Abstract
Phonochorion Uvarov (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) is a little known genus consisting of three species: Ph. satunini, Ph. artvinensis and Ph. uvarovi. The objective of this study is to conduct a thorough distributional, taxonomic and system- atic revision of the genus Phonochorion using both bioacustic and external morphological characters. Field surveys indicate that the genus is distributed from the Trabzon region of Turkey to the Khulo province of Georgia however the exact limit of the eastern dis- tribution of the genus remains unknown. Phonochorion species occur only on the northern slopes of the East Black Sea and Lesser Caucasus Mountains. The Coruh Valley, which seprates the East Black Sea and Lesser Caucasus Mountain ranges, seems to be an effective physical and climatic barrier and determines the distribution of these species. Ph. uvarovi can clearly be distinguished from Ph. satunini and Ph. artvinensis by the calling songs of males and external morphological characters. Ph. artvinensis and Ph. satunini differ in several taxonomic characters but the males have virtually identical calling songs. From a character evolution per- spective, although geographically more distant, Ph. satunini is more closely related to Ph. uvarovi than Ph. artvinensis. Morpho- logical similarities in several characters indicate Phonochorion to be most closely related to Polysarcus zacharovi and the Poecilimon heroicus-group. Within the genus Phonochorion, song structure and morphological characters clearly indicate Ph. uvarovi to be the basal taxon.
Highlights
The genus Phonochorion (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) is a little known group endemic to the East Black Sea and Lesser Caucasus mountains in North East Turkey and Western Georgia (Fig. 1)
The objective of this study is to conduct a thorough revision of the taxonomy, systematics and distribution of the genus Phonochorion in order to clarify the taxonomic status and distribution of each of the species
This paper presents results on the total range of the genus, geographic distribution of individual species and species delimitation based on calling songs and external morphological characters
Summary
The genus Phonochorion (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) is a little known group endemic to the East Black Sea and Lesser Caucasus mountains in North East Turkey and Western Georgia (Fig. 1). Three species are described for this genus: Ph. satunini Uvarov, 1916 (type specimen), Ph. artvinensis Bei-Bienko, 1954 and Ph. uvarovi Karaba÷, 1956. The information on the distribution and range of the genus is poor as there are only a few locality records. Apart from its type locality (SW, Jugum Adzaricum 1959 m, 16.viii.1902) there are no other records of Ph. satunini for Georgia, Karaba÷ (1956), Heller (1990) and later Ünal (2005) record the same species from Turkey (økizdere-Rize and Yusufeli-Artvin). Ph. uvarovi was initially recorded from økizdere-Rize by Karaba÷ (1956) and later by Heller (1990) from the same locality. Current data would seem to suggest that Ph. satunini is distributed from Georgia to the økizdere region of Turkey, where it occurs sympatrically with Ph. uvarovi. The third species of the genus, Ph. artvinensis, has only been recorded once in the Yalnizçam
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