Salmanihippus Mol, Taylan & Şirin, 2025

Salmanihippus Mol, Taylan & Şirin , new genus

Type species.— Aeropedellus turcicus Karabağ, 1959

Diagnosis.— The new genus shows morphological similarity to the genera Gomphocerus , Gomphocerippus , and Aeropedellus . The new genus Salmanihippus differs from Gomphocerus by the absence of a distinctly elevated pronotum and by the straight shape of the fore femur, whereas in Gomphocerus the pronotum is markedly elevated and the fore femur is pear-shaped and differs from Gomphocerippus Roberts, 1941 in the position of the typical median sulcus, which intersects the median carina posterior to the middle, whereas in Gomphocerippus the typical sulcus crosses the pronotum at midlength ( Bei-Bienko and Mistshenko 1951; Mol et al., 2023). The new genus shares several morphological similarities with Aeropedellus , including clavate (club-shaped) antennae, a flat (nonhumped) pronotum in males, a typical sulcus intersecting the pronotum posterior to the median region, the tegmina of females touching dorsally, and a subgenital plate in females exhibiting an apical to proximal indentation (with the exception of Aeropedellus ningxiaensis Zheng , A. prominemarginis Zheng , and A. helanshanensis Zheng ) ( Bei-Bienko and Mistshenko 1951; Yin and Xia, 2003). Nevertheless, the population from Trabzon Zigana Mountains differs from Aeropedellus species by the absence of a prosternal tubercle (which is present in Aeropedellus ), the precostal area of the tegmina extending beyond the midline (whereas in Aeropedellus species it reaches at most the midline), and the lateral colouration of the tenth tergite in males matching the body colour (contrasting with the black colouration observed in Aeropedellus species).

Description.—Head short. Eyes located in the middle of the head. Vertex short. Antennae long, cylindrical, and clavate in both sexes, surpassing the posterior tip of the pronotum in males and reaching or not reaching it in females. Labium not reaching the middle of the prothorax in both sexes, beak-shaped and with a small external lobe. Pronotum with distinct lateral carina, it is close to median carinae in front of typical transversal sulcus. A typical transversal sulcus cuts the pronotum anteriorly in the median. The anterior part of the pronotum is expanded forwards.

Tegmina and alae well developed. Tegmina does not reach the tip of the posterior femur, does not reach the tip of the abdomen in the female, and touches/does not touch each other dorsally in the female. Alae are shorter than tegmina in both sexes. The precostal field of the tegmina surpasses the middle of the tegmina. The cubital-1 and cubital-2 fields of the tegmina are separate from each other; the anterior tibia is slightly swollen in both sexes. The hind tarsus of the first segment, except for the claws, is less than or equal to the sum of the other two segments. Prosternum without tubercle in anterior. Metasternum with separate lobes in both sexes. Tympanal opening in first abdominal segment, well developed, partly closed. The last abdominal tergite is of the same colour as in males. In the female, the subgenital plate is recessed posteriorly in the middle.

Habitus .— Specimens of the new genus were collected from subalpine meadow vegetation in Zigana Mountain ( Gümüşhane province) , Soğanlı Pass ( Bayburt province), and Eğribel Pass ( Giresun province).

Etymology.— The new genus name refers to Prof. Dr. Selahattin SALMAN who made significant contributions to the Turkish Orthoptera fauna.