Wiederfund von Chrysochraon dispar dispar und Conocephalus dorsalis in Südtirol

In 2006 two species of grasshoppers, Chrysochraon dispar dispar and Conocephalus dorsalis, were observed in a fen near the locality Tschengls (community of Laas), the so called „Schgumser Möser“, which had been regarded as missing in South Tyrol for decades. Both species are reported in the literature only for wet grasslands in the area around the actual site, but have disappeared there because of destruction of suitable habitats. The populations of Chrysochraon dispar dispar and Conocephalus dorsalis inhabiting the „Schgumser Möser“ are the only known in South Tyrol. In the case of Ch. dispar dispar it is one of only 3 recorded populations in Italy. Ch. dispar dispar has been classified in the Red List of threatened animals of South Tyrol as „endangered“. However, the current state of the population necessitates reclassifying the species as „critically endangered“. The same holds for Conocephalus dorsalis, which is being classified for the first time.