Pygmy Locust

Tetrigidae is an ancient family in the order Orthoptera, which also includes similar families such as crickets, grasshoppers, and their allies. Species within the Tetrigidae are variously called groundhoppers, pygmy grasshoppers,Borror DJ, Tripplehorn CA, Johnson NF (1989) An Introduction to the Study of Insects, 6th edition. Harcourt Brace College Publishers. New York. pg 213 pygmy devils or (mostly historical) "grouse locusts".Imms AD, rev. Richards OW & Davies RG (1970) ''A General Textbook of Entomology'' 9th Ed. Methuen 886 pp.

Diagnostic characteristics

Tetrigidae are typically less than 20 mm in length and are recognizable by a long pronotum. This pronotum extends over the length of the abdomen, sometimes to the tip of the wings, and ends in a point. In other Orthoptera, the pronotum is short and covers neither the abdomen nor the wings. Tetrigidae are generally cryptic in coloration. Some species have enlarged pronota that mimic leaves, stones or twigs. Other characteristics pygmy grasshoppers exhibit in comparison to other Orthoptera families are lack of arolium between the clows, first thoracic sternite modified into collar-like structure called sternomentum, tarsal formula 2-2-3, scaly fore wings, and developed hind wings.

General biology

In temperate regions, Tetrigidae are generally found along streams and ponds, where they feed on algae and diatoms.Resh VH, Cardé RT (2003) Encyclopedia of Insects. Academic Press, Amsterdam, pg 839 The North American species ''Paratettix aztecus'' and ''Paratettix mexicanus'', for example, depend on aquatic primary production for between 80% and 100% of their diet. Riparian species are capable of swimming on the surface of the water, and readily leap into the water when alarmedPreston-Mafham K (1990) Grasshoppers and Mantids of the World. Facts of File, New York. pg 32 Some species in the tribe Scelimenini are fully aquatic and capable of swimming underwater.

The highest biodiversity of Tetrigidae is found in tropical forests. Some tropical species are arboreal and live among mosses and lichens or in the canopy, while others live on the forest floor.Grimaldi D, Engel MS (2005) Evolution of the Insects. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. pg 211

Like other Orthoptera, Tetrigidae have a hemimetabolous development, in which eggs hatch into nymphs. Unlike other temperate Orthoptera, however, temperate Tetrigidae generally overwinter as adults.

Some subfamilies within the Tetrigidae, such as the Batrachideinae, are sometimes elevated to family rank besides the Tetrigidae.

''Arulenus miae'' is a pygmy grasshopper species from the tropical mountainous rainforests of the Philippines. The species was firstly discovered in Facebook post.

Etymology

Origin of the name of the family is not completely clear as there are different sources on its etymology. The name may be derived from Latin ''tetricus'' or ''taetricus'', meaning harsh, sour, severe. The name may also originate from the earlier name 'Tettigidae', based on ''Tettix'' (synonym of ''Tetrix''), which was preoccupied by Tettigidae (synonym of Cicadidae). Because of the preoccupation by the cicadas' family name, the second 't' in 'tt' was changed into 'r', resulting in the word Tetrigidae.

Subfamilies and Genera

Approximately 2,000 species have been described; according to the ''Orthoptera Species File'' the following genera are included:

Subfamily

Batrachideinae

Auth.: Bolívar, 1887; selected genera:
* '' Batrachidea'' Serville, 1838
* ''Saussurella'' Bolívar, 1887
* ''Tettigidea'' Scudder, 1862

Subfamily Cladonotinae

Auth.: Bolívar, 1887; selected genera:

Tribe Cladonotini Bolívar, 1887
* '' Cladonotus'' Saussure, 1862
* ''Deltonotus'' Hancock, 1904
* '' Piezotettix'' Bolívar, 1887

Tribe Choriphyllini Cadena-Castañeda & Silva, 2019
# '' Choriphyllum'' Serville, 1838
# '' Phyllotettix'' Hancock, 1902

Tribe Valalyllini Deranja, Kasalo, Adžić, Franjević & Skejo, 2022
# '' Lepocranus'' Devriese, 1991
# '' Valalyllum'' Deranja, Kasalo, Adžić, Franjević & Skejo, 2022

Tribe Xerophyllini Günther, 1979
SE Asia - selected genera:
* ''Potua'' Bolívar, 1887 (genus group)
* '' Xerophyllum'' Fairmaire, 1846

Tribe Unassigned
* ''Austrohancockia'' Günther, 1938
* '' Cota'' Bolívar, 1887
* ''Epitettix'' Hancock, 1907
* ''Nesotettix'' Holdhaus, 1909

Subfamily Lophotettiginae

Auth.: Hancock, 1909
* ''Lophotettix'' Hancock, 1909
* '' Phelene'' Bolívar, 1906

Subfamily

Metrodorinae

Auth.: Bolívar, 1887; selected genera:

Tribe Amorphopini Günther, 1939
* '' Amorphopus'' Serville, 1838

Tribe Cleostratini Hancock, 1907

* ''Cleostratus (insect)'' Stål, 1877 (Philippines)

Tribe Clinophaestini Storozhenko, 2013
* '' Birmana'' Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1893
* '' Clinophaestus'' Storozhenko, 2013

Tribe Miriatrini Cadena-Castañeda & Cardona, 2015 (monotypic)
* '' Miriatra'' Bolívar, 1906

Tribe Ophiotettigini Tumbrinck & Skejo, 2017
* '' Ophiotettix'' Walker, 1871
* '' Uvarovithyrsus'' Storozhenko, 2016

Tribe Unassigned
* ''Bolivaritettix'' Günther, 1939
* ''Cleostratoides'' Storozhenko, 2013
* ''Crimisus'' Bolívar, 1887
* ''Hildegardia (insect)'' Günther, 1974
* '' Holocerus'' Bolívar, 1887
* ''Macromotettix'' Günther, 1939
* ''Mazarredia'' Bolívar, 1887
* '' Pseudoparatettix'' Günther, 1937
* ''Pseudoxistrella'' Liang, 1991
* ''Vaotettix'' Podgornaya, 1986

Subfamily

Scelimeninae

Auth.: Hancock, 1907
Tribe Scelimenini Hancock, 1907; selected genera:
* ''Amphibotettix'' Hancock, 1906
* ''Austrohancockia'' Günther, 1938
* ''Bidentatettix'' Zheng, 1992
* ''Discotettix'' Costa, 1864
* ''Gavialidium'' Saussure, 1862
* ''Scelimena'' Serville, 1838
''incertae sedis''
* ''Zhengitettix'' Liang, 1994

Subfamily

Tetriginae

Auth.: Serville, 1838

Tribe Dinotettigini Günther, 1979
* '' Afrocriotettix'' Günther, 1938
* '' Dinotettix'' Bolívar, 1905
* '' Ibeotettix'' Rehn, 1930
* '' Lamellitettix'' Hancock, 1904
* '' Marshallacris'' Rehn, 1948
* '' Pseudamphinotus'' Günther, 1979

Tribe Tetrigini Serville, 1838
* '' Clinotettix'' Bei-Bienko, 1933
* ''Coptotettix'' Bolívar, 1887
* ''Euparatettix'' Hancock, 1904
* '' Exothotettix'' Zheng & Jiang, 1993
* '' Hydrotetrix'' Uvarov, 1926
* ''Paratettix'' Bolívar, 1887
* '' Tetrix'' Latreille, 1802 (synonym ''Depressotetrix'' Karaman, 1960)
* '' Thibron'' Rehn, 1939

Tribe unassigned:
* ''Aalatettix'' Zheng & Mao, 2002
* '' Alulatettix'' Liang, 1993
* '' Ankistropleuron'' Bruner, 1910
* '' Bannatettix'' Zheng, 1993
* ''Bienkotetrix'' Karaman, 1965
* '' Bufonides'' Bolívar, 1898
* '' Carolinotettix'' Willemse, 1951
* '' Coptottigia'' Bolívar, 1912
* '' Cranotettix'' Grant, 1955
* ''Ergatettix'' Kirby, 1914
* '' Flatocerus'' Liang & Zheng, 1984
* '' Formosatettix'' Tinkham, 1937
* '' Formosatettixoides'' Zheng, 1994
* '' Gibbotettix'' Zheng, 1992
* ''Hedotettix'' Bolívar, 1887
* '' Leptacrydium'' Chopard, 1945
* '' Macquillania'' Günther, 1972
* '' Micronotus'' Hancock, 1902
* '' Neocoptotettix'' Shishodia, 1984
* '' Neotettix'' Hancock, 1898
* ''Nomotettix'' Morse, 1894
* '' Ochetotettix'' Morse, 1900
* ''Oxyphyllum'' Hancock, 1909
* '' Phaesticus'' Uvarov, 1940
* '' Sciotettix'' Ichikawa, 2001
* '' Stenodorus'' Hancock, 1906
* '' Teredorus'' Hancock, 1907
* '' Tettiella'' Hancock, 1909
* '' Tettiellona'' Günther, 1979
* '' Uvarovitettix'' Bazyluk & Kis, 1960
* '' Xiaitettix'' Zheng & Liang, 1993

Subfamily Tripetalocerinae

Auth.: Bolívar, 1887
Tripetalocerinae was originally described by Bolívar in 1887 to gather all the Tetrigidae genera of the old world with widened antennae (e.g. ''Arulenus, Discotettix, Hirrius, Ophiotettix, Tripetalocera''). This subfamily today includes only two species in two genera - '' Tripetalocera'' (with one species) from India and Borneo and ''Tripetaloceroides'' (with one species) from Vietnam and PR China. Members of the subfamily are characteristic within Tetrigidae by massive antennae built up of only eight segments (other Tetrigidae have usually 11-16, Batrachideinae 18-22). Till recently, the subfamily included two tribes - Tripetalocerini and Clinophaestini (including '' Clinophaestus'' and '' Birmana''), but the later was moved to the subfamily Metrodorinae due to similarity to Ophiotettigini.

* '' Tripetalocera'' - monotypic '' Tripetalocera ferruginea'' Westwood, 1834
* ''Tripetaloceroides'' Storozhenko, 2013 - monotypic ''Tripetaloceroides tonkinensis'' (Günther, 1938)

Subfamily unassigned

Criotettigini

Auth. Kevan, 1966
* ''Criotettix'' Bolívar, 1887
* '' Dasyleurotettix'' Rehn, 1904

Thoradontini

Auth. Kevan, 1966
* ''Eucriotettix'' Hebard, 1930
* ''Loxilobus'' Hancock, 1904
* ''Thoradonta'' Hancock, 1909

Subfamily and tribe unassigned

* '' Bolotettix'' Hancock, 1907
* '' Cyphotettix'' Rehn, 1952
* †'' Eozaentetrix'' Zessin, 2017
* '' Euloxilobus'' Sjöstedt, 1936
* '' Paramphinotus'' Zheng, 2004
* '' Peronotettix'' Rehn, 1952
* '' Phaesticus'' Uvarov, 1940 (synonym ''Flatocerus'' Liang & Zheng, 1984)
* '' Probolotettix'' Günther, 1939
* '' Pseudosystolederus'' Günther, 1939
* '' Syzygotettix'' Günther, 1938
* '' Tettitelum'' Hancock, 1915
* ''† Archaeotetrix'' Sharov, 1968
* ''† Prototetrix'' Sharov, 1968

References

External links

*
*
Pygmy locustsBugGuide.net

{{Taxonbar, from=Q768200

Orthoptera families
Extant Triassic first appearances