Bioacoustics, morphology and conservation of the microinsular endemism of the island of Pantelleria Gryllotalpa cossyrensis (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae)

Abstract

The peculiar song of Gryllotalpa cossyrensis, a microinsular endemic to the island of Pantelleria (Sicily, Italy), is here described for the first time. Unlike the few songs known for European species of Gryllotalpa, that emit uninterrupted trills, it consists of an echeme-sequence of fairly uniform echemes usually lasting around 500 msec, at a rate of around 7 every 5 sec.  G. cossyrensis lives in a very small area, namely the muddy shores of the environmentally protected Lake Bagno dell'Acqua (also known as Lago di Venere). This habitat was visited in different times of the year, and the search for juvenile and adult G. cossyrensis specimens did not reveal a clear phenology for the species. The data suggests a two-year life cycle with overlapping generations as known for other Gryllotalpa species. However, the species' songs were only heard in June and July. G. cossyrensis has been classified as a vulnerable species (VU) in the European Red List of Grasshoppers, Crickets and Bush-crickets and the main problems relating to the conservation of this fragile species are described. The male genitalia and stridulatory organs of G. cossyrensis are described for the first time on the basis of the most modern nomenclature.