Atractomorpha (grasshopper)

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

Biology

Not much is written about the biology of the ''Atractomorpha'', but they are herbivores typical of the Orthoptera, so it is understandable that some species seem to be minor pests in gardens and that some, such as ''Atractomorpha psittacina'' and ''Atractomorpha bedeli'', are significant pests in rice.

As with many grasshoppers in various families, the males are smaller than the females and ride on them long before copulation. They remain there during the period in which the female achieves sexual receptiveness. Similar strategies are common in vertebrates such as some amphibians, as well as various invertebrates, where the males attempt to keep rivals from mating with the female.

At least some ''Atractomorpha'' species also share a habit with various generally sedentary Orthoptera such as some Pamphagidae, of producing their excreta in the form of relatively few, large, elongated faecal pellets, one at a time. As each pellet emerges, they kick it a considerable distance away, using the tibia of one rear leg. This apparently is a strategy for avoiding the attentions of parasitoids and predators that otherwise might have been attracted to the smell of a host midden.

''Atractomorpha'' are active during the day, and their usual habitat is reeds and grasses close to rivers or streams.

Taxonomy

The genus name ''Atractomorpha'' is derived from the Greek language and means "spindle-shaped" or "arrow-shaped". Various families of Orthoptera (including the Acrididae and Lentulidae) include genera whose species have similarly cone-shaped heads, and there are genera within the family Pyrgomorphidae (such as '' Phymateus'' and '' Dictyophorus'') that do not have cone-shaped heads, so their superficial appearance may be misleading even for professionals not specifically active in that field.

Species

The genus consists of the following species:

* ''Atractomorpha aberrans'' Moldova, 1788
* ''Atractomorpha aberrans'' Karsch, 1888
* '' Atractomorpha acutipennis'' Guérin-Méneville, 1844
* ''Atractomorpha angusta'' Karsch, 1888
* ''Atractomorpha australis'' Rehn, 1907
* ''Atractomorpha burri'' Bolívar, 1905
* '' Atractomorpha crenaticeps'' Blanchard, 1853
* '' Atractomorpha crenulata'' Fabricius, 1793
* '' Atractomorpha dubia'' Wang, Xiangyu, He & Mu, 1995
* '' Atractomorpha fuscipennis'' Liang, 1988
* '' Atractomorpha himalayica'' Bolívar, 1905
* '' Atractomorpha hypoestes'' Key & Kevan, 1980
* '' Atractomorpha lata'' Mochulsky, 1866
* '' Atractomorpha melanostriga'' Bi, 1981
* '' Atractomorpha micropenna'' Zheng, 1992
* '' Atractomorpha nigripennis'' Zheng, 2000
* '' Atractomorpha occidentalis'' Kevan & Chen, 1969
* ''Atractomorpha orientalis'' Kevan & Chen, 1969
* ''Atractomorpha peregrina'' Bi & Xia, 1981
* ''Atractomorpha psittacina'' Haan, 1842
* ''Atractomorpha rhodoptera'' Karsch, 1888
* ''Atractomorpha rufopunctata'' Bolívar, 1894
* ''Atractomorpha sagittaris'' Bi & Xia, 1981
* ''Atractomorpha similis'' Bolívar, 1884
* '' Atractomorpha sinensis'' Bolívar, 1905
* ''Atractomorpha suzhouensis'' Bi & Xia, 1981
* ''Atractomorpha taiwanensis'' Yin & Shi, 2007
* ''Atractomorpha yunnanensis'' Bi & Xia, 1981

References

External links

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Orthoptera Species File

Photographs

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4817493

Caelifera genera
Pyrgomorphidae
Taxa named by Henri Louis Frédéric de Saussure