Silent slant-faced grasshoppers | |
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Adult male Stethophyma grossum of the Parapleurini | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Orthoptera |
Suborder: | Caelifera |
Superfamily: | Acridoidea |
Family: | Acrididae |
Subfamily: |
Acridinae Macleay, 1821 |
Tribes | |
8, and see text |
8, and see text
The silent slant-faced grasshoppers make up the subfamily Acridinae of the insect family Acrididae.
In appearance, the species are very similar to those of the subfamily Gomphocerinae, with whom they share a slanted face. However Acridinae differ from Gomphocerinae in that they lack stridulatory pegs on their hind legs and thus, as the common name suggests, do not make sounds. The antennae of this species is flattened and sword-like, a trait also shared with some gomphocerines and also with the spurthroated grasshoppers (subfamily Cyrtacanthacridinae). They lack the posternal spine seen in the spurthroated grasshoppers and lubber grasshoppers (subfamily Romaleinae). Hindwings in this species range from nearly colorless to colorless.
Numerous genera are not yet assigned to tribes. These are:
Sometimes placed here are Achurum and Mermiria (otherwise in Gomphocerinae) and Gastrimargus otherwise in Oedipodinae).