The Thericleidae are a family 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 ...

s within the

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

Orthoptera 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 – grassho ...

and superfamily Eumastacoidea. They have exceptionally stubby antennae even for the Caelifera, with most species have a characteristic "horse-headed" look in profile. The family occurs in Africa, most members living in small trees and shrubs rather than forbs or grasses. The type genus is '' Thericles'' Stål, 1875. They are obscure insects, not well known to the public, but nonetheless have a few common names, including "monkey grasshoppers", whether because of the head shape, or because they are very agile in leaping about among the twigs of the trees they inhabit, is not clear. They also are called "bush hoppers", a name they share with the closely related Euschmidtiidae.

Subfamilies and selected Genera

* Afromastacinae Descamps, 1977 ** '' Afromastax'' Descamps, 1977 ** '' Clerithes'' Bolívar, 1914 * Barythericleinae Descamps, 1977 (monotypic) ** '' Barythericles'' Descamps, 1977 * Chromothericleinae Descamps, 1977 ** ''

Acanthothericles ''Acanthothericles'' is a genus of thericleid orthopteran. It includes the following species: * '' Acanthothericles bicoloripes'' Descamps, 1977 — Morogoro pretty grasshopper * '' Acanthothericles rubriventris'' Descamps, 1977 Both species a ...

'' Descamps, 1977 ** '' Chromothericles'' Descamps, 1977 ** '' Dimorphothericles'' Descamps, 1977 * Loxicephalinae Descamps, 1977 (monotypic) ** '' Loxicephala'' Descamps, 1977 * Plagiotriptinae Bolívar, 1914 ** '' Phaulotypus'' Burr, 1899 ** ''

Plagiotriptus ''Plagiotriptus'' is a genus of thericleid orthoptera 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 ord ...

'' Karsch, 1889 ** ''

Socotrella (insect) ''Socotrella'' is a monotypic genus of plant in family Apocynaceae. It contains the single species ''Socotrella dolichocnema'', which is endemic to Socotra Socotra or Soqotra (; ar, سُقُطْرَىٰ ; so, Suqadara) is an island of the ...

'' Popov, 1957 * Thericleinae Burr, 1899 ** '' Lophothericles'' Descamps, 1977 ** '' Thericles'' Stål, 1875 * incertae sedis ** '' Smilethericles'' Baccetti, 1997

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3523810 Orthoptera families Caelifera