Poecilimon (Poecilimon) varicornis (De Haan, 1843)

3.5. Poecilimon (Poecilimon) varicornis View in CoL https://orthoptera.speciesfile.org/otus/847284/overview ( De Haan, 1843)

Locusta (Ephippigera [sic]) varicornis Haan, 1843: 185; Barbitistes varicornis ( Haan, 1843) in Kirby, 1906: 381; Poecilimon varicornis ( Haan, 1843) in Ramme, 1933: 519; Poecilimon varicornis ( Haan, 1843) in Fontana & Buzzetti, 2004: 449; Poecilimon varicornis ( Haan, 1843) in Sevgili et al. 2018: 33.

Remarks.

The available materials formerly identified under this taxon do not clearly elucidate its type locality (Lebanon-Syria), current distribution, and morphology. The holotype label reads ‘ Syria’, while later material originates from Lebanon. However, the collection event and description significantly precede the establishment of Lebanon as a state. As Ramme (1933) suggested and subsequently Fontana and Buzzetti (2004) confirmed, the locality of Locusta (Ephippigera) trilineata De Haan, 1843 from Tripoli was mistakenly referred by De Haan to the African coast, while it should refer to the city now in Lebanon. Based on personal communication by Klaus-Gerhard Heller, the collector of the type material of P. varicornis – Christian Ehrenberg may have not visited present-day Syria ( Ehrenberg and Hemprich 1828), and thus the locality ‘ Syria’ may be within the present borders of Lebanon.

Ramme (1933) wrote “ Through a large series of this species, which has never been reported again and which was excellently preserved, in contrast to the poorly preserved and heavily darkened specimens of Ehrenberg, which Ebner collected on August 8, 1932 in Lebanon near Beharré (foot of the Zedernpass, 2100–2200 m) …, I am now able to give an accurate description of this beautiful species ” (pers. comm. and translation by K. - G. Heller). However, the male collected by Ehrenberg from ‘ Syria’ has cercus (see Cigliano et al. 2024 – OSF online and Fig. 5 A 2 View Figure 5 ) that significantly differ from those of the specimen from Lebanon depicted by Sevgili et al. (2018). Hence, the situation is still unclear and may concern two distinct taxa, whose taxonomic belonging needs further studies including newly collected material. Fresh specimens were not available to study DNA and to include in phylogenetic analyses.

Distribution.

The type locality of the species was reported as ‘ Syria’ but see above.