The Distribution of Gomphocerinae Taxa in the Black Sea Region of Turkey: The Role of Vegetations and Elevations

Abstract

In the conducting the present study, the Gomphocerinae specimens were collected from June to September between 2003 and 2017 according to factors such as the Black Sea Region's topography, its vegetation and altitudes. A total of 207 different localities (including 70 main localities) from 25 provinces in region (7 of them from neighbour to region provinces) were visited. Approximately 5991 adult sample belonging to Gomphocerinae subfamily were collected from the Black Sea region. The collected samples comprised 53 Gomphocerinae taxa, belonging to 17 genera. The total number of Gomphocerinae taxa in the study area reached to 59 with six species from the literature. According to data from this study and other literature, the Black sea region ranks first among the geographical regions of Turkey with regard to the presence of the Gomphocerinae genera and its species number. It has been determined that some 17 species in area belong to Europe (Boreal) sub-region in Palaearctic. The data reveal that the Gomphocerinae taxa prefers mostly altitudes ranging between 600 and 2250 meters in Castanetum zone, Broad-leaf deciduous forest zone, and subalpine meadows in this elevational range. According to all data from this study, the Gomphocerinae taxa prefer the Black Sea Region as refugia.