MORPHOLOGICAL AND ALLOZYME VARIATION IN THE EPHIPPIGER-EPHIPPIGER COMPLEX (ORTHOPTERA, TETTIGONIOIDEA)

A number of (sub)species of Ephippiger ephippiger are analysed for geographical variation in morphological characters and allozyme frequencies. About 700 specimens from 33 sites, mainly from the southern part of France, are studied. Genetic distances are very low. All characters show clinical variation, but most clines differ from each other. It is concluded that within the material studied no species nor subspecies can be distinguished: there are only a great number of local forms without taxonomic status. The taxa E. cruciger, E. cunii and E. ephippiger moralesagacinoi have to be suppressed. Instead there is only one very polymorphic species. Traditionally this taxon should be called E. ephippiger vitium complex, but according to KRUSEMAN (1988) the name E. ephippiger diurnus Dufour 1841 should be used