Steppe Dybka / Ayman Katydid / Matriarchal Katydid, Predatory Bush Cricket
Steppe Katydid
Status: Category II (VU Alc; B2ab(iii,iv); D1+2). A relic steppe species with decreasing numbers; included in the Red Book of the USSR in 1984 (Category II) [26], in IUCN RLTS (Category VU B1+2bd based on an assessment conducted in 1996) [76], and in the Red Book of the Republic of Uzbekistan (Category EN D) [23]. The only one of 12 species of the genus that extends beyond the Mediterranean region.
Brief description of the adult stage appearance. The largest species of orthopterans in the republic, body length (excluding ovipositor) 53-80 mm. The body is elongated, slender, green or yellowish in color, with two light stripes running along the lower edge of the pronotum and along the sides of all abdominal segments. The forehead is strongly sloped. The front and middle femora have many strong spines; the hind femora are long, thin, and non-jumping. The ovipositor is three times longer than the pronotum. These insects lack wings, with only small rudiments occasionally preserved.
General distribution and in the country. Southern Europe (including the Iberian, Apennine, Balkan (excluding Greece), and Crimean peninsulas), Eastern Transcaucasia, Kazakhstan, the republics of Central Asia, Altai, and the southern part of Western Siberia within the steppe and forest-steppe zones [26, 46, 21]. In Kyrgyzstan: Uzun-Akhmat gorge, northern slope of the Kyrgyz Range, and Chui Valley (Archaly gorge, Taldybulak gorge, Sosnovka village) [42, 45].
Habitat. The Steppe Katydid inhabits dry steppe biotopes. In the mountains, it rises to the belt of dry steppes, inhabiting well-warmed slopes.
Population. Extremely low, recorded irregularly [45].
Life style (life cycles). The species is characterized by parthenogenetic reproduction, with males being extremely rare. The generation is annual, with eggs overwintering in the soil, undergoing 8 molts during development, and starting to lay eggs 3-4 weeks after the last molt. This occurs in the evening or at night, which is typical for this genus. First, the female uses her antennae to choose a suitable place, then probes the soil with the tip of her ovipositor. Then, burrowing the ovipositor into the ground, she lays an average of 7 eggs, placing them at various depths. Egg-laying continues periodically until autumn [47]. The larvae and imagos, like mantises, are ambush predators, active at night, hunting insects - orthopterans and mantises [23]. They can sit motionless in the grass or on a bush for hours, waiting for their prey.
Limiting factors. The population and range are decreasing due to the disappearance of natural habitats, primarily due to the plowing of steppe areas, as well as intensive livestock grazing. The application of insecticides at certain times is also significant.
Breeding (keeping in captivity). Not conducted.
Existing conservation measures. The Steppe Katydid was included in the Red Book of the republic in 1985 [60], but real protection for this species is not being implemented.
Recommended conservation measures. Urgent creation of micro-reserves in the habitats of the Steppe Katydid is necessary, prohibiting shrub clearing, livestock grazing, haymaking, and pesticide treatments. Due to the natural rarity of the Steppe Katydid, it is necessary to clarify its current distribution.
Ayman Chigirke
Matriarchal Katydid, Predatory Bush Cricket
Saga pedo (Pallas, 1771)
Status: Vulnerable (VU A1c; B2ab(iii,iv); D1+2 - Category II), a naturally rare widespread (from Southwestern Europe up to Southwestern Siberia) species, which is included in IUCN RLST and some regional Red Lists; populations are mosaic-distributed on lands under economic development; it is the largest orthopteroid and the only representative of the family in the fauna of the country; it has aesthetic value and scientific zoogeographical importance and for the preservation of the regional genetic fund. It is a parthenogenetic species, a predator at all stages, monovoltine, imagos occur up to autumn; the species inhabits foothills and piedmonts with steppe vegetation, and has been registered (as single specimens) in Kyrgyzstan at only four sites. Limiting factors: development of virgin lands, plowing, excessive pasture, and pesticide treatments. At present, it is out of any protection, though it was included in the Red Book of the country in 1985. To conserve the species, urgent creation of micro-reservations (with prohibition of plowing, pasture, and haymaking, and averting fire) and study of the current distribution in Kyrgyzstan are necessary.
