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Wikipedia / Tetrigidae

Tetrigidae is an ancient family in the order Orthoptera, which also includes similar families such as cricketss, grasshoppers, and their allies. Species within the Tetrigidae are variously called groundhoppers, pygmy grasshoppers, pygmy devils or (mostly historical) "grouse locusts".

Diagnostic characteristics

Tetrigidae are typically less than 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 the lack of an arolium between the claws, the first thoracic sternite being modified into collar-like structure called sternomentum, a tarsal formula of 2-2-3, scaly fore -wings, and developed hindwings.

General biology

In temperate regions, Tetrigidae are generally found along streams and ponds, where they feed on algae and diatoms. The North American species Paratettix aztecus and Paratettix mexicanus, for example, depend on aquatic primary production for between 80% and 100% of their diet. Detritus, moss and fungal hyphae also dominates the diet in many species. Riparian species are capable of swimming on the surface of the water, and readily leap into the water when alarmed 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 in tree buttresses or in the canopy, while others live on the forest floor.

Like other Orthoptera, Tetrigidae have a hemimetabolous development, in which eggss hatch into nymphss. 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, tribes and selected genera

More than 320 genera in 10 subfamilies have been described; according to the Orthoptera Species File the following are included:

Subfamily BatrachideinaeBatrachideinae

Source:

Auth.: Bolívar, 1887; selected genera:

Subfamily CladonotinaeCladonotinae

Auth.: Bolívar, 1887; selected genera:

  1. Tribe Cladonotini

  2. Cladonotus Saussure, 1862

  3. Deltonotus Hancock, 1904

  4. Piezotettix Bolívar, 1887

  5. Tribe Choriphyllini

  6. Choriphyllum Serville, 1838

  7. Phyllotettix Hancock, 1902

  8. Tribe Valalyllini

  9. Lepocranus Devriese, 1991

  10. Valalyllum Deranja, Kasalo, Adžić, Franjević & Skejo, 2022

  11. Tribe Xerophyllini

SE Asia - selected genera:

Subfamily Criotettiginae

Auth. Kevan, 1966

Criotettigini

Auth. Kevan, 1966

  1. Acanthalobus

  2. Criotettix

  3. Dasyleurotettix

Thoradontini

Auth. Kevan, 1966

  1. Aryalidonta

  2. Eucriotettix

  3. Loxilobus

  4. Thoradonta

  5. Yunnantettix

Criotettiginae: tribe unassigned

  1. Afrocriotettix

  2. Amphinotulus

  3. Apterotettix

  4. Bolivaritettix

  5. Bolotettix

  6. Cotysoides

  7. Hyboella

  8. Indomiriatra

  9. Miriatroides

  10. Probolotettix

  11. Rhopalina

  12. Rostella

  13. Spadotettix

  14. Tettitelum

Subfamily GuntheritettiginaeGuntheritettiginae

Auth.: Cadena-Castañeda, 2025 - Madagascar & Indian Ocean islands:

  1. tribe Guntheritettigini

  2. Guntheritettix : monotypic G. formidabilis

  3. Holocerus : monotypic Holocerus lucifer

  4. tribe Tumbrinckitettigini

  5. Cryptotettix

  6. Tumbrinckitettix

  7. Subfamily Hildegardiinae - monogeneric

  8. Hildegardia Günther, 1974

Subfamily Lophotettiginae

Auth.: Hancock, 1909; distribution S. America, genera:

  1. Lophotettix Hancock, 1909

  2. Phelene Bolívar, 1906

Subfamily MetrodorinaeMetrodorinae

Source:

Auth.: Bolívar, 1887; selected genera:

  1. Tribe Amorphopini

  2. Amorphopus Serville, 1838

  3. Tribe Cleostratini

  4. Cleostratus Stål, 1877

  5. Tribe Clinophaestini

  6. Birmana Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1893

  7. Clinophaestus Storozhenko, 2013

  8. Tribe Miriatrini (monotypic)

  9. Miriatra Bolívar, 1906

  10. Tribe Metrodorini

  11. Cota Bolívar, 1887

  12. Metrodora Bolívar, 1887

  13. Tribe Ophiotettigini

  14. Ophiotettix Walker, 1871

  15. Tribe Unassigned

  16. Cleostratoides Storozhenko, 2013

  17. Macromotettix Günther, 1939

  18. Mazarredia Bolívar, 1887

  19. Pseudoxistrella Liang, 1991

  20. Vaotettix Podgornaya, 1986

Subfamily ScelimeninaeScelimeninae

Auth.: Hancock, 1907 Tribe Scelimenini Hancock, 1907; selected genera:

incertae sedis

Subfamily TetriginaeTetriginae

Auth.: Serville, 1838; selected genera

  1. Tribe Dinotettigini Günther, 1979

  2. Dinotettix Bolívar, 1905

  3. Ibeotettix Rehn, 1930

  4. Tribe Tetrigini Serville, 1838

  5. Euparatettix Hancock, 1904

  6. Paratettix Bolívar, 1887

  7. Tetrix Latreille, 1802 (synonym Depressotetrix Karaman, 1960)

  8. Thibron Rehn, 1939

  9. Tribe unassigned:

  10. Aalatettix Zheng & Mao, 2002

  11. Bienkotetrix Karaman, 1965

  12. Coptotettix

  13. Ergatettix Kirby, 1914

  14. Hedotettix Bolívar, 1887

  15. Neotettix Hancock, 1898

  16. Nomotettix Morse, 1894

  17. Oxyphyllum Hancock, 1909

  18. Phaesticus Uvarov, 1940

  19. Sciotettix Ichikawa, 2001

Subfamily TripetalocerinaeTripetalocerinae

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). Until 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.

Subfamily unassigned

  1. tribe Echopraxiini

  2. Echopraxia (insect)

  3. Eurymorphopus

  4. Peraxelpa

  5. Planotettix

  6. Poseidontettix

  7. Exanimini

  8. Exanimus

  9. Fijixistra

  10. Ginixistra

  11. Fijitettigini

  12. Fijitettix

  13. Salomonotettix

  14. Nophthini

  15. Dystopia (insect)

  16. Nophtha

  17. Quasimodini

  18. Quasimodo (insect)

  19. Seraph (insect)

  20. Willemsetettix

Xistrellini

Auth: Skejo, Storozhenko, Tumbrinck & Kasalo, 2025; distribution: India, China, Indochina, western Malesia.

  1. Afrosystolederus

  2. Bannatettix

  3. Kanakacris

  4. Phaesticus (synonym Flatocerus )

  5. Pseudoparatettix

  6. Pseudosystolederus

  7. Pseudoxistrella

  8. Synalibas

  9. Systolederus

  10. Teredorus

  11. Xistrella

  12. No tribe assigned

  13. Almacris

  14. †Archaeotetrix

  15. †Eozaentetrix

  16. Euloxilobus

  17. Parahirrius

  18. †Prototetrix

  19. Spertor

  20. Xistra

References