Caelifera

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Caelifera
Temporal range: Changhsingian–Present
Pygmy mole cricket (8071068977) cropped.jpg
A pygmy mole-cricket
Melanoplus femurrubrum 20070903.jpg
Red-legged grasshopper
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Suborder: Caelifera
Ander, 1939
Infraorders [1]

The Caelifera are a suborder of orthopteran insects. [2] They include the grasshoppers and grasshopper-like insects, as well as other superfamilies classified with them: the ground-hoppers (Tetrigoidea) and pygmy mole crickets (Tridactyloidea). The latter should not be confused with the mole crickets (Gryllotalpidae), which belong to the other Orthopteran sub-order Ensifera.

Contents

The name of this suborder comes from Latin meaning chisel-bearing ("chisel" in Latin: caelum), [3] referring to the "stout" shape of its species' ovipositors. [4]

Subdivisions and their distribution

The Caelifera include some 2,400 valid genera and about 12,000 known species. Many undescribed species probably exist, especially in tropical forests. The Caelifera have a predominantly tropical distribution (as with most Orthoptera) with fewer species known from temperate climate zones. Caelifera are divided into two infraorders: the more basal Tridactylidea and the Acrididea or grasshopper-like species. This latter name is derived from older sources, such as Imms, [5] which placed the "short-horned grasshoppers" and locusts at the family level (Acrididae).

Affiliations

The phylogeny of the Caelifera, is described in detail for grasshoppers, with six out of eight extant superfamilies shown here as a cladogram. Like the Ensifera, Caelifera and all of its superfamilies appear to be monophyletic. [2] [9]

Orthoptera
Ensifera  (crickets, etc.)

[6 superfamilies] Gryllus01.jpg

Caelifera

The phylogeny of the Caelifera, based on mitochondrial ribosomal RNA of thirty-two taxa in six out of seven superfamilies, is shown as a cladogram. The Ensifera, Caelifera and all the superfamilies of grasshoppers except Pamphagoidea appear to be monophyletic. [10] [11]

Fossil grasshoppers at the Royal Ontario Museum Fossil grasshoppers - Royal Ontario Museum - DSC00013.JPG
Fossil grasshoppers at the Royal Ontario Museum

In evolutionary terms, the split between the Caelifera and the Ensifera is no more recent than the Permo-Triassic boundary; [12] the earliest insects that are certainly Caeliferans are Eolocustopsis of family Eolocustopsidae from the latest Permian (Changhsingian) of the Beaufort Group, South Africa, [13] followed by Locustavidae and Dzhajloutshellidae from the mid-Triassic (Ladinian age), roughly 242 to 237 million years ago. [14] [15] The group diversified during the Triassic and have remained important plant-eaters from that time to now. The first modern families such as the Eumastacidae, Tetrigidae and Tridactylidae appeared in the Cretaceous, though some insects that might belong to the last two of these groups are found in the early Jurassic. [16] [17] Morphological classification is difficult because many taxa have converged towards a common habitat type; recent taxonomists have concentrated on the internal genitalia, especially those of the male. This information is not available from fossil specimens, and the paleontological taxonomy is founded principally on the venation of the hindwings. [2]

The Caelifera includes some 2,400 valid genera and about 11,000 known species. Many undescribed species probably exist, especially in tropical wet forests. The Caelifera have a predominantly tropical distribution with fewer species known from temperate zones, but most of the superfamilies have representatives worldwide. They are almost exclusively herbivorous and are probably the oldest living group of chewing herbivorous insects. [2]

The most diverse superfamily is the Acridoidea, with around 8,000 species. The two main families in this are the Acrididae (grasshoppers and locusts) with a worldwide distribution, and the Romaleidae (lubber grasshoppers), found chiefly in the New World. The Ommexechidae and Tristiridae are South American, and the Lentulidae, Lithidiidae and Pamphagidae are mainly African. The Pauliniids are nocturnal and can swim or skate on water, and the Lentulids are wingless. [16] Pneumoridae are native to Africa, particularly southern Africa, and are distinguished by the inflated abdomens of the males. [18]

Economic significance and terminology

A number of species, especially in the Acridoidea, are significant agricultural pests, but not all of them are locusts: a non-taxonomic term referring to species whose populations which may change morphologically when crowded and show swarming behaviour. [19] Examples of agricultural grasshopper pests that are not called locusts include the Senegalese grasshopper and certain species in the Pyrgomorphidae, notably the variegated grasshopper ( Zonocerus variegatus ).

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orthoptera</span> Order of insects including grasshoppers, crickets, weta and locusts

Orthoptera is an order of insects that comprises the grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets, including closely related insects, such as the bush crickets or katydids and wētā. The order is subdivided into two suborders: Caelifera – grasshoppers, locusts, and close relatives; and Ensifera – crickets and close relatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grasshopper</span> Common name for a group of insects

Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are amongst what are possibly the most ancient living groups of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acrididae</span> Family of grasshoppers in the suborder Caelifera

Acrididae, commonly called short-horned grasshoppers, are the predominant family of grasshoppers, comprising some 10,000 of the 11,000 species of the entire suborder Caelifera. The Acrididae are best known because all locusts are of the Acrididae. The subfamily Oedipodinae is sometimes classified as a distinct family Oedipodidae in the superfamily Acridoidea. Acrididae grasshoppers are characterized by relatively short and stout antennae, and tympana on the side of the first abdominal segment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ensifera</span> Suborder of cricket-like animals

Ensifera is a suborder of insects that includes the various types of crickets and their allies including: true crickets, camel crickets, bush crickets or katydids, grigs, weta and Cooloola monsters. This and the suborder Caelifera make up the order Orthoptera. Ensifera is believed to be a more ancient group than Caelifera, with its origins in the Carboniferous period, the split having occurred at the end of the Permian period. Unlike the Caelifera, the Ensifera contain numerous members that are partially carnivorous, feeding on other insects, as well as plants.

Sam W. Heads is a British palaeontologist, a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society, as well as a former Officer and Editor-in-Chief at the Orthopterists' Society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acridoidea</span> Superfamily of grasshoppers

Acridoidea is the largest superfamily of grasshoppers in the order Orthoptera with over one million species found on every continent except Antarctica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eumastacoidea</span> Superfamily of grasshoppers

Eumastacoidea is a superfamily within the order Orthoptera, suborder Caelifera. The family has a mainly tropical distribution and have sometimes been called "monkey grasshoppers".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stenopelmatoidea</span> Superfamily of cricket-like animals

Stenopelmatoidea is a superfamily of insects in the order Orthoptera; in some older classifications this group was referred to as Gryllacridoidea.

<i>Phymateus aegrotus</i> Species of grasshopper

Phymateus aegrotus, sometimes called the blue bush locust or East African bush locust, is a pest species of grasshopper in the family Pyrgomorphidae. Unlike "locusts" the adults are not known to change their morphology on crowding, but at the hopper stage, marching behaviour of small bands may occur.

<i>Anacridium moestum</i> Species of grasshopper

Anacridium moestum, the camouflaged tree locust, is a species of grasshopper belonging to the family Acrididae, that is native to Africa south of the equator. It is similar in appearance to the Southern African desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria flavicentris. It is likewise brownish, large and slender, but mostly arboreal in its habits.

<i>Xiphoceriana atrox</i> Species of grasshopper

Xiphoceriana atrox is a species of grasshoppers belonging to the family Pamphagidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acrididea</span> Infraorder of grasshoppers

Acrididea including the Acridomorpha is an infraorder of insects that describe the grasshoppers and ground-hoppers. It contains a large majority of species in the suborder Caelifera and the taxon Acridomorpha may also be used, which excludes the Tetrigoidea. Both names are derived from older texts, such as Imms, which placed the "short-horned grasshoppers" and locusts at the family level (Acrididae). The study of grasshopper species is called acridology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanaoceridae</span> Family of grasshoppers

The Tanaoceridae are an insect family in the monotypic superfamily Tanaoceroidea in the suborder Caelifera. They are sometimes called desert long-horned grasshoppers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyrtacanthacridinae</span> Subfamily of grasshoppers

The Cyrtacanthacridinae are a subfamily of Orthoptera: Caelifera in the family Acrididae. They are sometimes referred-to as bird locusts, criquets voyageurs in French-speaking Africa, and Knarrschrecken in German.

<i>Tettigidea armata</i> Species of grasshopper

Tettigidea armata is a species in the family Tetrigidae, in the order Orthoptera. The species is known generally as the "armored pygmy grasshopper", "armoured grouse locust", or "spined grouse locust". It is found in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ripipterygidae</span> Family of Caelifera

Ripipterygidae is a family of insects in the order Orthoptera. Members of the family are commonly known as mud crickets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tridactylidea</span> Order of Caelifera

The infraorder Tridactylidea has a single extant superfamily which includes pygmy mole crickets; they are thought to represent living representatives of the most basal Caelifera: the Orthopteran suborder that includes grasshoppers.

<i>Phymateus karschi</i> Species of grasshopper

Phymateus karschi is a locust in the family Pyrgomorphidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elcanidae</span> Extinct family of cricket-like animals

Elcanidae are an extinct family of Mesozoic and early Cenozoic orthopterans. Members of the family are distinguished by the presence of spurs on the distal part of the metatibia, unique among orthopterans, these have been suggested to have been used for controlling gliding, swimming aids, or for jumping on water. The group combines characteristics from both major groups of orthopterans, with long antennae and nymphal morphology similar to Ensifera, but with wing venation and adult morphology more similar to Caelifera. Elcanidae is part of Elcanoidea, which is thought to have diverged from living orthopterans by the beginning of the Permian, around 300 million years ago. The family also includes Permelcanidae, known from the Early-Late Permian. The relationship of Elcanoidea to Ensifera and Caelifera is currently unresolved. Elcanids are known from the Late Triassic to Paleocene of Eurasia, North and South America. Some members of the group exhibited aposematic coloration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">H. Radclyffe Roberts</span> American entomologist (1906–1982)

Howard Radclyffe Roberts Jr. was an American entomologist known for his work on grasshoppers. His 1941 University of Pennsylvania Ph.D. dissertation was an early work highlighting the role phallic structures could play in grasshopper taxonomy. While serving in World War II, he and Edward Shearman Ross cowrote The Mosquito Atlas, used by the armed forces to identify malaria-transmitting mosquitos. Roberts worked for the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANSP), serving as its managing director from 1947 to 1972. He described dozens of grasshopper species from North and South America, and also is the eponym of several taxa named in his honor.

References

  1. ↑ ITIS: Caelifera (retrieved 2 August 2017)
  2. 1 2 3 4 Rowell, Hugh; Flook, Paul (2001). "Caelifera: Shorthorned Grasshoppers, Locusts and Relatives". Tree of Life web project. Archived from the original on 8 April 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  3. ↑ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879). "caelum". A Latin Dictionary. Perseus Digital Library.
  4. ↑ Himmelman, John (2011). Cricket Radio. Harvard University Press. p. 45. ISBN   978-0-674-06102-6. Archived from the original on 27 November 2017.
  5. 1 2 Imms AD, rev. Richards OW & Davies RG (1970) A General Textbook of Entomology 9th Ed. Methuen 886 pp.
  6. 1 2 Ragge DR (1965). Grasshoppers, Crickets & Cockroaches of the British Isles. F Warne & Co, London. p. 299.
  7. ↑ ITIS: Acrididea (Retrieved 23/7/2017)
  8. ↑ Orthoptera Species File: infraorder Acrididea (Retrieved 20/7/2017)
  9. ↑ Flook, P. K.; Rowell, C. H. F. (1997). "The Phylogeny of the Caelifera (Insecta, Orthoptera) as Deduced from mtrRNA Gene Sequences". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 8 (1): 89–103. Bibcode:1997MolPE...8...89F. doi:10.1006/mpev.1997.0412. PMID   9242597.
  10. ↑ Flook, P.K.; Rowell, C.H.F. (1997). "The Phylogeny of the Caelifera (Insecta, Orthoptera) as Deduced from mtrRNA Gene Sequences". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 8 (1): 89–103. Bibcode:1997MolPE...8...89F. doi:10.1006/mpev.1997.0412. PMID   9242597.
  11. ↑ Zhang, Hong-Li; Huang, Yuan; Lin, Li-Liang; Wang, Xiao-Yang; Zheng, Zhe-Min (2013). "The phylogeny of the Orthoptera (Insecta) as deduced from mitogenomic gene sequences". Zoological Studies. 52: 37. doi: 10.1186/1810-522X-52-37 .
  12. ↑ Zeuner, F.E. (1939). Fossil Orthoptera Ensifera. British Museum Natural History. OCLC   1514958.
  13. ↑ Song, Hojun; Amédégnato, Christiane; Cigliano, Maria Marta; Desutter-Grandcolas, Laure; Heads, Sam W.; Huang, Yuan; Otte, Daniel; Whiting, Michael F. (December 2015). "300 million years of diversification: elucidating the patterns of orthopteran evolution based on comprehensive taxon and gene sampling". Cladistics. 31 (6): 621–651. doi: 10.1111/cla.12116 . hdl: 11336/10677 . PMID   34753270. S2CID   53702892.
  14. ↑ Xu, Chunpeng; Fang, Yan; Heads, Sam; Zhang, Qiang; Jarzembowski, Edmund A.; Wang, Bo (2020). "The first Orthoptera (Insecta) from the Triassic of China". Alcheringa. 44 (1): 93–98. doi:10.1080/03115518.2019.1662485.
  15. ↑ Shcherbakov, Dmitry E. (2008). "Madygen, Triassic Lagerstätte number one, before and after Sharov". Alavesia. 2: 113–124. S2CID   55131160.
  16. 1 2 Grimaldi, David; Engel, Michael S. (2005). Evolution of the Insects. Cambridge University Press. p. 210. ISBN   978-0-521-82149-0. Archived from the original on 27 November 2017.
  17. ↑ Béthoux, Oliver; Ross, A.J. (2005). "Mesacridites Riek, 1954 (Middle Triassic; Australia) transferred from Protorthoptera to Orthoptera: Locustavidae". Journal of Paleontology. 79 (3): 607–610. Bibcode:2005JPal...79..607B. doi:10.1666/0022-3360(2005)079<0607:mrmatf>2.0.co;2. S2CID   131591210.
  18. ↑ Donelson, Nathan C.; van Staaden, Moira J. (2005). "Alternate tactics in male bladder grasshoppers Bullacris membracioides (Orthoptera: Pneumoridae)" (PDF). Behaviour. 142 (6): 761–778. doi:10.1163/1568539054729088. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2016.
  19. ↑ Uvarov BP (1966) Grasshoppers & Locusts. A Handbook of General Acridology Cambridge University Press, London 1:481 pp.
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