Publication details
Saranče bělonohá (Chorthippus oschei) – nový druh pro faunu rovnokřídlých (Orthoptera) České republiky
| Title in English | The Carpathian Dancing Grasshopper (Chorthippus oschei) – new species for Orhopteran fauna (Orthoptera) of the Czech Republic |
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| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2017 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | The Carpathian Dancing Grasshopper (Chorthippus oschei) is a sibling species of our common Lesser Marsh Grasshopper (C. albomarginatus) making together interspecific hybrids inside the connection zone of their areas of distribution. Into Central Europe, extends a subspecies C. oschei pusztaensis, whose continuous area of distribution lies southeast of the territory of the Czech Republic (H, RO, MD and UA). The Carpathian Dancing Grasshopper has never been recorded in the Czech Republic, however due to the ongoing spread in Lower Austria it was included into the Atlas of the Orthoptera of the CR (Kočárek et al., 2013) amongst species with an expected occurrence. On 9.vii.2016 one male of the Carpathian Dancing Grasshopper was accidentally captured at the locality of Děvín (Pálava LPA). Due to the altitude (about 530 m) and the steppe character of mainly inappropriate dry locality it is required for this individual to be considered a migrant (vagrant). Coincidentally, the next day we were, together with Austrian colleagues, managed to demonstrate the occurrence of individuals of this species on top of the Braunsberg hill near Hainburg (about 340 m). These unexpected findings have encouraged the authors to survey appropriate sites in the region of South Moravia to find breeding population of the Carpathian Dancing Grasshopper. During the period of 2.viii.-18.ix.2016, at 9 localities, we collected altogether 31 males (and females 20) of the Lesser Marsh Grasshopper with some characters of the Carpathian Dancing Grasshopper. Analysis of the key character, i.e. the number of pegs on the stridulatory file (on the inner side of the hind femora), was performed using a microscope with the attached digital camera. In the same period, at the locality Moravičany (Litovelské Pomoraví LPA) a comparative sample of 33 males of the Lesser Marsh Grasshopper was collected, in which the number of pegs was determined in the same way. While for the Lesser Marsh Grasshopper 104-122 pegs is indicated, we have several males from Moravičany with higher numbers (max. 137, avg. 118.4). In south-moravian populations, the number of pegs (up to 145, avg. 125.0) range is between the numbers reported for the Lesser Marsh Grasshopper (see above) and the Carpathian Dancing Grasshopper (165-186), so they represent (from 61.5%) hybrids. These findings demonstrate that the hybrid zone within a few years has moved from Austria to South Moravia and its northern border could interfere significantly further. |