Diversity and distribution of Orthoptera communities of two adjacent mountains in northern part of the Carpathians

Abstract

During 2013–2017, assemblages of bush-crickets and grasshoppers were surveyed in two neighbouring flysch mountains – Čergov Mts (48 sites) and Levočské vrchy Mts (62 sites) – in northern part of Western Carpathians. Species were sampled mostly at grasslands and forest edges along elevational gradient between 370 and 1220 m a.s.l. Within the entire area (ca 930 km2) we documented 54 species, representing 38% of Carpathian Orthoptera species richness. We found the same species number (45) in both mountain ranges with nine unique species in each of them. No difference in mean species richness per site was found between the mountain ranges (mean ± SD = 12.5 ± 3.9). Elevation explained 2.9% of variation in site species richness. Elevation and mountain range identity explained 7.3% of assemblages composition. We found new latitudinal as well as longitudinal limits in the distribution for several species. Occurrence and distributional patterns of some noteworthy species (Isophya stysi, Pholidoptera transsylvanica, Poecilimon schmidtii, Polysarcus denticauda, Pseudopodisma nagyi, Chorthippus tatrae), as well as habitat specialists (Chorthippus pullus, Tetrix tuerki) are discussed.