A new species of alpine grasshopper of the genus Podismopsis Zubovski, 1900 (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Gomphocerinae) from Central Europe
4 affiliations
- 1University of Ostrava, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology and Ecology, Chittussiho 10, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic University of Ostrava, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology and Ecology Ostrava Czech Republic https://ror.org/00pyqav47
- 2Beleco NGO, Na Zátorce 10, 160 00 Prague, Czech Republic Beleco NGO Prague Czech Republic
- 3Regional Museum in Mikulov, Zámek 1/4, 692 01 Mikulov, Czech Republic Regional Museum in Mikulov Mikulov Czech Republic
- 4Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences Prague Czech Republic https://ror.org/0415vcw02
Abstract
Podismopsis kristinisp. nov. (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Gomphocerinae) is described from the Tatras in Slovakia, representing the seventh European species of the genus Podismopsis Zubovski, 1900, and the first record of the genus from the Western Carpathians. The new species inhabits cold, wind-exposed alpine grasslands at 1,820–1,920 m a.s.l. in the upper part of the Žiar Valley in the Western Tatras and is known only from the type locality. It is diagnosed and distinguished from the other six European congeners (P. frontalis, P. keisti, P. poppiusi, P. relicta, P. styriaca, and P. transsylvanica) by a combination of morphometric and qualitative characters. A DNA barcode based on a partial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) sequence is also provided for molecular identification purposes. The European Podismopsis species exemplify the “sky island” model of allopatric speciation: the genus colonised Central Europe via ice-free Pleistocene steppes and, following postglacial climatic warming, retreated upslope into isolated mountain refugia where reproductive isolation caused by brachyptery subsequently drove species divergence. Given their strict allopatry, low molecular divergence and undifferentiated calling songs, the European species collectively represent semi-species sensu Lorković (1955) forming a superspecies, i.e., lineages in which speciation is still incomplete. We provide an updated identification key to all European Podismopsis species and discuss the biogeographic implications for understanding Quaternary diversification patterns in flightless alpine insects.
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BibTeX
@article{kocarek2026species,
title = {{A new species of alpine grasshopper of the genus Podismopsis Zubovski, 1900 (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Gomphocerinae) from Central Europe}},
author = {Petr Kočárek and Pavel Marhoul and Robert Vlk and Jaroslav Holuša},
journal = {ZooKeys},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3897/zookeys.1295.205424},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1295.205424},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A new species of alpine grasshopper of the genus Podismopsis Zubovski, 1900 (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Gomphocerinae) from Central Europe
AU - Petr Kočárek
AU - Pavel Marhoul
AU - Robert Vlk
AU - Jaroslav Holuša
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
JO - ZooKeys
DO - 10.3897/zookeys.1295.205424
UR - https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1295.205424
AB - Podismopsis kristinisp. nov. (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Gomphocerinae) is described from the Tatras in Slovakia, representing the seventh European species of the genus Podismopsis Zubovski, 1900, and the first record of the genus from the Western Carpathians. The new species inhabits cold, wind-exposed alpine grasslands at 1,820–1,920 m a.s.l. in the upper part of the Žiar Valley in the Western Tatras and is known only from the type locality. It is diagnosed and distinguished from the other six European congeners (P. frontalis, P. keisti, P. poppiusi, P. relicta, P. styriaca, and P. transsylvanica) by a combination of morphometric and qualitative characters. A DNA barcode based on a partial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) sequence is also provided for molecular identification purposes. The European Podismopsis species exemplify the “sky island” model of allopatric speciation: the genus colonised Central Europe via ice-free Pleistocene steppes and, following postglacial climatic warming, retreated upslope into isolated mountain refugia where reproductive isolation caused by brachyptery subsequently drove species divergence. Given their strict allopatry, low molecular divergence and undifferentiated calling songs, the European species collectively represent semi-species sensu Lorković (1955) forming a superspecies, i.e., lineages in which speciation is still incomplete. We provide an updated identification key to all European Podismopsis species and discuss the biogeographic implications for understanding Quaternary diversification patterns in flightless alpine insects.
SN - 1313-2989
SN - 1313-2970
ER -