New data on the distribution of Orthoptera (Caelifera, Ensifera) from eastern Morocco with notes on chorology

Abstract

Summary New faunistic and distributional data are provided on grasshopper and cricket fauna from the Oriental region of Morocco, a poorly studied area, covering 88,681 km2. An annotated list of 62 species, belonging to 41 genera and 10 families, is given. Fourteen species are newly recorded for the Oriental region. Moreover, at least 14 taxa are rediscovered in whole Morocco more than 30 years after their last record. Finally, we add new distribution records for the previously known species, including pest ones such as Schistocerca gregaria and Dociostaurus maroccanus. In a context of mainly arid steppe landscape, the richness of stations increases with annual rainfall and follows the Mid-Domain effect with altitude. We found a clear dominance of the Palearctic elements, mainly Mediterranean, with a high proportion of endemic species. This chorotype pattern is similar to patterns observed for other insect groups in the same study area.