Phymateus

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Phymateus
Phymateus morbillosus (Pyrgomorphidae) (4761619550).jpg
Phymateus morbillosus, mating pair
Pyrgomorphidae - Phymateus karschi.jpg
Phymateus karschi from Mozambique
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Suborder: Caelifera
Family: Pyrgomorphidae
Subfamily: Pyrgomorphinae
Tribe: Phymateini
Genus: Phymateus
Thunberg 1815

Phymateus is a genus of fairly large grasshoppers of the family Pyrgomorphidae, native to shrubland, semi-deserts, savanna, woodland, gardens and cultivated areas in Sub-Saharan Africa, with ten species in the African mainland and two species in Madagascar. [1] [2] Some species have bright aposematic colours and are highly toxic. [2] [3]

Contents

Description

Phymateus are African grasshoppers that typically are about 4–8.5 cm (1.6–3.3 in) long as adults, with females generally being larger than males of the same species. [3] Some species at maturity are capable of long migratory flights. They raise and rustle wings when disturbed and may secrete a noxious fluid from the thoracic joint. [4] Their toxins, which are accumulated from the toxic plants they feed on, can be very strong and there have been reported deaths in birds and mammals, including humans, after eating Phymateus grasshoppers. [3] [5] While they do show a preference for feeding on certain toxic plants, notably Asclepias milkweeds, they will feed on a wide range of plants, and are sometimes regarded as pests because of the damage they may cause to agricultural crops. [2] [6] They may congregate in large numbers on trees and shrubs, in some species arranged in such a way as to resemble foliage. Other species have bright aposematic warning colours. Although adults of both sexes are fully winged, in at least P. morbillosus the females, which are longer and considerably heavier than males, are unable to fly. [7]

List of species

The Orthoptera Species File lists: [1]

subgenus MaphyteusBolívar, 1904
  1. Phymateus baccatus Stål, 1876
  2. Phymateus leprosus (Fabricius, 1793)
subgenus PhymateusThunberg, 1815
  1. Phymateus aegrotus (Gerstaecker, 1869)
  2. Phymateus bolivari Kirby, 1910
  3. Phymateus cinctus (Fabricius, 1793)
    synonyms: P. stolli (Saussure, 1861) = P. flavus (I. Bolivar, 1903) = P. squarrosus (Houttuyn, 1813)
  4. Phymateus iris Bolívar, 1882
  5. Phymateus karschi Bolívar, 1904
  6. Phymateus madagassus Karsch, 1888
  7. Phymateus morbillosus (Linnaeus, 1758) = type species (as Gryllus morbillosus L.)
  8. Phymateus pulcherrimus (I. Bolívar, 1904)
  9. Phymateus saxosus (Coquerel, 1862)
  10. Phymateus viridipes Stål, 1873 [8]

Related Research Articles

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

The grasshopper subfamily Acridinae, sometimes called silent slant-faced grasshoppers, belong of the large family Acrididae in the Orthoptera: Caelifera.

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

Phymateus viridipes, also known as the green milkweed locust or African bush grasshopper, is an African locust in the family Pyrgomorphidae.

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

Pyrgomorphidae is a family of grasshoppers in the order Orthoptera; it is the only family in the superfamily Pyrgomorphoidea. Pyrgomorphidae is found worldwide in tropical and warm temperate regions, but the vast majority of the family's approximately 500 species are from Africa, Asia and Australia. Their name is probably derived from pyrgos meaning "tower": a reference to the form (morph) of the head in the type genus Pyrgomorpha and other genera.

<i>Dictyophorus spumans</i> Species of grasshopper

Dictyophorus spumans, the koppie foam grasshopper or rooibaadjie, is a species of grasshopper in the family Pyrgomorphidae indigenous to southern Africa. The name "foaming grasshopper" derives from the insect's ability to produce a toxic foam from its thoracic glands. Its genus Dictyophorus is closely related to Phymateus.

<i>Atractomorpha</i> (grasshopper) Genus of grasshoppers

Atractomorpha is a genus in the Pyrgomorphidae, a family of grasshoppers, found in Africa, Asia, and Australia.

<i>Petasida</i> Genus of grasshoppers

Petasida ephippigera, the Leichhardt's grasshopper, is a relatively large, brightly coloured pyrgomorph species of grasshopper in the monotypic genus Petasida, native to the Top End region of tropical northern Australia.

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

Chorotypidae is a family of tropical Asian grasshoppers, formerly included within the family Eumastacidae. These grasshoppers have a head that rises above the level of the thorax and short antennae. Some species have reduced wings, others have wings that widen towards the tips and still others have a flattened leaf-like shape. They lack abdominal tympani.

<i>Tropidacris</i> Genus of grasshoppers

Tropidacris is a Neotropical genus of grasshopper in the family Romaleidae. They are among the largest grasshoppers in the world by length and wingspan, reaching up to 14.5 cm (5.7 in) and 24 cm (9.4 in) respectively. They are variably colored in green, brown, black, reddish or yellowish, and have wings that usually are conspicuously blue or red in flight. The gregarious and flightless nymphs have bright aposematic colors and are presumed to be toxic; a researcher who tasted one noted that it was very bitter, similar to a monarch butterfly.

<i>Atractomorpha crenulata</i> Species of grasshopper

Atractomorpha crenulata, commonly known as the tobacco grasshopper, is a species of grasshopper in the subfamily Pyrgomorphinae, found in Asia.

<i>Zonocerus</i> Genus of grasshoppers

Zonocerus is a genus of grasshoppers (Caelifera) in the family Pyrgomorphidae and the tribe Phymateini. The two species are found in Africa, with Z. elegans found in central, eastern and southern regions, including Madagascar, and Z. variegatus found in western regions. Both species are significant agricultural pests, especially for African smallholder farmers. Both adults and nymphs have relatively bright, aposematic colours, and adults typically are about 3–5 cm (1.2–2.0 in) long.

<i>Poekilocerus</i> Genus of grasshoppers

Poekilocerus is a genus of grasshoppers in the family Pyrgomorphidae and the monotypic tribe Poekilocerini. Species are found in the northern half of Africa, and in Southwest and South Asia, often in arid or semi-arid areas.

<i>Pyrgomorpha</i> Genus of grasshoppers

Pyrgomorpha is the type genus of grasshoppers in the family Pyrgomorphidae and the tribe Pyrgomorphini. Species are found in Southern Europe, Africa and the middle East, through to India and Mongolia.

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

The Pyrgomorphinae are a subfamily of grasshoppers in the family Pyrgomorphidae. Species are found in, especially the warmer parts of: Central and South America, southern Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and Pacific Islands. The type genus is Pyrgomorpha and names dates from "Pyrgomorphiden" by Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1874. The first use of Pyrgomorphinae was by Krauss in 1890.

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

The Orthacridinae are a sub-family of grasshoppers in the family Pyrgomorphidae. Species are found in: Central America, Africa, Asia, Australia and certain Pacific Islands. The type genus is Orthacris and the taxon proposed by Bolívar in 1905.

<i>Dictyophorus griseus</i> Species of grasshopper

Dictyophorus griseus is a species of grasshopper in the family Pyrgomorphidae, the gaudy grasshoppers, native to tropical Africa. Adults are typically about 5–6.5 cm (2.0–2.6 in) long.

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

Phymateus karschi is a locust in the family Pyrgomorphidae.

<i>Taeniopoda</i> Genus of grasshoppers

Taeniopoda is a genus of horse lubbers, fairly large grasshoppers in the family Romaleidae that are native to southwestern United States, Mexico and Central America. There are about 12 described species in Taeniopoda. Taeniopoda is very closely related to Romalea, leading some recent authorities to consider the former a junior synonym the latter.

<i>Dictyophorus</i> Genus of grasshoppers

Dictyophorus is the type genus of grasshoppers in the tribe Dictyophorini, of the family Pyrgomorphidae; it is native to sub-Saharan Africa. The genus was named by Carl Peter Thunberg in 1815. They are relatively large, typically about 4–7 cm (1.6–2.8 in) long, and often have bright colurs warning of their toxicity.

<i>Maura</i> (insect) Genus of grasshoppers

Maura is a genus of grasshoppers in the tribe Dictyophorini and the family Pyrgomorphidae; it is native to sub-Saharan Africa.

Euryphymus is the type genus of grasshoppers in the subfamily Euryphyminae, erected by Carl Stål in 1873 as a subgenus of "Calliptenus" (Euryphymus). Species have been recorded from southern Africa and Madagascar.

References

  1. 1 2 Orthoptera Species File: Genus Phymateus
  2. 1 2 3 Köhler, S.; Roth, S.; Reinhardt, K. (2007). "Ten Instars in the Leprous Grasshopper, Phymateus leprosus (Fabricius, 1793) (Caelifera: Pyrgomorphidae): Maximum Number Recorded in the Acridoidea". Bonner zoologische Beiträge. 56 (1/2): 17–24.
  3. 1 2 3 Whitman, D.; Vincent, S. (2008). "Large size as an antipredator defense in an insect". Journal of Orthoptera Research. 17 (2): 353–371. doi: 10.1665/1082-6467-17.2.353 .
  4. Field Guide to Insects - Picker, Griffiths & Weaving (2004)
  5. Steyn, D.G. (1962). "Grasshopper (Phymateus leprosus Fabr.) poisoning in a Bantu child". S.A. Medical Journal. 36: 822–823.
  6. Seibt, U.; Kasang, G.; Wickler, W. (2000). "Suggested Pharmacophagy of the African Bushhopper Phymateus leprosus (Fabricius) (Pyrgomorphidae, Orthoptera)". Z. Naturforsch. C. 55 (5–6): 442–448. doi: 10.1515/znc-2000-5-621 . PMID   10928557.
  7. Gäde, G. (2002). "Sexual dimorphism in the pyrgomorphid grasshopper Phymateus morbillosus: from wing morphometry and flight behaviour to flight physiology and endocrinology". Physiological Entomology. 27 (1): 51–57. doi:10.1046/j.1365-3032.2002.00268.x. S2CID   86444242.
  8. Biolib