''Atractomorpha similis'', commonly known as the northern grass pyrgomorph, is a species of

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

in the genus '' Atractomorpha''. It occurs in Australia.

Taxonomy

''A. similis'' is a member of the genus '' Atractomorpha'', which is part of family

Pyrgomorphidae Pyrgomorphidae is a family of grasshoppers in the order Orthoptera; it is the only family in the superfamily Pyrgomorphoidea, with a pan-tropical distribution. Their name is probably derived from ''pyrgos'' (Greek: ''Πύργος'') meaning "tow ...

. First described by Bolívar in 1884, it was long classified as a southern variant of ''A. crenaticeps''. However, in 1960 Banerjee and Kevan distinguished it on morphological grounds.

Synonyms A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

include ''A. australiana'' and ''A. dentifrons''.

Description

''A. similis'' averages in length. The species' compact body is tapered at the head and abdomen. This grasshopper relies on camouflage to avoid predators, rarely attempting escape. ''A. similis'' (as with other members of its genus) is depauperate in

heterochromatin Heterochromatin is a tightly packed form of DNA or '' condensed DNA'', which comes in multiple varieties. These varieties lie on a continue between the two extremes of constitutive heterochromatin and facultative heterochromatin. Both play a role ...

, though the total amount of that DNA varies between populations. The species is highly polymorphic in its chromosomes, each of which exists in 10 to 50 morphs. Males from Australia carry between one and ten extra copies of

chromosome A chromosome is a long DNA molecule with part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells the most important of these proteins are ...

A9, with one being the most common in natural populations.

Range and habitat

''A. similis'' is a tropical and temperate grasshopper. It can be found in northern and eastern Australia, mostly in coastal areas, although it may be found inland if there is enough humidity. The species has been recorded in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Fraser Island Fraser Island (Butchulla: ) is a World Heritage-listed island along the south-eastern coast in the Wide Bay–Burnett region, Queensland, Australia. The island is approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane, and is within the Fraser ...

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

, and northern

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

. It is the most common of three members of its genus found in Australia, the others being '' A. australis'' (which favours cooler environments) and '' A. hypoestes'' (which is limited to the

Arnhem Land Arnhem Land is a historical region of the Northern Territory of Australia, with the term still in use. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around from the territory capital, Darwin. In 1623, Dutch East India Compan ...

escarpment). The species has also been found in the southern

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

and the

Moluccas The Maluku Islands (; Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Maluku'') or the Moluccas () are an archipelago in the east of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located eas ...

, as well as

Timor Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is East Timor–Indonesia border, divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western p ...

. It has been reported in the

Lesser Sunda Islands The Lesser Sunda Islands or nowadays known as Nusa Tenggara Islands ( id, Kepulauan Nusa Tenggara, formerly ) are an archipelago in Maritime Southeast Asia, north of Australia. Together with the Greater Sunda Islands to the west they make up t ...

, although Keith McE. Kevan argues that these are most likely specimens of ''A. crenulata''. ''A. similis'' is found in well-watered areas, such as gardens. It is associated with semi-permanent or permanent standing water. Populations are generally small and discrete. The species is considered a pest in Australia, because it feeds on leaves in gardens.

References

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q10421983 Pyrgomorphidae Orthoptera of Australia Taxa named by Ignacio Bolívar Insects described in 1884