The status of some taxa related to Miramella irena (Fruhstorfer) and the type of Kisella Harz (Caelifera: Acrididae: Melanoplinae)

Abstract

The present paper provides taxonomic notes on four taxa of the genus Miramella Dovnar-Zapolskij, 1933. Two species, M. irena (Fruhstorfer) and M. carinthiaca (Obenberger), which have often been confused are keyed out and illustrated. A neotype is designated for M. carinthiaca to provide a firm basis for the application of this name. We also show that this name has wrongly been attributed to Puschnig, 1910 (instead of Obenberger, 1926) by all subsequent authors. The currently accepted interpretation of the two taxa furthermore requires the designation of a lectotype for Pezotettix alpinus collinus Brunner von Wattenwyl in Künstler, 1864, which is thus fixed as a junior synonym of M. alpina (Kollar, 1833). Finally, the type species of the subgenus Kisella Harz, 1973 of Miramella, M. carinthiaca (Obenberger) [= Podisma alpina carinthiaca Obenberger, 1926], had been misidentified by Harz. We therefore validly fix the taxonomic taxon involved in the misidentification, M. irena (Fruhstorfer) [= Podisma alpina irena Fruhstorfer, 1921], as the type species of Kisella.