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biodiversity explorer

the web of life in southern Africa

Family: Pyrgomorphidae (gaudy grasshoppers)

Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Ecdysozoa > Panarthropoda > Tritocerebra > Phylum: Arthopoda > Mandibulata > Atelocerata > Panhexapoda > Hexapoda > Insecta (insects) > Dicondyla > Pterygota > Metapterygota > Neoptera > Polyneoptera > Anartioptera > Orthopterida > Orthoptera > Caelifera > Acrididea > Acridomorpha > Pyrgomorphoidea

Pyrgomorphids are usually very colourful grasshoppers, the bright colours warning predators that they are poisonous. They occur worldwide except for north temperate regions and Antarctica.  Twenty-two genera and 39 species are native to southern Africa.

Genera native to southern Africa

List from Orthoptera Species File. These genera all fall in the broadly distributed subfamily Pyrgomorphinae. The other subfamily, Orthacridinae, is more patchily distributed and does not occur in the subregion.

Afrosphenella

Two species, Afrosphenella capensis and Afrosphenella senecionicola, endemic to southern Africa.

Atractomorpha

Twenty-seven species, distributed through Africa, Madagascar, Asia and Australia. One species, Atractomorpha acutipennis, is native to southern Africa.

Carinisphena

One species, Carinisphena producta, endemic to southern Africa.

Chirindites

One species, Chirindites odendaali, endemic to southern Africa (Zimbabwe).

Chrotogonus

Ten species, distributed through Africa and Asia. One species, Chrotogonus hemipterus, is native to southern Africa.

Dictyophorus

An African genus of four species. Two species, Dictyophorus griseus and Dictyophorus spumans, are native to southern Africa.

Maura

Four species, occurring in Africa south of the Sahara. Two species, Maura marshalli and Maura rubroornata, are native to southern Africa.

Ochrophlebia

One species, Ochrophlebia cafra, occuring in southern Africa and Angola.

Ochrophlegma

Three species, endemic to southern Africa.

Parasphenella

Four species, occurring in southern Africa and East Africa. Two species, Parasphenella carinata and Parasphenella meridionalis, are native to southern Africa.

Pezotagasta

Two species, occurring in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Angola, Zambia and Malawi. One species, Pezotagasta bredoi, is native to southern Africa.

 

Phymateus

Twelve species, with a distribution that includes Africa, Madagascar and China. Five species are native to southern Africa.

Phymella

One species, Phymella capensis, endemic to southern Africa.

Phyteumas

Three species, occurring in Africa south of the Sahara. One species, Phyteumas whellani, is native to southern Africa.

 

Plerisca

Three species with a distribution that includes southern Africa and the Indian subcontinent. Two species, Plerisca peringueyi and Plerisca rubripennulis, are native to southern Africa.

Punctisphena

One species, Punctisphena pustulata, endemic to southern Africa (Zimbabwe).

Pyrgomorpha

Twenty species, with a distribution that includes Africa, southern Europe and Asia. Three species are native to southern Africa.

Stenoscepa

Twelve species, occurring mainly in East Africa but with two species, Stenoscepa gracilis and Stenoscepa picticeps, native to southern Africa.

Tanita

An African genus of nine species, with two species, Tanita lineaalba and Tanita purpurea, native to southern Africa.

Tanitella

Two species, Tanitella prasina and Tanitella sanderi, endemic to southern Africa. 

Taphronota

An African genus of eight species, with two species, Taphronota calliparea and Taphronota stali, native to southern Africa.

Zonocerus

Two species, occurring in Africa, Madagascar and Romania, with one species, Zonocerus elegans, native to southern Africa.

References