this species

depends on its only known host plant (Euphorbia

lamarckii), the dominating shrub in its habitat, and

that it has a low dispersal ability because of its

flightless condition and reduced jumping capacity due

to its heavy body and weak hind limbs compared to

other grasshoppers. This makes A. euphorbiae a

species strongly affected by any threat on its habitat.

In the last decades, the population of this species has

had an important decline mainly due to habitat

alteration (wildfire, illegal logging of vegetation, and

grazing), that has affected both the grasshopper and

its host plant. As a result of this situation, A.

euphorbiae is included as “Endangered” in both the

Spanish National and the Canary Regional official lists

of threatened species, this being the maximum

category of threat in these catalogues. Furthermore,

this species has recently been assessed as Critically

Endangered in the IUCN Red List.

Studies carried out during the last decade show that

this species has a low genetic diversity and a strong

habitat preference for some areas with a particular

plant composition. The destruction of large areas in

the habitat of this grasshopper can cause the

fragmentation and low interconnection among its

populations, leading to further decrease of the

genetic diversity of the species, producing a

population bottleneck that can drive to the extinction

of A. euphorbiae.

Since some decades, a large part of the habitat of this

species has been threatened of destruction because

of a big touristic project to build some hotels and a

golf course. This has been very controversial because

the promoters want to perform it in a protected

natural area, including the habitat of this protected

species. If this project were to run, the distribution

area of A. euphorbiae would be split by a large field of

green lawn impossible to overpass for the specimens

of the resulting two populations. Fortunately, despite

the big economic interests of businessmen and

politicians, this project has been declared illegal by

the High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands. For the

moment, luck is on the side of A. euphorbiae.

Acrostira euphorbiae (photo - P. Oromi)

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A hope for the Crau Plain Grasshopper

Mark Bushell, Axel Hochkirch & Laurent Tatin

The Crau Plain Grasshopper (Prionotropis hystrix rhodanica) is a large flightless grasshopper endemic to the

Crau Steppe area of Southern France, a unique Mediterranean dry steppe habitat. Due to the fact this species

is flightless it is restricted to the area and is unable to easily form new populations or colonise new areas. Even

though large areas of the Crau Steppe are protected, the grasshopper has recently dramatically declined in the

centre of the Steppe for unknown reasons. Therefore, it is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

In the past, the Crau Plain Grasshopper has been strongly threatened by the destruction and fragmentation of

its habitat resulting from landscape conversion (agriculture and industrial development). While habitat

destruction has become less common in large parts of the reserve, it still continues in privately owned land.

Little is known about the population ecology of this species, but the populations seem to be very small and are

becoming more and more isolated from each other. In fact, the species has completely disappeared from

many sites in the last fifty years and a recent survey has shown that only four subpopulations still exist.

Adult male Prionotropis hystrix rhodanica (photo - L. Tatin)

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One of the in-situ enclosures at the Calisanne site. (photo - A. Hochkirch)

Laurent Tatin pointing out Crau Plain grasshoppers within the enclosure. (photo - A. Hochkirch)

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In September 2012 the conservation of the Crau Plain Grasshopper was brought to the forefront after plans of

the French Army to build structures on the largest subpopulation were announced. An intervention letter by

the IUCN SSC Grasshopper Specialist Group and the IUCN French Committee to halt this development was

delivered and planning was put in action for the development for a conservation strategy for this threatened

grasshopper involving field biologists, the IUCN SSC Grasshopper Specialist Group and the IUCN SSC Species

Conservation Planning Sub-Committee

Preliminary surveys were carried out by field biologists, students and volunteers to evaluate the status and

distribution of the known subpopulations, study the habitat preferences and analyse potential threats. In 2013

an in-situ rearing method was tested, with adults reared from nymphs being released into two small fenced

reserves and monitored for behaviour and also to see if any other issues relating to their conservation could be

seen and potentially addressed.

From the information gathered during these studies, several potential issues relating to the conservation of

the Crau Plain grasshopper were highlighted. This led to a workshop being held in Saint-Martin-de-Crau, June

2014 in order to prepare the Strategic Conservation Plan for this species, involving key stakeholders in the area

including shepherds, landowners, NGOs, military personnel and governmental staff as well as members from

the IUCN and also zoological institutions. At the meeting a representative of the French military base was in

Eyed lizard (Timon lepidus), one of the several protected species in the Crau Steppe area (photo - A. Hochkirch)

GSG Newshopper - August 2014

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attendance and stated that all work on extending the current installation was halted in favour of protecting

the grasshopper; a real victory for the species’ survival!. The French Army now fully supports the conservation

project and provides access to its domain.

Two field trips to the location of the largest subpopulation of the species took place during the workshop, not

only for surveying the population but also to allow participants to see the area of conservation concern and

the other species that also rely on the area for their survival. During the field trips we not only saw several

individuals of the Crau Plain grasshopper, but also little bustard, little kestrel, pin-tailed sand grouse, eyed

lizards and a plethora of invertebrate species.

Over the course of the meeting, a conservation strategy for the Crau Plain Grasshopper was developed,

covering three important fields:

Research: The knowledge on population sizes and dynamics is still scarce. More information on the

spatial extent of all subpopulations is needed and a monitoring program needs to be established. The

major threats need to be studied; particularly the reason for the disappearance of the grasshopper in

large parts of the central Crau needs to be clarified. Potential threats include increased predation by

avian predators (such as cattle egret, lesser kestrel, crows), habitat modification (no knowledge on

changes in sheep grazing regime exist), climate change (some extreme whether events in the last

decade might have triggered the decline), parasitism/disease (nothing is known about the potential

Attendees at the Conservation Strategy meeting for the Crau Plain Grasshopper (photo - A. Hochkirch)

GSG Newshopper - August 2014

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impact of pathogens on the grasshopper), pesticides (sheep medication might have negative effects

as the grasshopper might also feed on sheep faeces).

Management: One of the targets is to protect the complete remaining steppe habitats in the region

and integrate the protection of the species with other conservation plans and policies. Sheep grazing

management will be optimized for this species, but first some more knowledge on the effect of sheep

grazing on the grasshopper is needed. An ex situ conservation program will also be started in Thoiry

Zoo, near Paris to start in 2015 with the aim of learning as much as possible about the life history of

the species to further the efforts of ensuring the in-situ population has the best possible chance of

surviving. From this it is planned to reintroduce animals into their historic range and create new

subpopulations in the next few years.

Public Awareness: Several actions to promote the public awareness of this iconic species will be

started. These included highlighting the species to the people residing in the area, focusing on its

uniqueness and importance within the habitat – this will use social media and also the production of

promotional material such as films and posters all about the grasshopper.

These were some of the key points highlighted during the meeting, although these do not cover all of the

factors that were discussed as potentially contributing to the decline of this endemic species including climate

change, pesticide use, parasitism and changes to grazing regimes. After much deliberation and discussion,

action points were created for various parties involved to further the conservation of this enigmatic species.

These included highlighting the species to the people residing in the area, focusing on its uniqueness and

importance within the habitat – this will use social media and also the production of promotional material such

as films and posters all about the grasshopper. Also, monitoring of the habitat to ensure that it does not

Surveying for the Crau Plain Grasshopper in natural habitat (photo A. Hochkirch)

GSG Newshopper - August 2014

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further become degraded and also to try and ensure that all areas with populations in fall under the umbrella

of the national park network and if possible the habitat is restored to its original state. Thoiry Zoo, near Paris,

will also be coordinating an ex-situ rearing project to start in 2015 with the aim of learning as much as possible

about the life history of the species to further the efforts of ensuring the in-situ population has the best

possible chance of surviving. From this it is planned to reintroduce animals into their historic range and create

new subpopulations in the next few years.

Although it is early days in the start of this conservation strategy, the number of people who are enthusiastic

about saving this unique grasshopper is great and efforts are well under way to assist in its conservation, with

plans to slowly move the nesting boxes of the little kestrel from the Crau area in the next couple of years and

also monitoring of temperature and humidity in the area to allow the future captive populations to be kept in

near-identical circumstances to their wild counterparts. The meeting itself was of key importance, being one

of the first to focus purely on invertebrate conservation strategy; this will hopefully set the trend for future

projects and open the floodgates to invertebrate conservation worldwide.

Adult female Crau Plain Grasshopper (photo - A. Hochkirch)

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New Orthoptera-app and wiki-website

Florin Rutschmann, Matthias Riesen & Christian Roesti

In May 2014, the Orthoptera identification app was published on the

iTunes Store and the Orthoptera-wiki went online on the platform

Orthoptera.ch. Both, the app and the wiki contain all 119 taxa of

Switzerland and Germany. The comprehensive species portraits

include several sections: morphological descriptions, songs, spatial distribution, phenology and life history,

habitat, endangerment and list similar species. More than 3,700 photos, songs and drawings are added to the

species portraits illustrating the variability, the behavior or the nymph stage.

The main component of the app is a simple and intuitive multi-criteria determination key allowing the

combination of several characteristics and omitting any strict sequence as it is common in dichotomous keys.

Besides morphological traits the list of potential species can be reduced by the integration of location data

using the built-in GPS of the smart phone. Already the selection of three or four criteria leads to a significant

reduction in the number of the potential species, which can be further reduced by comparing the songs.

The main target audience of the determination module are interested laymen. Accordingly we tried to keep

the multi-criteria key as simple and clear as possible. So, only few details on ovipositor or cercus are included,

which should still be identifiable without any additives. Consequently, it might be possible that not every

species can be classified directly. Nonetheless, when facing a more challenging determination one can still

compare songs and pictures in the detail gallery to narrow it further down. Moreover, the app can be used to

record observations directly in the field, which can later be sent to the database of

Observation.org or Webfauna.ch. There, all observations can be edited and

downloaded.

At the moment the app is only available on iOS systems with a

planned release of an Android version later this year.

Furthermore, all the species portraits are freely accessible

on Orthoptera.ch.

Species texts exist only in German. However the

determination key is available in English, French and

Italian. Together with the usage of primarily scientific

names this allows for navigation and access to pictures, songs and

drawings predominantly independent of German language knowledge.

First experiences showed that an iPad mini is the optimal device for the field, being the perfect tradeoff

between size and convenience.

http://www.orthoptera.ch/arten

http://www.orthoptera.ch/info-app-wiki/orthoptera-app

GSG Newshopper - August 2014

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A selection of screenshots from the

Orthoptera-app

GSG Newshopper - August 2014

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Searching for grasshoppers and crickets in Paradise

Axel Hochkirch

The Seychelles are well known as a paradise for tourists with beautiful beaches and an amazing diversity of

fishes, corals and other marine organisms. However, the larger granitic islands also maintain cloud forests,

which are full of endemic plants and insects, which receive less attention. In fact, our knowledge on the

ecology of tropical insects is generally scarce. We even have limited information on species numbers and their

distributions. This makes assessments of the conservation status for the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM

rather difficult. Although the IUCN Red List criteria allow to infer the conservation status also from indirect

data, such as habitat trends, it is crucial to obtain more information on the habitat requirements of threatened

species in order to allow for their conservation.

The Seychelles Predatory Bush-Cricket (Seselphisis visenda) is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (photo – A. Hochkirch)

GSG Newshopper - August 2014

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Recently, the conservation status of the endemic Orthoptera of the Seychelles has been assessed for the IUCN

Red List by Justin Gerlach, showing that ca. 70% of the endemic species are threatened with extinction. These

Red List assessments were mainly based on the small range sizes and continuing deterioration of their habitats

due to the spread of invasive species. Although the assumption that invasive species negatively affect native

insects might well be true, it has not yet been tested for the threatened grasshoppers, crickets and bush-

crickets of the Seychelles. Without such knowledge, it remains difficult to develop conservation management

plans for these insects.

Therefore, a research project was started in 2013 with the aim to obtain knowledge on the habitat preferences

of Orthoptera and to rediscover the Seychelles Flightless Groundhopper (Procytettix fusiformis) – a species,

which has not been found since its description in 1909 – as well as the Seychelles Crested Groundhopper

(Coptotiggia cristata) – a species, which is only known from one locality. The project was was conducted in

cooperation with the Island Conservation Society of the Seychelles and financially supported financially

supported by the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund and the German Academic Exchange

Service.

Two students (Svenja Krone and Sabrina Legner) visited Mahé (the largest island of the Seychelles) from July to

August 2013 to perform the necessary field work. Although the two Groundhopper species could not be

rediscovered, a couple of other threatened Orthoptera species were recorded, most of which were associated

with native palms. For these species, we were able to obtain data on their habitat preferences. The most

common species was the Seychelles Palm Cricket (Metioche bolivari). This tiny cricket species is mainly found

at higher elevations, where it occurs on the underside of larger palm leaves. The species is usually found in

small aggregations, suggesting that it is not territorial. By contrast, the Seychelles Short-Winged Cricket

(Seychellesia longicercata) was found across a broader range of altitudes. It mainly occurs in habitats with a

lower cover of grasses and a higher cover of leaf litter and open rocks. Male individuals are found singly in

folded palm leaves and seem to be territorial, but they occasionally can be found also on other tree species

and on rocks. Currently, invasive plants, such as Clidemia hirta and Cinnamomum verum, do not seem to have

negative effects on these species. Based upon the results of this study, it will be possible to start habitat

restoration measures to benefit the populations of these species.

Sabrina Legner (l) and Svenja Krone (r) in the cloud forest of Mahé (photo – A. Hochkirch)

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In 2014, we will continue our studies on the distribution and ecology of threatened Orthoptera of the

Seychelles. Two students (Lucy Neumann and Dominik Schwab) will stay on Mahé and St. Anne for two months

to search for threatened Orthoptera. We will make another trial to rediscover the rare groundhopper species,

but we will also start bioacoustic analyses of the songs of some crickets and bush-crickets, such as the

Seychelles Predatory Bush-Cricket (Seselphisis visenda). The song recordings will help to develop simpler

The Seychelles Palm Cricket (Metioche bolivari) prefers large palm leaves at high altitudes of Mahé (photo – A. Hochkirch)

The palm grasshopper (Enoplotettix gardineri) feeds exclusively on palm leaves. It is endemic to the Seychelles and listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. (photo – A. Hochkirch)

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monitoring methods, which can also be applied by local rangers without any special knowledge on Orthoptera.

The Seychelles Short-Winged Cricket (Seychellesia longicercata) is a territorial cricket species, which is often found in folded palm-leaves. (photo – A. Hochkirch)

Seychelles Flat-Backed Groundhopper (Amphinotus nymphula) is a small elusive grasshopper species which occurs in the leaf litter of the cloud forests on Mahé. (photo – A. Hochkirch)

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A large threatened weta is saved from extinction in New

Zealand

Corinne Watts, Landcare Research,

Hamilton, New Zealand

The Mercury Islands Tusked Weta

(Motuweta isolata) survived only on 13

ha Middle Island, a mammal-free island

in the Mercury Group located off the

North Island of New Zealand. During

the 1990s, the Mercury Island Tusked

Weta population on Middle Island

declined dramatically and to minimise

the threat of extinction it was evident

that new populations should be

established on neighbouring islands

from which mammals had been

removed. The weta population on

Middle Island was not large enough to

enable direct translocations so captive

rearing was necessary. Success in

developing a captive rearing method

from only one male and two females

which was crucial in making the

translocations possible.

Between 2000 and 2009, 567 individuals were

translocated to six nearby mammal-free islands. In

addition to reducing the risk of extinction of the

tusked weta, these translocations contributed to

the restoration of the other islands. The earliest

translocations in 2000 and 2001 were to nearby

Double and Red Mercury Islands where their

establishment was confirmed in 2009. The

population on Red Mercury expanded outwards

from the release sites by 100–150 m each year and

they are now estimated to be present over more

than half the island. Later translocations to four

other nearby islands have also been successful but

weta remain within 100 m of the release sites.

No tusked weta have been found on Middle Island

despite monitoring between 2009 and 2012,

suggesting this species is likely to be locally extinct.

If so, these translocations have resulted in a

significant conservation success outcome.

Further reading:

Stringer I, Watts C, Thornburrow

D, Chappell R,

Price R. 2014. Saved from extinction?

Establishment and dispersal of Mercury Islands

tusked weta, Motuweta isolata, following

translocation onto mammal-free islands. Journal of

Insect Conservation [early view online].

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10841-

014-9631-

y?sa_campaign=email/event/articleAuthor/onlineF

irst

An adult male Mercury Islands tusked weta in his burrow. Note his large overlapping tusks. (photo – D. Thornburrow)

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Presence of adult Mercury Islands tusked weta footprints in tracking tunnels on Red Mercury Island in 2009 and 2012.

Closed symbols indicate the presence of adult Mercury Islands tusked weta; dark grey symbols indicate probable

Mercury Islands tusked weta; and open symbols, no Mercury Islands tusked weta tracked. Open stars are the location of

a release site.

Middle Island - the original home of Mercury Islands tusked weta. Its cliffs make it very hard to land on. (photo – D.

Thornburrow)

Adult Mercury Islands tusked weta footprints on a tracking card from Koripuki Island, 2011.

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Male tusked weta being held for examination.

Male tusked weat on the forest floor (l) and fitted with a radio-transmitter (r)

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The conservation of the Lord Howe Island stick insect and an update on the ex-situ programme Rohan Cleave Invertebrate Keeper Melbourne Zoo, Zoos Victoria, Elliott Avenue, Parkville, Vic, 3052, Australia Telephone: + 61 3 9285 9300, fax: + 61 3 9285 9350 email: [email protected] Lord Howe Island was formed over 7 million years ago. The

Lord Howe Island Stick Insect (Dryococelus australis), also

known as a tree lobster or land lobster, was once abundant on

Lord Howe Island, approximately 700km off the coast of

eastern Australia. It was considered extinct by the 1930s,

following the accidental introduction of Black Rats (Rattus

rattus) in 1918 when the supply ship Makambo ran aground

near Ned’s Beach. In 2001, a small colony of Lord Howe Island

Stick Insects was rediscovered on Balls Pyramid, a rocky

outcrop 23km off Lord Howe Island. The species is currently

listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN.

In February 2001 a five-member scientific team assembled by

the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service

landed on Balls Pyramid and rediscovered a very small

population, consisting of only three stick insects. Next came

the significant challenge of securing a protected population to

save them from imminent risk of extinction.

On 14th

February 2003, another team was assembled with the

task of collecting four adult Lord Howe Island Stick Insects from

Balls Pyramid. One pair was sent to a private Entomologist in

New South Wales. This pair unfortunately did not survive long

but the female did produce eggs. The other pair was destined

for Melbourne Zoos, Invertebrate Department in Victoria. Two days later’, on the 16th February 2003, the

Zoo’s Invertebrate team received a pair of one of the rarest invertebrate species in the world. The pair was

affectionately known as ‘Adam’ and ‘Eve’ to staff, who knew they had one chance to establish a long term

captive breeding program for the species. At the beginning of the

program almost nothing was known of the biology and ecology of the

once abundant species.

The first Zoo-bred offspring demonstrated amazing timing by

emerging/hatching on 7/9/2003 (Australia’s Threatened Species Day).

Prior to this, nobody had seen a newly hatched nymph for many

decades. From 7/9/2003 to 31/12/2013 just over 11,000 nymphs have

successfully hatched as part of the breeding program at Melbourne Zoo.

Ongoing management of the population and eggs is critical for the

program to continue to thrive.

Balls Pyramid – copyright/credit Rohan Cleave, Melbourne Zoo

Lord Howe Island Stick Insect eggs – copyright/credit Rohan Cleave, Melbourne Zoo

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Newly hatched nymph of fingertip – copyright/credit Rohan Cleave, Melbourne Zoo

There have been many challenges to the captive management of the

species since they arrived at Melbourne Zoo more than ten years

ago. Our knowledge base has expanded rapidly as we developed

increasingly effective animal husbandry techniques. There has been

worldwide interest in our work with this species.

At any one time we house around 500 Lord Howe Island Stick Insects

in different quarantined purpose-built glasshouses and have

thousands of eggs incubating. Additional facilities to house the

increasing numbers of this species and meet their specific

requirements have been constructed over the years. We recently

moved into a glasshouse designed specifically to meet their

requirements. Maintaining correct temperature ranges and high

humidity are key factors to getting this species to adulthood.

Adulthood is achieved at around six months of age, with captive

lifespan around 12 - 18 months; females can lay up to 300 eggs in

their lifetime. Adult females are larger and heavier than males

measuring up to 15cm in length and weighing up to 25 grams. A sample of eggs laid each week are measured

and weighed in weekly batches and will then be incubated in Vermiculite for between six to nine months prior

to hatching. We measure and record the length of each nymph that hatches at Melbourne Zoo. In 2014 the

Melbourne Zoo team is breeding our 11th generation. This species can also reproduce parthenogenically: we

have conducted significant research into this field with three successive generations hatched, with all offspring

being female.

Hatching nymph – copyright/credit Rohan Cleave, Melbourne Zoo

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Young – copyright/credit Rohan Cleave, Melbourne Zoo

Adult female – copyright/credit Rohan Cleave, Melbourne Zoo

A number of scientific studies have been undertaken over the

past 10 years, including investigating mate selection. Diet is

another important aspect of animal husbandry and research

into this field is ongoing. The invertebrate Department has

expanded this work with investigations of endemic plant

species from Lord Howe Island both within Zoo grounds and on

Lord Howe Island in 2013. The full range of plants they fed on

prior to their extirpation from Lord Howe Island is still

unknown, but it is important for us to continue investigations

to determine what plants are most nutritious and beneficial for

captive husbandry. Host plant preference trials are conducted

with both nymphs and adults. All of this adds to the data base

of important information on the species.

The Lord Howe Island Stick Insect is a flagship species in Zoos

Victoria’s “Fighting Extinction” campaign. In 2012 the

Australian Federal and New South Wales State Governments

announced funding of AUS $9.2 million to eradicate black rats

and house mice from Lord Howe Island. Community

involvement is ongoing to determine the best path forward to

guarantee success in restoring the natural ecosystem of one of

the world’s most beautiful heritage sites.

“Return of the Phasmid” was an educational program conceived

by the Zoo’s Invertebrate and Education staff to be a world first

learning program to introduce an endangered species into 25

classrooms. This educational program helped raise awareness

of the plight of this critically endangered species.

Since opening an exhibit to the public for this species in 2008,

interpretation around the display area has been redeveloped

with inspiring graphics. The Zoo retail shop closest to the Lord

Howe Island Stick Insect display is ‘bug’ themed and stocks Lord

Howe Island Stick Insect themed retail items. There is also a

donation point to encourage visitors to contribute to the work

that is being done with this species at the Zoo.

In 2007, Melbourne Zoo returned 20 Lord Howe Island

Stick Insect to a rodent proof enclosure on Lord Howe

Island. The offspring of those original descendants

continue to be managed by Lord Howe Island Board staff.

Two exhibits are now on display at the Lord Howe Island

Museum, with separate nymph and adult displays

showing the differences from early stages to adult in this

species. These displays will help educate visitors and

highlight conservation efforts to save one of Lord Howe

Island's rarest species. A world first permanent enclosure

is now up and running in the Lord Howe Island

Adult male - copyright/credit Rohan Cleave, Melbourne Zoo

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Central School for students and staff to maintain and research the species in the classroom.

We continue to work closely with Lord Howe Island Board staff and scientists from the New South Wales

government on this recovery program. One day we hope to see this species back in its natural environment on

Lord Howe Island.

With special thanks to past and current Invertebrate team members at Melbourne Zoo for their significant

contributions over this journey to save one of the world’s most endangered species. Patrick Honan, Kate

Pearce, Robert Anderson, Norman Dowsett, Zoe Marston and Sarah Silcocks.

Lord Howe Island –Mt Lidgbird – 777m and Mt Gower – 875m in background – copyright/credit Rohan Cleave, Melbourne Zoo

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The discovery of the Mexican grasshopper Liladownsia

fraile

Paolo Fontana & Ricardo Mariño-Pérez (edit by M. Bushell)

Mexico is an extraordinary country. There you can find many things but, more interestingly, at the end you can

also find things that you were not looking for. Nature, history, people, food, ancient and modern life,

handicraft, art, science, music, drinks, peace, passion, adventure, rest, danger, religion, friendship… all of this is

merged in a full colour masterpiece, such as Michelangelo’s Sistine chapel ceiling or an Eduardo Ribera fresco.

We had the great fortune of not only travelling in Mexico on vacation, but also to study the nature of the

country and to discover the essence of it. The world is so complex, intricate and interconnected that studying

even one natural aspect of a country such as Mexico you end up having an overall image that is very sharp,

bright and charming. Mexico, in short, is a mega-diverse country, with all of its diversity stemming from its

natural biodiversity. The biodiversity of a place in turn influences the cultural diversity of the people who

inhabit it; the variety of plants and animal species, climates, raw materials, scenarios and horizons of Mexico

has shaped a constellation of cultures, languages and traditions that, even after centuries of human history

and cultural influences, are still alive and vibrant. If we pay attention to the colour of the flowers, birds,

reptiles and insects of Mexico, we understand that the vitality of the churches of Puebla, or the splendour of

the costumes of the state of Oaxaca are a direct link between biodiversity and human culture. The wilderness

is not only a pleasant place for relaxation or adventure, but it also reminds us that to preserve the biodiversity

of our planet does not mean we should abstain from our atavistic pleasure to experience nature. Nature has

shaped and shapes us, gave us the past and gives us a future because we are nature and this became tangible

at every step, at every stop, travelling in Mexico.

Liladownsia fraile adult male (photo – P. Fontana)

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Throughout the visit we travelled thousands of

miles, sometimes together and sometimes solo. We

travelled between towns and villages, ranging from

the seashores to the peaks of high mountains,

visiting every habitat we could from deserts to

tropical forest, along the banks of rivers to dry,

stony areas. It wasn’t all plain-sailing however,

encountering “chiggers”, mosquitoes and even

fields with many rattlesnakes! Over the course of

the trip we met many people from all walks of life,

all curious about our research and willing to help or

give advice where they could. We did a great deal

of work on Mexican insects, focusing especially on

grasshoppers, bush crickets and crickets, praying

mantids and stick insects. Our research into the

insects of Mexico gave us new challenges every day

and has been crowned by the successes of many

discoveries and even rediscoveries; the biodiversity of Mexico is widely known, but equally there remains

much to discover. During our field expeditions we have found many new species and several new genera and

during the study of our collected material and comparing it with that found in the collections, we have found

many more.

Paolo Fontana with Liladownsia friale

Liladownsia fraile habitat (photo – P. Fontana)

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The discovery of a new species is always done by accident, but sometimes the circumstances of a new

discovery are really unusual if not ridiculous. A “pit-stop”, possibly to fulfil a physiological need, can result in a

significant event for the expedition. Secluded behind a bush, you shout to your companions to grab the net,

the camera, the bottles – “hurry, it's not a joke, move!” Or when in the evening, tired from such a hectic and

challenging day that all you can think of is a plate of frijoles and tortillas, you see a small area that seems to be

unconsciously and instinctively inviting you to take a look… and you stop abruptly the car, parking it in a

probably not so orthodox way and after a few moments, you realize that the real work of the day begins right

there, where you search for, collect and photograph until the last ray of light allows it.

Very often new species, such as children to their parents, are beautiful and fascinating only or primarily for

those who have made the discovery. The skilled entomologist understands the uniqueness of a population or a

single individual perhaps, from small details; a tinge of colour, a protuberance more or less pronounced, or

maybe a quick review with a simple lens of the male genitalia, and here's a new species which appears to be

identical to another already known. For those who work in this field, for they who have a passion for natural

science and try to give a contribution, no matter how small, to the unveiling of biodiversity the discovery of a

new species, even based on the identification of characters imperceptible to non-specialists, is always a source

of great joy and pride. The paper of the newly described taxa makes the taxonomist as proud as a soldier of

Liladownsia fraile male nymph (photo – P. Fontana)

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the medals pinned on his chest or indeed, as the list of love conquests of Don Juan (Madamina, il catalogo è

questo delle belle che amò il padron mio….) because the taxonomy could best be compared to a loving rather

than military conquest!

After all of these ramblings arising from our most vivid experiences, our article can only arrive at one of our

most beautiful and beloved discoveries; the finding, the study and description of the grasshopper which we

gave the scientific name of Liladownsia fraile. We found this species of grasshopper truly unique, both for its

vibrant coloration and also for other ecological and biogeographical characteristics during an expedition in

Mexico organized by the University of Central Florida (UCF), the Fondazione Edmund Mach (Centro

Trasferimento Tecnologico) and the World Biodiversity Association (WBA onlus) in December 2011. The

species was found in a mountainous area in the southern part of the Sierra Madre del Sur, in the state of

Oaxaca, and close to the village of San José del Pacífico. The first site where the species was collected was a

small clearing at the roadside, characterized by an intense flowering of several herbaceous plants, which

fortunately was also one of the few places where you could park a car. The outcome of this stage of the

expedition seemed likely to be poor, having regard to the winter season and the disappointing results of

earlier stages in similar areas, until Paolo Fontana (FEM-CTT and WBA), who led the expedition which was

Liladownsia fraile nymph (photo – P. Fontana)

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attended by Ricardo Mariño-Pérez and Derek A. Woller (PhD Candidates at UFC) and Paola Tirello (University

of Padova and WBA) found a juvenile specimen of grasshopper that appeared immediately as something

extremely interesting and new. We decided to spend the rest of the evening in the area and after some

minutes we finally found one adult, then another and so on. Then night came and we had to sadly finish. The

next day we returned early in the morning and we found even more adults.

The study of the collected material has revealed to be a new species and a new genus of Melanoplinae, a

group of grasshoppers that in Mexico counts a large number of genera and many species are endemic. The

research on this new grasshopper were also carried out on a molecular basis by Dr. Hojun Song (UFC) and his

collaborators, allowing us to ensure its uniqueness but also its affinity in the context of other kinds of

Melanoplinae from Mexico and from the Americas in general. A new field expedition took place in December

2013, allowing us to find new material and to verify the distribution of the new species which was found

always just on the outskirts of San José del Pacifico, between 1200 and 1600 m above sea level. This new

species lives in a region characterized by extensive forests of oak and pine, and seems to feed on grasses,

mainly Lamiaceae, and in particular of Salvia elegans the so-called Pineapple sage, a plant native to the

mountainous regions of Mexico. The relevance of this new species comes from its restricted geographical

Adult female Liladownsia fraile (photo – P. Fontana)

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distribution and its ecological needs which see it as a typical inhabitant of forests of oaks and pines areas.

Furthermore the new species seems to be able to feed on plants largely characterized by the presence of

essential oils that possibly could lend the grasshopper a kind of chemical protection that would explain the

vivid coloration; vivid coloration is typically used by insects to signal to predators some form of chemical

defence. Another important aspect of this new species comes from its phylogenetic position, in fact, the study

of its DNA is allowing us to better understand the relationships between different kinds of grasshoppers in

Mexico and therefore the relevant mechanisms of speciation. Molecular taxonomic study, like the ecological,

phenological and geografical data of this new genus and new species has now been published in an

international journal, Zootaxa (Woller et al., 2014).

The new genus, which has been assigned the scientific name of Liladownsia n. gen. was dedicated to Mexican

singer Ana Lila Downs Sánchez, in art Lila Downs, who also hails from the state of Oaxaca. Lila Downs is an

international artist, having won a Grammy award amongst other such accolades, and takes to stages all around

the world the many indigenous languages of Mexico such the Mixtec and Zapotec and uses traditional

costumes in her performances. She also has great sensitivity towards different social issues, which she

portrays most often through images drawn from nature and ancient traditions of her land, such as in the song

"Árbol de la vida". The tribute to this great artist is also a tribute to the nature and culture of Mexico, both

extraordinary and characterized by great diversity, richness and originality. The new species has been given the

scientific name of fraile, so the full name is Liladownsia fraile Fontana et al., 2014. "Fraile" is Spanish for

“friar”, and this is the common name that the inhabitants of the area of San José del Pacífico give to this insect,

which was until now unknown to science but certainly not to the inhabitants of the region in which it lives.

Another common name used locally is "Chapulín de Capucho" meaning “grasshopper with a hood”.

Liladownsia fraile is in fact characterized by a kind of hump which may just seem like a monk's hood. In

The intrepid explorers: (l-r) Paola Tirello, Paolo Fontana, Ricardo Marino Perez and Derek A. Woller

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addition to common names, talking to the locals, it was possible to have a lot of important information on the

biology of this new species.

Since the area of San José del Pacífico is characterized by intense tourism but also unfortunately deforestation

in order to clear the field for crops and herds of cattle and sheep. The natural environment in which

Liladownsia fraile lives is seriously threatened and that's why we proceeded immediately to assessing this new

species for the Red List produced by the IUCN. The original geographical distribution of Liladownsia fraile is

already fairly restricted and with human pressure is becoming smaller and smaller.

The discovery, study and description of this species is not only an example of how biodiversity is still only

partially known but also of how, during scientific expeditions, respect for and dialogue with local people is

essential to achieve important scientific goals and for all aspects related to nature conservation. Also it is

imperative to let the general audience know about the discovery of new species. Just as an example, after the

news of this discovery was covered in social media such as Facebook and Twitter, people started to upload

pictures and videos of Liladownsia fraile. This new information provides us new localities (close to San José del

Pacífico) which we haven’t visited yet. Also, in some pictures additional information is provided such as a new

colour form for the male. Without a question, new technologies such social media are not only telling people

in which place you are eating or what movie are you watching but also are helping to improve the assessment

of endangered species.

As humans, we take care of what we love, and we love only what we know. The IUCN Red List is the perfect

way of letting people know about this grasshopper and by consequence people will begin to take care of

species such as Liladownsia fraile.

Type locality habitat of Liladownsia fraile. (photo – P. Fontana)

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Rarity and ordinariness in bush crickets: status quo versus data accumulation

Dragan P. Chobanov

Currently, anthropogenic pressure is resulting in a major biodiversity crisis, dominated not only by the commonly observed loss of species with restricted distributions but also by the underestimated extinction of common species, which means that there is a growing need to identify habitat and diversity loss and fragmentation, properly estimate species/populations range and population trends and adequately assess populations. Our knowledge on the biodiversity and species distribution and abundance is far from being satisfactory. There is a growing evidence of a significant amount of phenotypically cryptic species in all major taxa, which additionally complicates the situation. On the other hand, it has been suggested that significant amount of the present-day biodiversity constitutes synonymic taxa. In this connection, understanding distribution of poorly known taxa is an additional challenge. Therefore, biodiversity and habitat assessment and protection are closely linked. Accumulation of data may result in a changed understanding on species vulnerability and threatened status, as a result not only of updated information on their distribution and habitat preferences, but also on their taxonomy and systematics. Hereinafter I will present three interesting unpublished cases. They further show the usefulness of using as many as possible methods for detecting species in nature.

Case I: Underground life When I was a young boy, about 14-15 years old, I collected a small frumpish cricket and pinned it on a fat sewing pin. Then, I forgot it. Much later, when I was identifying extensive material for my PhD thesis, I met the specimen again and I classified it as a nymph of Discoptila buresi Mařan, 1958, presently in the genus Ovaliptila – small crickets with highly reduced wings, in males scale-like and covering pit-glands on their thorax, probably serving as female-attractors. But where I have collected this insect? Unfortunately I did not make a note but at that time I was collecting mostly in my summer refuge – my village in North-eastern Bulgaria… These crickets are poorly known all over their range in the Eastern Mediterranean, frequently known by a single specimen in a museum collection. They all seem to inhabit soil crevices, leaf litter and caves, partly showing themselves at night to feed – any kind of rotting organic matter. Being known by two type specimens, collected at the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, the species revealed itself when we started using pitfall soil traps. Over the years, significant material (say, 70 specimens) was captured in our collecting jars in South-eastern Bulgaria. But where I collected my first specimen…? Time passed and after some years I started visiting my "childhood refuge" again. And once, visiting the cellar in the night, I saw them – tens of individuals looking for dinner! So, I trapped some food remains and collected specimens that I easily kept for two generations in captivity. Later on, the species has been regarded typus generis, distributed from Bulgaria to Crimea, and though up to the 2000s only two specimens were known to the science, it seems that at least along the Black Sea coast and the big rivers in East Bulgaria, the species is widespread, though secretly living. However, it keeps hidden during daytime and even at night you cannot find it easy unless you use special tools for this aim (like traps) or visit humid caves, burrows or appropriate cellars.

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Case II: The "Great escape" Once, during studying a large amount of non-breeding white storks' pellets for a colleague-ornithologist, I found a subdominant mandible type that did not match any suggestions I made. It was obviously similar to the Frivaldsky's bushcricket (Pholidoptera frivaldskyi (Herman, 1871)), typical for the Carpathians and the North-Balkan Mountains. Yet, there was a significant difference and further, the Frivaldsky's bushcricket does not occur in the region the storks have collected their prey (the South Black Sea coast of Bulgaria). Finally, I decided to compare it to a single specimen I possessed from the weakly known Pholidoptera brevipes. And, here it is! In 1939 Ramme described a strange bush cricket from Bulgaria, named after its remarkably short for the genus legs – Pholidoptera brevipes. The holotype is kept at the Naturkunde Museum in Berlin and until recently only three specimens were known, all of them collected from Southeastern Bulgaria. In 2006 it has been recorded also from North-western Anatolia (Turkey) by Mustafa Ünal, though its habitat and range, especially in Europe, remained a mystery.

Pholidoptera brevipes, first photo of living specimen! (photo D. Chobanov)

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So, I was amazed that a "rare" species, that might have been considered even 'Critically Endangered' based on our current knowledge, was so abundant in the food of the common White stork (minimum of 1668 individuals of a total of 28947 animal remains; 54.4% occurrence in pellets). It has obviously occurred in numbers though the reason why we do not meet this species in the field was obscure… The latter discovery happened in the winter of 2011/2012 and accurately next summer we met the species in its environment! During the Natura 2000 assessments in 2011/2012 we visited a lot of spots all over Bulgaria; the modest team of orthopterists involving two persons at a time spent about 140 days and nights under open sky. Thus, being lucky, we visited the Southeastern Bulgaria lowlands in the early summer, when the humid spring vegetation was about to be replaced by the summer xerophyte grass and scrub. First I met the species, obviously at the border of its range, by an accidental checking a "strange" song of Decticus verrucivorus. Literally smashing the grass, we finally found a small olive-brown animal that we did not expect. It was so nice for me to be able to record the song and collect material for future experiments of Pholidoptera brevipes! A few days later we started to hear its song all over, around the scrub, meadows and along springs in Strandzha Mountains at the border with Turkey. Yet, the animal was so cautious, that I was able to catch, say, five per cent of the males I heard (females were collected by accident, being located close to the singing male). They were disappearing immediately after hearing me within the bush, just dropping from their branch, jumping a while in the grass, and then, suddenly, becoming quiescent touching the ground. Thus, the lucky coincidence of timing, sound recognition and collecting effort proved this species is not to be regarded vulnerable as it even occurs within recently abandoned fields.

Case III: Shifting habitat I joined the Natura 2000 assessments in Bulgaria in 2010, being responsible for only two grasshopper species fitting Annex II of the European Commission’s Habitats Directive. One of them, Paracaloptenus caloptenoides, seemed really common in Bulgaria according to literature data and available material. Yet, after first range evaluations, a strange discrepancy appeared between the altitudinal preferences of populations from different parts of the country. Having about 60 localities at the beginning, I could not properly evaluate the possible difference. Then, spending many days in the field and walking a couple of thousands kilometres by foot, we started to realize that the "discrepancy" is real and actually reflects native ecological features of populations. Already at the spot, we felt that the populations of the species are ecologically partitioned in three – 1) a "Western form",

Paracaloptenus caloptenoides, a female. (photo D. Chobanov)

GSG Newshopper - August 2014

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strictly keeping at poor-vegetation limestone ground in the mountain belt of West Bulgaria (usually over 800 m alt.), having unpredictable patchy distribution; 2) an "Eastern form", usually occurring in high numbers in the semi-dry degraded oak-associations in Southeast Bulgaria, keeping within strict climatic belt up to 700-800 m alt.; 3) a small "North-eastern population", at the border with Romania (and further penetrating Romanian Dobrogea up to the Danube delta), occurring in continental semi-dry steppes. Altogether we sampled 554 positive localities over the country. Then, we modelled the species distribution using the Maxent software based on different environmental variables. "Best" models, fitting ecologically different populations, resulted by separate evaluating of sampling points by "ecological regions" and by testing different sets of variables. For example, mean annual temperature, altitude and anisotropic heating made main contribution to the model of the "Western form"; mean annual temperature, forest type and mean annual precipitation contributed for the "Eastern form" habitat model; mean annual precipitation prevailed in the model of the steppic "North-eastern form". Yet, further research is necessary for evaluating the status of these "forms" but, in any case, presumed threatened status changed dramatically after this study. Though, the "Eastern form" occurs in remarkable numbers in appropriate climate, even within degraded habitats, the other two forms seem significantly vulnerable to anthropogenic pressure and thus deserving special conservation attention. Conclusion We are still far from satisfactory knowledge not only about the total biodiversity and its loss levels but even about our neighbours living in the grass across the street in the so called "best studied" Europe. Thus, living in an imminent danger of irreversible changing of our Planet, we should pay more attention on the surrounding environment, find beauty in nature and living creatures, and think… could we survive without all this variety?

Maxent modelling of three forms of

Paracaloptenus caloptenoides in

Bulgaria; “Western” (top),” North-

eastern” (middle) and “Eastern“

(bottom)

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Recent Paper Abstracts

Mark Bushell Assistant Curator of Invertebrates, Bristol Zoo Gardens, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 3HA, UK.

A revision of Apteromantis (Mantodea: Mantidae, Amelinae): A

comprehensive approach to manage old taxonomic and conservation

problems

Roberto Battiston1, 4, Joaquín Ortego2, José R. Correas3 & Pedro J. Cordero2

1 Musei Civici di Valstagna, via Garibaldi, 27 - 36020, Valstagna, Italy. E-mail:

[email protected] 2 Grupo de Investigación de la Biodiversidad Genética y Cultural. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos

Cinegéticos -IREC (UCLM-CSIC-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain 3 C/ Montenebros I, nº 7, 28400 Collado Villalba, Madrid, Spain

4 Corresponding author

The genus Apteromantis Werner, 1931 comprises two species of wingless mantids, the Iberian A. aptera

(Fuente, 1894) and the North African A. bolivari (Werner, 1929). Although A. aptera and A. bolivari have been

traditionally considered as separate and valid species, their external appearance is quite similar and no

comprehensive taxonomic study has analysed their morphological and genetic characteristics. This taxonomic

uncertainty has important implications for conservation because A. aptera is considered an Iberian endemic

and the only praying mantis protected by international laws. In this study, we apply a comprehensive

approach, including quantitative morphological and molecular analyses, to shed new light on the taxonomic

and conservation status of the genus Apteromantis and the putative species. We have found that the Iberian

and North African specimens analysed herein significantly differ in female head shape, male genitalia

morphology and several other traits related to body size. Molecular data suggest the presence of two main

lineages, with sequence divergence rates of approximately 4%, which are within the range reported for other

well defined insect species. Overall, this study supports that A. aptera and A. bolivari are valid species despite

their ecological and morphological similarity and highlights the importance of comprehensive approaches to

resolve old taxonomic and conservation problems.

Edge effect of a pine plantation reduces dry grassland invertebrate species

richness G. Bieringer, K. P. Zulka, N. Milasowszky, N. Sauberer

Natural steppes in European agricultural landscapes are characterized by high biotic richness but are subject to

fragmentation and associated edge effects. Edge effects on species richness were investigated at an ecotone

from a pine plantation to a short-grass steppe in Eastern Austria for eleven invertebrate taxa differentiated

into habitat guilds based on known live-history strategies of individual species (grassland species, forest

species, generalist species), including Red-Listed and non-threatened grassland species. The large size of the

studied grassland site provided an opportunity to test edge effects in the absence of confounding factors and

to a gradient length of 208 m into the grassland habitat along a clear-cut border to a pine plantation. All

sampling was done by pitfall trapping. Species richness of habitat guilds, but not total richness, was effectively

explained by biotic variables reflecting the influence of shading in particular (i.e. soil temperature sums). Total

species richness showed a bimodal response pattern, with increases towards the habitat edge and interior

GSG Newshopper - August 2014

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grassland habitat. Habitat guilds showed diverging responses to distances from the edge, but no saturation in

species richness, with a continuum of edge effects across the entire distance of the grassland samples. Our

findings contrast those of previous investigations based on samples taken from smaller patches and across

shorter distances from the edge. Methodological and conservation implications are discussed.

The katydid that was: the tananá, stridulation, Henry Walter Bates and

Charles Darwin

Claudio J. Bidau Parana´ y Los Claveles, 3304 Garupa´, Misiones, Argentina (e-mail: [email protected]).

The Amazonian bush-cricket or katydid, Thliboscelus hypericifolius (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae:

Pseudophyllinae), called tanana´ by the natives was reported to have a song so beautiful that they were kept in

cages for the pleasure of listening to the melodious sound. The interchange of letters between Henry Walter

Bates and Charles Darwin regarding the tanana´ and the issue of stridulation in Orthoptera indicates how this

mysterious insect, which seems to be very rare, contributed to the theory of sexual selection developed by

Darwin.

Grasshopper assemblage response to surface rockiness in Afro-montane

grasslands

Casparus J. Crous, Michael J. Samways and James S. Pryke Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa

1. Grasshoppers are often an important functional component of ecosystems, and many species show high

levels of endemism.

2. Evidence exists that percentage surface rock cover within a landscape can predict diversity of grasshopper

species. Nevertheless, the reason why grasshopper species are responding to rocky landscapes has not been

established.

3. Here, we explore whether grasshoppers are responding to physical rockiness per se, or rather to specific

correlates of higher surface rock exposure within a landscape. We also determine if this response varies

between grasshopper taxonomic groups.

4. We sampled grasshoppers in Afro-montane grasslands in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and recorded 10

environmental variables. We explored the influence of these variables on grasshopper community composition

and grasshopper family composition. We also determined the vegetation characteristics, which significantly

correlate with percentage surface rock cover in this landscape (geophyte richness, perennial grass richness and

vegetation density), and then measured the similarity of species composition across these correlates.

5. Overall, grasshopper assemblage composition, as well as familial composition, responded strongly to an

elevation gradient, and not to the correlates of surface rock cover. In turn, the higher species richness in such

areas is more likely a function of the significant vegetation correlates of higher surface rock cover.

6. Across taxonomic groups, there are specialist species within each group which are associated with

environmental conditions related to surface rockiness through its underlying correlates. Rock exposure across

this grassland landscape is therefore an important contributor to grasshopper dispersion patterns, and has

important implications for conservation planning for this taxon.

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Prioritizing non-marine invertebrate taxa for Red Listing Justin Gerlach, Michael J. Samways, Axel Hochkirch, Mary Seddon, Pedro Cardoso, Viola Clausnitzer Neil Cumberlidge, B. A. Daniel, Scott Hoffman Black, Jürgen Ott, Paul H. Williams

The IUCN Red List of threatened species is biased towards vertebrate animals, a major limitation on its utility

for overall biodiversity assessment. There is a need to increase the representation of invertebrates (currently

21 % of species assessed on the List;\1 % of all invertebrates). A prioritisation system of terrestrial and

freshwater groups is presented here, categorising taxa by species richness, assessment practicality, value for

human land use and bioindication, and potential to act as conservation flagships. 25 major taxonomic

groupings were identified as priorities, including the Annelida, Arthropoda, Mollusca, and Onycophora. Of

these, the high-level taxa that emerge as highest priorities are Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies), Araneae

(spiders), Mantophasmatodea (heelwalkers), Plecoptera (stoneflies), non-marine Mollusca (Bivalvia and

Gastropoda), Trichoptera (caddisflies), Coleoptera (beetles), Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies), Oligochaetes

(earthworms), Orthoptera (grasshoppers and crickets), Decapoda (crayfish, crabs, shrimps) and Diptera (flies).

Of these Red Listing is well advanced for Decapoda, freshwater Mollusca and Odonata. This leaves eight higher

taxa with currently a minimum or patchy Red List assessment coverage. We recommend that Red List

assessments in future focus on these groups, as well as completion of assessments for terrestrial Molluscs and

Odonata. However, we also recommend realism, and as some of groups are very large, it will be necessary to

focus on subsets such as certain functionally important or charismatic taxa or on a sampled subset which is

representative of a larger taxon.

Assessing human impact on fen biodiversity: effects of different

management regimes on butterfly, grasshopper, and carabid beetle

assemblages

Sebastian Görn, Bernd Dobner, Axinia Suchanek, Klaus Fischer

Fens and concomitantly the associated species assemblages have undergone dramatic declines in recent

decades. Given that many remaining or restored fens are currently lying fallow, an important question is which

management regime, if any, is most effective in preserving fen biodiversity. Against this background we here

investigate the effects of five management regimes (intensive grassland, moist meadows, summer harvested

sites, winter harvested sites, fallows) on three insect taxa (butterflies, grasshoppers, carabid beetles) in

riverine fens in north-eastern Germany. Butterflies and grasshoppers showed highest species numbers,

diversity and numbers of threatened species on moist meadows and were detrimentally affected by high

vegetation. In contrast, ground dwelling carabid beetles were less strongly affected by different management

regimes, but responded very sensitive to drainage. Winter harvested sites and fallows seemed to be

particularly beneficial to carabid beetles. Overall, drained, intensive grassland was not suitable for preserving

fen-specific communities, while extensively managed moist meadows harboured overall the highest numbers

of threatened species. We conclude that in terms of management maintaining high water tables is most

important. Furthermore, some management seems necessary to maintain stands with lower vegetation turf

for associated species. However, care is needed to also maintain fallows and to consider the specific demands

of some highly endangered, management-sensitive species.

Response of Orthoptera communities to succession in alluvial pine

Woodlands

Felix Helbing, Tim Peter Blaeser, Franz Löffler, Thomas Fartmann

GSG Newshopper - August 2014

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During the past 150 years forest management has dramatically altered in Central European woodlands, with

severe consequences for biodiversity. Light forests that fulfilled variable human demands were replaced by

dark high forests that function solely as wood plantations. In the Alps, by contrast, open woodlands are still

present because the traditional land use as wood pasture has remained and physiographical conditions favour

natural dynamics. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of succession on the Orthoptera

communities of alluvial pine woodlands in the northern Alps. Orthoptera showed a clear response to

succession, with each successional stage harbouring a unique assemblage. The influence of succession on

species richness and abundance were identical: The values were highest in the intermediate and lowest in the

late seral stage. The diversity and abundance peak in the mid-successional stage probably reflects a trade-off

between favourable ambient temperatures for optimal development and sufficient food, oviposition sites and

shelter against predators. Food shortage and easy access for predators seemed to be limiting factors in the

early successional stage. In contrast, in the late successional stage adverse microclimatic conditions probably

limit Orthoptera occurrence. Although all three successional stages of the pine woodlands are relevant for

conservation, the early and mid-successional stages are the most important ones. Conservation management

for Orthoptera in this woodland type should aim at the reintroduction of cattle grazing and the restoration of

the natural discharge and bedload-transport regimes of the alpine rivers.

Temporal-Spatial Dynamics in Orthoptera in Relation to Nutrient

Availability and Plant Species Richness Rob J. J. Hendriks1*, Luisa G. Carvalheiro2,4, Roy M. J. C. Kleukers3,4, Jacobus C. Biesmeijer4 1Department of Ecology, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

2Institute of Integrative and Comparative Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom

3European Invertebrate Survey-Netherlands, Leiden, The Netherlands

4Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

Nutrient availability in ecosystems has increased dramatically over the last century. Excess reactive nitrogen

deposition is known to negatively impact plant communities, e.g. by changing species composition, biomass

and vegetation structure. In contrast, little is known on how such impacts propagate to higher trophic levels.

To evaluate how nitrogen deposition affects plants and herbivore communities through time, we used

extensive databases of spatially explicit historical records of Dutch plant species and Orthoptera (grasshoppers

and crickets), a group of animals that are particularly susceptible to changes in the C:N ratio of their resources.

We use robust methods that deal with the unstandardized nature of historical databases to test whether

nitrogen deposition levels and plant richness changes influence the patterns of richness change of Orthoptera,

taking into account Orthoptera species functional traits. Our findings show that effects indeed also propagate

to higher trophic levels. Differences in functional traits affected the temporal-spatial dynamics of assemblages

of Orthoptera. While nitrogen deposition affected plant diversity, contrary to our expectations, we could not

find a strong significant effect of food related traits. However we found that species with low habitat

specificity, limited dispersal capacity and egg deposition in the soil were more negativly affected by nitrogen

deposition levels. Despite the lack of significant effect of plant richness or food related traits on Orthoptera,

the negative effects of nitrogen detected within certain trait groups (e.g. groups with limited disperse ability)

could be related to subtle changes in plant abundance and plant quality. Our results, however, suggest that the

changes in soil conditions (where many Orthoptera species lay their eggs) or other habitat changes driven by

nitrogen have a stronger influence than food related traits. To fully evaluate the negative effects of nitrogen

deposition on higher trophic levels it is essential to take into account species life-history traits.

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Geographic variation in relict populations: genetics and phenotype of bush-

cricket Pholidoptera frivaldskyi (Orthoptera) in Carpathians

Peter Kaňuch, Benjamin Jarčuška, Elena Iulia Iorgu, Ionuţ Ştefan Iorgu, Anton Kriştin

A decreasing population size is often causing species extinction; however, relict species persisting in small-

sized populations counter this. We analysed spatial genetic variation and past changes in population size at the

maternally-inherited mitochondrial DNA level to clarify the origin of all recently known isolated populations of

Pholidoptera frivaldskyi occurring in the range of Carpathian Mountains. Along with that we analysed also

morphological variation as some phenotypic traits can retain useful information on population genetic

structure. We found a relatively low genetic diversity within isolated populations as 778 bp COI gene

sequences revealed only 13 unique haplotypes (n = 173 individuals from 10 populations). The spatial analysis

of molecular variance identified three geographically homogenous genetic clusters (one in Slovakia and two in

Romania) with a high level of differentiation among them, suggesting restricted gene flow, whilst Bayesian

skyline simulation reconstructed a negative demographic change through evolutionary time. Inferred genetic

pattern clearly coincides with differences in males’ colour phenotype as the extent of pigmentation on the

lateral pronotum varied significantly among genetic lineages. We suggest that geographical variation in the

species populations has relict-like character and their isolated occurrence is not a result of recent introduction

events. Identification of ‘evolutionary units’ may help in the conservation and management of this rare insect

species.

Is functional connectivity in common grasshopper species affected by

fragmentation in an agricultural landscape?

Daniela Kellera,b,∗, Maarten J. van Striena,b, Marc Herrmanna, Janine Bolliger a, Peter J. Edwardsb, Jaboury Ghazoulb, Rolf Holdereggera,b aWSL Swiss Federal Research Institute, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland

bDepartment of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Universitätsstrasse 16, CH-8092 Zurich,

Switzerland

This study assessed the effects of a fragmented and intensively used agricultural landscape in Switzerland

(study area: 95 km2) on functional habitat connectivity of three common grasshopper species with different

levels of habitat specialisation, Chorthippus albomarginatus, C. biguttulus and Gomphocerippus rufus. A

combination of habitat suitability analysis (ecological niche factor analysis) with landscape genetic methods

(clustering and least-cost transect analysis) was applied. This enabled the identification of population genetic

structure, the habitats where species reproduce and the habitats through which species disperse. For all three

study species, there was no distinct population genetic structure detected, and mean pairwise genetic

differentiation was generally low (FST ≤ 0.05), although highest for the least mobile species G. rufus. Habitat

suitability analysis largely confirmed expectations from literature, finding a large area of suitable habitat for

both C. albomarginatus and C. biguttulus in the study area. In contrast, the reproductive habitat of the more

specialised species G. rufus was more distinct and less widespread. Furthermore, a most likely dispersal habitat

could not be clearly identified for C. albomarginatus and C. biguttulus, but G. rufus seemed to disperse

through forests. None of the three species showed a preference for dispersal paths through the mapped

reproductive habitat. In conclusion, this study detected only a minor effect of a fragmented agricultural

landscape on functional habitat connectivity in three common grasshopper species. The effects were more

pronounced for G. rufus, which was the most specialised and least mobile of the three study species. These

results exhibit an overall positive perspective for the long-term persistence of common grasshopper species in

intensively managed agricultural landscapes.

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Sphodromantis viridis (Forskal, 1775): New for Portugal and new records of

the rare and small mantids Apteromantis aptera (Fuente, 1894) and

Perlamantis allibertii Guérin-Méneville, 1843 in the country (Mantodea:

Mantidae and Amorphoscelidae)

Eduardo Marabuto14, Ivo Rodrigues2, Sérgio S Henriques3 1CoBiG2 - Computational Biology and Population Genomics Group; CBA-FCUL, University of Lisboa, Lisboa,

Portugal 2Rua D. Afonso III, 22D, Beja, Portugal

3Terrestrial invertebrates Division, Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United

Kingdom 4Corresponding author

Several new records are presented on some of the least known mantis species in the Iberian Peninsula. From

data collected in Portugal, their analysis has proven to represent an important advancement in the knowledge

of this group of insects for the country and the Western Mediterranean area. Twenty new citations provide a

better understanding on the distribution of the crepuscular species Perlamantis allibertii, the IUCN red listed

Apteromantis aptera and the first Portuguese records of Sphodromantis viridis, extending their western limits

of occurrence in Europe. The data thus gathered emphasizes the need to invest in biodiversity assessment for

increased knowledge on species distribution and phenology but also for monitoring over time, essential to

better ascertaining ecosystem services, the effects of climate change and habitat conservation.

Diversidad y distribución de acridios (Orthoptera: Acridoidea)

en pastizales del sur de la región pampeana, Argentina (Diversity and distribution of grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acridoidea) in grasslands of the Southern Pampas region, Argentina.)

Yanina Mariottini1, María Laura De Wysiecki1 & Carlos Ernesto Lange1,2 1Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE) (CCT La Plata-CONICET-UNLP), Calle 2 Nº584, CP

1900, La Plata, Argentina; [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] 2Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas (CIC) de la provincia de Buenos Aires.

In Argentina, the grasslands of Pampas region comprise approximately 15% of the country. As in other

grasslands of the world, grasshoppers are among the most important native herbivores. Their economic

importance has been recognized in Argentina since the mid to late nineteenth century, since outbreaks of

different species have become recurrent phenomena. Therefore, the main objective

of this work was to study their diversity and distribution in grasslands of the Southern Pampas region (Laprida

county, Buenos Aires province), as one of the most affected areas. The study was conducted during five

seasons (2005-10). Sampling sites were represented by the most common plant communities in this area,

classified in four categories: native grasslands, disturbed grasslands, implanted pastures and halophilous

grasslands. The samplings were conducted from mid-spring to early autumn, with five or six samples per

season. We estimated the following population descriptors: species richness (S), eveness (E), dominance (J),

and diversity index (H´). In order to evaluate the similitude of the grasshopper communities present in the

different plant communities, we used qualitative and quantitative coefficients of similitude. A total of 22

species of grasshoppers were collected, of which 21 belong to the family Acrididae. The subfamily

Melanoplinae was the most diverse with eight species. The largest species richness was recorded in native

grasslands (18). The different communities of grasshoppers had similar indices of evenness and dominance

(p>0.05). Considering all plant communities, the average value of Shannon-Wiener index was 1.58±0.075.

There was a positive correlation between evenness index and species richness (p<0.05). The diversity index H’

was different between plants communities (p<0.05), and it was higher in the disturbed grassland (1.75±0.096,

GSG Newshopper - August 2014

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p<0.05) than in the halophilous grasslands (1.34±0.12). Native and disturbed grasslands had a higher plant

richness than halophilous grasslands and implanted pastures (p<0.05). There was a positive relationship

between plant richness and grasshoppers species richness, and diversity of grasshoppers. According to the

qualitative indices applied, the similitude between different grasshopper communities was higher than 60%. In

general, the species that had a higher frequency of occurrence showed greater abundance and distribution.

Covasacris pallidinota, Dichroplus elongatus, D. maculipennis, Borellia bruneri and B. pallida were the most

widely distributed species, most of them (12) showed a restricted distribution and few (five) an intermediate

distribution.

Insect conservation in the southern temperate zones: an overview

Tim R New1* and Michael J Samways2 1Department of Zoology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic. 3086, Australia.

2Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland

7602, South Africa.

Insect conservation in the southern hemisphere lags substantially behind developments in parts of Europe and

North America, where the relatively small faunas are better documented, and where a historical culture of

natural history has enabled conservation needs to be assessed and addressed by many sympathetic

supporters. We contrast this scenario with the much more embryonic knowledge and capability available in

Australia, southern Africa, southern South America and New Zealand, all regions with large and incompletely

documented insect faunas, but an equivalent array of threats to their survival. While a few individual ‘flagship

species’ (mainly within Lepidoptera, Orthoptera and Coleoptera) have been critical in promoting wider

interests, in general insects do not signify highly on regional conservation agendas. We offer a perspective of

the major needs to counter this.

Early changes of orthopteran assemblages after grassland restoration: a

comparison of space-for-time substitution versus repeated measures

monitoring

István András Rácz, Eszter Déri, Máté Kisfali, Zoltán Batiz, Katalin Varga, Gyula Szabó, Szabolcs Lengyel.

Although grasslands harbour significant biodiversity and their restoration is common in biodiversity

conservation, we know very little about how such interventions influence arthropod groups. Here we

compared orthopteran assemblages in croplands, natural grasslands and one to four-year-old grasslands

restored in a large-scale programme in Hortobágy National Park (East Hungary). We sampled orthopterans by

standardized sweep-netting both in a repeated measures design from Year 0 (croplands) to 4 and in a space-

for-time substitution (chronosequence) design in 2009. Species richness, abundance and Shannon diversity of

orthopterans decreased in Year 1 following restoration, but increased afterwards. By Year 4, species richness

doubled and abundance increased almost ten-fold in restored grasslands compared to croplands. Species

composition diversified compared to croplands and progressed towards natural grasslands. Local restoration

conditions (last crop, seed mixture) and landscape configuration (proportion of natural grasslands) did not

influence the above patterns in either study design, whereas time since restoration affected almost all

community variables. We found that ubiquitous generalist species were the first to appear in restored

grasslands and that species characteristic to the target natural grasslands colonised gradually in later years.

The qualitative and quantitative properties of the orthopteran assemblages in restored fields did not yet reach

those of natural grasslands, therefore, our study suggests that the full regeneration of the orthopteran

assemblages takes more than four years. We also concluded that the repeated-measures design was more

GSG Newshopper - August 2014

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sensitive to subtle changes and was thus more effective than the chronosequence design at detecting post-

restoration changes in orthopteran assemblages.

The westernmost localities of the bush-cricket Leptophyes discoidalis

(Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae)

Josip Skejo1 & Mihajlo Stanković2

1IRES – Institute for Research and Development of Sustainable Ecosystems, Ivana Lučića 5, HR-10000 Zagreb,

Croatia ([email protected]) 2Zasavica Special Nature Reserve, Pokret Gorana, Svetog Save 19, RS-22000 Sremska Mitrovica,Serbia

([email protected])

This paper presents two westernmost records in the Pannonian lowland for the eastern and central European

bush-cricket Leptophyes discoidalis (Frivaldszky, 1868) (Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae): near the road from

Privlaka village to Vinkovci in the Slavonia region (Croatia) and Zasavica Special Nature Reserve in Srijem,

Vojvodina region (Serbia). The Privlaka record is the first record of this species in Croatia.

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IUCN SSC Grasshopper Specialist Group Members

July 2014

Isabelle Badenhausser Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique France

Edward Baker Natural History Museum London UK

Roberto Battiston Museo di Speleologia e Carsismo "A. Parolini" Italy

Corinna Bazelet Stellenbosch University South Africa

Marcio Bolfarini Universidade Federal de São Carlos Brazil

Yoan Braud ASCETE France

Holger Braun Museo de La Plata Argentina

Paul Brock Natural History Museum London UK

Mark Bushell Bristol Zoological Gardens UK

Filippo Maria Buzzetti WBA-World Biodiversity Association Italy

Ioana Chintauan-Marquier

Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle France

Dragan Chobanov Bulgarian Academy of Science Bulgaria

Maria Marta Cigliano Museo de La Plata Argentina

Battal Ciplak Akdeniz University Turkey

Pedro Javier Cordero Tapia

Universidad de Castilla - La Mancha Spain

Bernard Defaut ASCETE France

Hendrik Devriese KBIN Belgium

Charles Dewhurst PNG Oil Palm Research Association UK

Thomas Fartmann University of Münster Germany

Paolo Fontana CTT Italy

Antoine Foucart CIRAD France

Tim Gardiner Environment Agency UK

Stanislav Gomboc Phytosanitary Administration of the Republic of Slovenia Slovenia

Andrej Gorochov Russian Academy of Science Russia

Paul Grant Canada

Sam Heads Illinois Natural History Survey USA

Klaus-Gerhard Heller Germany

Claudia Hemp University of Bayreuth Germany

Axel Hochkirch University of Trier Germany

Jaroslav Holuša Faculty of Forestry and Wood Science Czech Republic

Sylvain Hugel Université de Strasbourg France

Inge Illich Haus der Natur Austria

Ionut Stefan Iorgu National Museum of Natural History Bucharest Romania

Sami Karjalainen Finland

Theresa Karpati Eidg. Forschungsanstalt für Wald, Schnee und Landschaft WSL Schutzstrategien

Switzerland

Vassiliki Kati University of Ioannina Greece

Roy Kleukers European Invertebrate Survey Netherlands

Petr Kocarek University of Ostrava Czech Republic

Anton Kristin Institute of Forest Ecology Slovakia

Michèle Lemonnier-Darcemont

Groupement d'Études Entomologiques Méditerranée France

Heriberto Lopez University of Tenerife Spain

Khalid Mahmood Azad Jammu and Kashmir University Pakistan

GSG Newshopper - August 2014

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Ricardo Mariño-Pérez University of Central Florida Mexico

Judith Marshall Natural History Museum London UK

Dardo A. Marti Misiones University Argentina

Bruno Massa University of Palermo Italy

Pat Matyot Seychelles

Piotr Naskrecki Museum of Comparative Zoology - Harvard University USA

Baudewijn Odé Stichting FLORON Netherlands

Daniel Otte Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia USA

Paul Pearce-Kelly Zoological Society London UK

Martina Eugenia Pocco Museo de La Plata Argentina

Juan José Presa Murcia University Spain

Fran Rebrina University of Zagreb Croatia

David Rentz Australia

Klaus Riede Museum Koenig Germany

Christian Rösti Switzerland

Florin Rutschmann Switzerland

Kai Schütte University of Hamburg Germany

Michael Sergeev Novosibirsk State University Russia

Deniz Şirin Namık Kemal Üniversitesi Turkey

Josip Skejo University of Zagreb Croatia

Ian A. Stringer Department of Conservation New Zealand

Gergely Szovenyi Eötvös Loránd University Hungary

Laurent Tatin Conservatoire Etudes des Ecosystèmes de Provence - Alpes du Sud France

Elli Tzirkalli University of Ioannina Cyprus

Georg Waeber Articulata Germany

Corinne Watts Landcare Research New Zealand

David Weissman California Academy of Science USA

Jan Wieringa Wageningen University Netherlands

Luc Willemse National Herbarium Netherlands