Gli Ortotteri di Sicilia: check-list commentata.

The author analyses all the bibliographic references on Sicilian Orthoptera and many unpublished data, with which he carries out an annotated check-list of species so far known in the island. On the whole, 127 species of Or- thoptera are currently known in Sicily (including small islands surrounding it), belonging to 83 genera (on aver- age, 1.5 species per genus). The biogeographic origin is very wide and includes euro-asiatic, as well as mediterranean and african genera. The following species are the sole italian representatives of related genera: Ephippigerida nigromarginata (Lucas, 1849) (the genus is ibero-maghrebian), Grylloderes brunneri (Riggio, 1888) (the genus covers Africa and tropical Asia), Ocneridia nigropunctata (Lucas, 1849) (North african genus) and Brachycrotaphus tryxalicerus (Fischer, 1854) (genus widespread in Africa and tropical Asia). Additionally, a recently discovered species, Incertana drepanensis (Massa, Fontana et Buzzetti, 2006) could be included within exclusive italian representative genera; in fact, the genus includes species covering Iberian peninsula, North Africa and Middle East (plus a hymalaian species). Also in this case, Sicily is the only italian region holding this taxon. 20 species (15.7%) represent the endemism; they, together with taxa above cited, are important evidences of very peculiar biogeographic connections, which involved Sicily. To preserve them and their habitats, they could be listed within the Annexes II and IV of Habitat Directive.