Xenephias socotranus Kevan, 1973

Felix, Rob, Bouwman, Jaap, Odé, Baudewijn, Ketelaar, Robert, Pham, Duc Minh & Bailey, James, 2025, The grasshoppers and crickets (Orthoptera) of the Socotra Archipelago (Yemen): a comprehensive overview and a description of a new Oecanthus Tree Cricket (Oecanthidae), Contributions to Entomology 75 (1), pp. 21-166 : 21-166

Xenephias socotranus Kevan, 1973

Figs 127 , 128 , 129

References for Socotra.

Kevan 1973: 1169–1173, figs 1, 2; Guichard 1992: 186; Popov 1997: 147–148, figs 76–78; Wranik 2003: 320, plate 154.

Diagnostic notes.

Xenephias socotranus is a medium-sized, typical pyrgomorphid grasshopper with an elongated vertex, downward-facing frons, concave below the eyes and slightly flattened first antenna segments (Fig. 128 ). It resembles a Pyrgomorpha species. but is entirely wingless, featuring a rugose body uniformly adorned with granules.

Taxonomic notes.

Kevan (1973) considered Xenephias a member of the subtribus Sphenexiina , with Sphenexia Karsch, 1896 as its closest relative. The latter genus occurs in coastal forests in East Africa. According to Kevan (1973), this demonstrates the relation of the Socotran Orthoptera to the Ethiopian fauna, as Uvarov and Popov (1957) mentioned earlier.

Distribution and occurrence.

Xenephias is endemic to Socotra and only known from the highest elevations in the Hagher at Adho Dimello, the lower slopes of Mt. Shihali and Mt. Skand (Fig. 129 ). In Mar / Apr 2022, Kay van Damme and Francesca Pella (in litt.) observed a nymph at Mt. Skand (Fig. 127 ).

For remarks on Guichard’s collecting site on Mt. Shihali on 20 April 1967, see the species account of Dioscoridus depressus .

Habitat and biology.

The species strictly occurs above 1000 m a. s. l. in montane forests and shrubland. The only records are from March and April.

Figures

Figure 127. Xenephias socotranus Kevan, 1973, female nymph. Mount Skand, Socotra, Mar / Apr 2022 (photograph Kay van Damme).

Figure 128. Xenephias socotranus Kevan, 1973, male, female, type specimens. A. Male holotype; B. female paratype. Collected on Mt. Shihali, Socotra, in 1967 by Kenneth Guichard. Scale bar: 1 cm (photograph Rob Felix).

Figure 129. Distribution of Xenephias socotranus Kevan, 1973 in the Socotra Archipelago.