O. Merkl szerk.: Folia Entomologica Hungarica 68. (Budapest, 2007)

FOLIA ENTOMOLOGICA HUNGARICA ROVARTANI KÖZLEMÉNYEK Volume 68 2007 pp. 55-59. Morphological comparison of the eggs of Saga pedo, S. natoliae, S. rammei, and S. campbelli campbelli (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) B. KOLICS

1

*, E. KONDOROSY

1

, D. CHOBANOV

2 & T. MÜLLER

1,3 Gannon University, Georgikon Faculty of Agriculture, H-8360 Keszthely, Deák F, u. 16, Hungary. E-mail: bkolics@gmail.hu, konSS7S@ella.hu 2 Institute of Zoology, BAS, 1 Blvd. Tzar Osvoboditel, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria. E-mail: dchobanov@gmail.com "'Szent István University, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, H-2103 Gödöllő,, Páter K. u. L, Hungary. E-mail: muller.tamas@mkk.szie.hu Abstract - Morphometric characteristics were measured of eggs of four Saga species (Saga pedo, S. natoliae, S. rammei, and 5. campbelli campbelli). Dimensions of the eggs and number of micropyles together are specific for every Saga species. Statistic differences were found in eggs' weight and number of micropyles among all Saga species. There was, however, some crossfading in the length and width of eggs of S. natoliae and S. pedo. For the obligatory parthenogenic S. pedo only, a lack of the micropyle was typical and very common (54% in all of the eggs). All other species develop micropyles in different numbers (3-26). Morphometric characteristics of the eggs of S. c. campbelli and S. rammei are first provided. With one figure and one table. Keywords - Egg, measurements, Saga pedo, S. natoliae, S. rammei, S. campbelli campbelli. INTRODUCTION The genus Saga CHARPENTIER, 1825 involves 13 species of which six inhabit in Europe. They are sexual species, except S.pedo (PALLAS, 1771), which is known to be the only obligate parthenogenic, and tetraploid species (MATTHEY 1946). The most comprehensive morphological and ecological description of Saga species was first given by KALTENBACH (1967, 1970). * corresponding author