O. Merkl szerk.: Folia Entomologica Hungarica 68. (Budapest, 2007)
56 B. Kolics, E. Kondorosy, D. Chobanov & T. Müller The eggs of Saga species are amongst the largest insect eggs in Europe. Due to their enormous size, they are ideal objects of determining ootaxonomic criteria. The dark brown or greenish eggs have an elongated oval shape with well-distinguishable posterior and anterior end. Numerous micropyles are located at the anterior portion of the eggs. Some morphometric characteristics of eggs of S. natoliae SERVILLE, 1839, S. epphipigera FISCHER DE WALDHEIM, 1846 and S. pedo were described by SÄNGER & FíELFERT (1994). Few data about S. pedo eggs were mentioned also in SCHALL (2002) and KRISTIN & KANUCH (2007). The aim of this work is to make a comparison of the morphology of the eggs of S. pedo, S. natoliae, S. rammei KALTENBACH, 1865, and S. campbelli campbelli UVAROV, 1921. MATERIALS AND METHODS Length, width, weight and the number of micropyles of eggs were evaluated according to ootaxonomic criteria by SÄNGER & HELFERT ( 1994). Four females of S. rammei and two females of S. natoliae were collected in Macedonia (Stip Municipality, Ovce Polje) at about 250-300 m a. s. 1. Two females of S. c. campbelli were collected in SW Bulgaria, Kresna (Maleshevska) on a plateau at Görna Breznica of about 800 m. S. pedo is on the CORINE list, mentioned in the Annex II of the Bern Convention, and according to IUCN it is listed as vulnerable; the species is protected in Hungary, too (RAKONCZAY 1989, KlSBENEDEK 1997). Therefore, to collect the latter species, permission was needed according to which four individuals were allowed to be collected. These specimens originate from the Mecsek Mountains (Kis-Tubes) and Keszthely Mountains (Tátika), Hungary. Furthermore, we had S. pedo eggs from two more specimens from the colony kept by Dr. BARNABÁS NAGY, deriving from a third location in Hungary (Buda Hills: Nagy-Szénás). The animals were kept in cages of 30x30x40 cm. S. rammei, S. c. campbelli and 5. natoliae copulated with conspecific males originating from the same locality. Roast sand was used as a material for laid eggs, which was kept humid during the whole life of the insects. Eggs of S. pedo were removed from the soil each day —if any —and measured in 24 h after oviposition. In case of the sexual species, eggs were collected after the death of the females examined. All these eggs were kept at 24 °C from the first oviposition until measurement. Weighing of the eggs was carried out with the analytical balance (PRECISA 240A ± 0.01 mg). Length and width of the eggs were measured with the censor of an OLYMPUS PM 10 AK stereomicroscope with a confidency of + 0.05 and ±0.1 mm of the width and length, respectively. Micropyles of eggs were also counted using an OLYMPUS PM 10 AK stereomicroscope. We considered structures on the eggs to be micropyle after the description of SÄNGER & HELFERT (1994). All values were expressed as mean ± standard deviation (SD). Morphometric characterisation of Saga eggs were compared using one-way ANOVA (Tukey test) in level of P<0.05.
