An Overview of Orthoptera Mass Occurrences in Croatia from 1900 to 2023.

During the last century, well-known locust species, such as Calliptamus italicus and Dociostaurus maroccanus, have produced outbreaks of varying degrees in the Balkans. The literature data on outbreaks in the region are scarce, and Croatia is not an exception. This study summarized the data on 23 Orthoptera mass occurrences in Croatia from 1900 to 2023 from 28 localities, representing 12 species. This is a low level of outbreak activity compared with other locust and pest grasshopper species in other parts of the world. The species with the most reporting is C. italicus with altogether six mass occurrences, while second is Barbitistes ocskayi and Miramella irena with three records, and in the third, place D. maroccanus and Gryllotalpa sp., each with two mass occurrences having been reported. One of the most notable swarms is that of Anacridium aegyptium which occurred around Sibenik in 1998, and this paper provides the first account of it, 25 years after it took place. The most recent outbreaks took place in 2022, and the most notable one was that of D. maroccanus swarm in Stikovo. The 2022 and 2023 reports were brief and muted, despite the affected agriculturists claiming significant damages.

Dinarippiger gen. nov. (Tettigoniidae: Bradyporinae: Ephippigerini), a new saddle bush-cricket genus for Ephippiger discoidalis Fieber, 1853 from the Dinaric karst.

A new genus of the tribe Ephippigerini, Dinarippiger Skejo, Kasalo, Fontana et Tvrtkovic gen. nov., is described based on the characters of occiput coloration, tegmina coloration, cerci and pronotum shape. The new genus is morphologically intermediate between the genera Ephippiger Berthold, 1827 and Uromenus Bolívar, 1878, and presently includes only Dalmatian Saddle Bush Cricket, Dinarippiger discoidalis (Fieber, 1853) comb. nov., hitherto known as Ephippiger discoidalis Fieber, 1853. The species inhabits NE Italy (mainly Carso Triestino), SW Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Montenegro, i.e., islands and karst habitats along the eastern Adriatic coast, with isolated findings in Albania and Italy. Its prominent variation in size and coloration has already produced many synonyms (= limbata Fischer, 1853, = limbata var. major Krauss, 1879, = limbata var. minor Krauss, 1879, = selenophora Fieber, 1853, = sphacophila Krauss, 1879), which may suggest that what is currently regarded as a single species could represent a complex of distinct species with restricted distributions. This study also presents an annotated distribution map and a bioacoustic analysis of D. discoidalis comb. nov. Further research, especially adopting molecular methods, is necessary to assess possible cryptic diversity within the genus Dinarippiger gen. nov. and elucidate its evolutionary history.

Orthoptera faunas of Dinara, Svilaja, Kamesnica, and Troglav mountains and Livanjsko polje.

The Balkan peninsula is an important biogeographic region of Europe which houses the Dinaric Alps, a mountain range rich in biodiversity. The fauna of Orthoptera has, in recent years, been an important subject of study in Croatia, but many of the Dinaric mountains in Croatia remain poorly sampled. Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the exception of some foreign expeditions, remains almost completely unknown with regards to the distribution of Orthoptera. This paper presents the inventory of the orthopteran faunas of Dinara, Svilaja, Kamesnica, and Troglav mountains and Livanjsko polje, with research conducted in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2021 and 2022. A total of 67 localities were visited and 115 species were recorded. For each species in each locality, a simple abundance estimation was carried out and is reported here. A comparative checklist of species is provided, combining the literature and newly gathered data. Although many species were recorded, most of the visited areas would benefit from more research. Recently, with the establishment of Dinara Nature Park, conservation efforts in Croatia have increased but the same cannot be said for Bosnia and Herzegovina, where more conservation work is required.

Lepocranus and Valalyllum gen. nov. (Orthoptera, Tetrigidae, Cladonotinae), endangered Malagasy dead-leaf-like grasshoppers.

Only two leaf-like pygmy grasshopper species and specimens are known from Madagascar: the Leatherback Pygmy Grasshopper (Lepocranusfuscus Devriese, 1991) -which has a relatively low median carina of the pronotum; and the Malagasy Litterhopper (Valalyllumfolium gen. et. sp. nov.), herein described - which has a high median carina. Lepocranusfuscus is known from the rainforests around Tampolo, Manakambahiny, and Mahavelona (Foulpointe). The new taxon, Valalyllumfolium gen. et. sp. nov. is known only from the Belanono forest. Both species inhabit northeastern Madagascar. The new species could be rare or not-easy-to-spot in the rainforest leaf litter, where it most probably lives. A new tribe, Valalyllinitrib. nov., is described for the two mentioned genera because its members are different from the Caribbean leaf-like Choriphyllini Cadena-Castañeda & Silva, 2019, from the African leaf-like Xerophyllini Günther, 1979, and from the Asian leaf-like Cladonotini Bolívar, 1887. A tabular key to the tribes of Cladonotinae with leaf-like representatives is provided, together with photographs of type specimens of both species belonging to the newly described tribe. The holotype of the new species belongs to the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle Orthoptera collection, Paris.

Spiky pygmy devils: revision of the genus Discotettix (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae) and synonymy of Discotettiginae with Scelimeninae.

Spiky pygmy devils (Tetrigidae: Discotettiginae) are, because of the spiky pronotal projections and widened subapical antennal segments, among the most unique pygmy grasshoppers in Southeast (SE) Asia. The taxonomy of the group was unclear in the past, so this study brings a taxonomic and biographical review of the genus Discotettix Costa, 1864. New terminology of the pronotal projections is proposed for Scelimeninae. All valid species hitherto included in the genus are redescribed; a new genus is established for Discotettix shelfordi Hancock, 1907, Disconius Skejo, Pushkar et Tumbrinck gen. n., so a new combination is established for the species (Disconius shelfordi comb. n.). New synonymy is established: Discotettix selysi Bolívar, 1887 = Discotettix selangori Mahmood, Idris et Salmah, 2007 syn. n. Three new species are described and a key to Discotettix species is provided. The genus now includes seven species (1) Discotettix aruanus Skejo, Pushkar et Tumbrinck sp. n. from Aru; (2) D. belzebuth (Serville, 1838) from Borneo; (3) D. doriae Bolívar, 1898 stat. resurr. from the Mentawai islands; (4) D. kirscheyi Skejo, Pushkar, Tumbrinck et Tan sp. n. from Northeast (NE) Borneo; (5) D. scabridus (Stål, 1877) endemic to Mindanao and Samar; (6) D. selysi Bolívar, 1887 from Sumatra and peninsular Malaysia; (7) D. sumatrensis Skejo, Pushkar et Tumbrinck sp. n. endemic to southern Sumatra. Moreover, Discotettix is again subdivided into two subgenera: Mnesarchus Stål, 1877 stat. resurr. (D. scabridus) and nominotypical one (other species). Widened antennal segments are the only character common to all Discotettiginae genera, but this trait does not have great taxonomic importance, as it is homoplastic, meaning that it appeared in distant Tetrigidae groups independently. Discotettix is herewith transferred to the subfamily Scelimeninae and accordingly, the subfamily Discotettiginae Hancock, 1907 syn. n. becomes a junior synonym of the subfamily Scelimeninae Bolívar, 1887. The tribe Discotettigini stat. resurr., on the other hand, gathers corticolous genera of the Scelimeninae (Austrohancockia Günther, 1938, Bidentatettix Zheng, 1992, Disconius gen. n. Discotettix, Eufalconius Günther, 1938, Gibbotettix Zheng, 1992, Paragavialidium Zheng, 1994, Gavialidium Saussure, 1862, and Tegotettix Hancock, 1913), while the tribe Scelimenini becomes restricted to amphibious taxa. All taxa are described and amply depicted with both museum specimens and in situ photographs. An identification key is provided. The morphology and function of widened antennae in Discotettigini are discussed.

Metamazarredia is Rosacris is Mazarredia (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae)-a long-awaited sequel to a taxonomic dilemma.

The monotypic genus Rosacris, described by Bolívar (1931) remained largely unnoticed until a couple of new specimens were noticed by Skejo (2016), which prompted his examination of the genus and the conclusion that R. antennata syn. nov. probably represents a nymph of Metamazarredia fuscipes (Stål, 1877). By not conducting taxonomic acts, Skejo (2016) left behind an important dilemma: are the two species actually synonymous with each other? This paper reexamines the available material and concludes that the aforementioned observation was correct. Mazarredia (Rosacris) fuscipes comb. nov. represents the current combination used for the two synonymous species as the generic name of Rosacris stat. nov. has priority over Metamazarredia syn. nov., but the specific epithet "antennata" does not. Rosacris stat. nov. is considered a subgenus of Mazarredia Bolívar, 1887 because it shares many differences with the nominal subgenus, differing only by having a vertex twice as wide as an eye, and possibly by having some antennal segments widened and the median carina of the pronotum being slightly elevated in its anterior part. Mazarredia (Rosacris) sobria (Walker, 1871) comb. nov. is transferred to the subgenus Rosacris due to its wide vertex and the anteriorly elevated median carina. The genus Mazarredia includes many species and needs revision.

Review of the Chinese species of the genus Scelimena Serville, 1838 (Tetrigidae: Scelimeninae: Scelimenini).

A brief preliminary revision of the genus Scelimena Serville, 1838 (Tetrigidae: Scelimeninae: Scelimenini) from PR China is presented. Scelimena pyrroma Lao, Kasalo, Gao, Deng et Skejo sp. nov. is described from Hainan, Ding'an, based on a female holotype and a male paratype, and an additional photograph of a female in the natural habitat from Wuzhi National Nature Reserve (Wuzhi-shan Mountain). Specimens of this new species were hitherto reported from Hainan as S. dentiumeris (Hancock, 1907), a species endemic to Borneo. The new species is easily distinguished from its congeners by the presence of prominent yellow humeral tubercles and by the lateral pronotal spines directed forwards. The new species from Hainan and S. chinensis (Hancock, 1915) from Vietnam are assigned to Scelimena producta species group based on the similarity with S. producta (Serville, 1838), which is characterized by the humeral angles with tubercles, wide vertex, and toothed ventral margins of hind femora, while S. boettcheri Günther, 1938 from Palawan is assigned to Scelimena discalis species group, based on the tuberculated median carina. Scelimena dammermanni Günther, 1938, stat. nov., hitherto regarded as a subspecies of S. producta, is elevated to a species level because it lacks ventral spines on the hind legs, present in all S. producta individuals. New synonymy is established: Scelimena melli Günther, 1938, =Scelimena brevispina Cao et Zheng, 2011, syn. nov.; =Scelimena wulingshana Zheng, 1993, syn. nov.; =Eufalconoides guizhouensis Zheng et Shi, 2006, syn. nov. Scelimena melli, S. guangxiensis Zheng et Jiang, 1994 from southern China and S. kempi (Hancock, 1915) from NE India are assigned to S. bellula species group on the basis of similarity to S. bellula Storozhenko et Dawwrueng, 2015. Further research should determine whether S. spicupennis Zheng & Ou, 2003 represents a valid species or a synonym of another Scelimena species, as well as if S. nitidogranulosa Günther, 1938 and S. guangxiensis Zheng & Jiang, 1994 represent separate species or whether they are conspecific. Specimens of S. nitidogranulosa from Hainan reported by Liang & Zheng in 1998 are in fact Platygavialidium sinicum Günther, 1939. Scelimena songkrana Zha et Wen, 2017 is recorded from China for the first time. A key to Scelimena species found in PR China is also provided.

Dravidacris annamalaica gen. et sp. nov. a new pygmy unicorn grasshopper (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae) from South India.

A new pygmy unicorn genus, Dravidacris Bhaskar et Kasalo, gen. nov., and its single species D. annamalaica Bhaskar et Kasalo sp. nov. are described, restricted to the Eastern coast of Tamil Nadu, one of the southern states of India. Dravidarcis gen. nov. is a unique pygmy grasshopper genus with its long, elevated, and projected vertex. Long and dorsally extended flat fastigium of Dravidacris gen. nov. is similar to that of Pseudomitraria from Africa, Rostella from SE Asia, and Indomiriatra from India. However, those species are different and are not closely related. The new genus is easily separated from the genera mentioned above by the shape of the horn, the way the horn is developed, the expression of medial and median carinae, and the shape of the anterior margin of the pronotum. The implications of differing horn morphologies are discussed, and some taxonomic comments are offered.