803 



A CONTRIBUTION TO OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE 



ORTHOPTERA ACRIDIODEA 



OF MESOPOTAMIA AND N. W. PERSIA. 



By 



b. p. uvarov, f.e.s. 



The material for this publication was collected by Dr. P. A. Buxton and Mr. 

 W. Edgar Evans during their active service with the Mesopotamian Force, and 

 Icindly submitted to me for working out. As the Orthopteran faima of Western 

 Asia has always interested me very much, I am extremely obliged to Dr. Buxton 

 •and Mr. Evans for placing this material at my disposal. The spelling of native 

 geographical names adopted by me in the following list is generally in accordance 

 with the map of N. W. Persia, issued with Dr. Buxton's article on the Birds 

 of N. W. Persia in this number and with the map of Mesopotamia which was 

 published with Capt. R. E. Cheesman"s on the mammals of Mesopotamia. In 

 some instances, however, I used somewhat different spelling ; thus, instead*, 

 4)azvin — Kazvin ; Talish — Talysh. 



List of Species. 



1. Paratettix meridionalis Ramb. — Numerous specimens from Amara, 



Baghdad, Enzeli and Qurnah (side of stream). 



2. Acrida. turrita deserti,\]\dii:oY'\ . — This desert race of common Acrida 



turrita, St., has been described by myself from Eastern Transcaucasia 

 and Transcaspia ; in Dr. Buxton's collection there is a pair (1 1^, 1$ ) of 

 the same from Kazvin taken, 17 — 20-7-19, so it is obvious that it is 

 distributed over Persia as well. 



3. Acridella mi?} iata (K\ug).- — Garden by Tigris, below Amara, 3-6-18, 1 (^ 



taken by W. E. Evans. The species is known from Algeria, Egypt, 

 Arabia and Beluchistan ; I have also seen the specimens from Palestine. 



4. Acndella robusta (Vvarox).— Amara, 5—14-6-18, 3^$, taken by Dr- 



Buxton. I know this species, previously described by myself I from 

 Eastern Transcaucasia and from different localities of Kurdistan and 

 Persia. It is now evident that it is distributed all over the Persian and 

 IVIesopotamian deserts. 



.5. Duroniella fracta (Krauss).— Garden above Amara, 9-4-18 (Mr, Evans). 



•6. Ochrilidia tibialis, Fieb.— Baghdad, 23-9-17. (Dr. Buxton); Amara, 

 20-10-17 (Dr. Buxton); garden above Amara, 28-6-18 (Mr. Evans); 

 Chahala, nr. Amara, among grass, 30-10-17. 



7. Parapleurus alliaceus. Germ.— Enzeli, 20-6—10-7-19 (Dr. Buxton). This 

 species is boreal in its origin and has not been known as yet from the 

 Southern shore of the Caspian Sea ; the whole fauna of this locality 

 (Gilan) is remarkable for the presence of several truly boreal forms. 



^. Stauroderus bicolor (Cliarp.).— Persia ; Menjil, Safid-Rud, 27-1-19 (Dr. 

 Buxton); Mesopotamia ; Jebel Hamrin, N. E. of Baghdad, 26-9-18 fak- 

 i-Girreh, W. Persia, grassy ledges, limestone chffs, 15-1-19 (Mr. £vans\ 



9. Dociostaurus anatolicus (Krauss).— Kazvin, 4,000 ft., 25-H— 7-9-19 (Dr. 

 Buxton). 



* See papers on Birds of N. W. Persia by P. A. Buxton puWi^^hed in this number, 

 -and Birds of Mesopotamia by C. B. Ticehurst which will shortly a i pear. 

 t Revue Russe d' Entomologie, xvi., 1916, p. 10. 

 t 1. c. p. 8 {Ai'rida rohusla). 

 ?0 



