Anostostomatidae

Belongs within: Ensifera.
Contains: Anostostomatinae, Deinacridinae.

The king crickets and ground wetas of the Anostostomatidae are large orthopterans with a largely Gondwanan distribution, being found in South America, southern Africa, Australasia and south-east Asia. The ‘monsters’ of the genus Cooloola are particularly unusual digging orthopterans found in Queensland, Australia, that have shortened antennae unlike those of any other member of the group.

Characters (from Gorochov 2001): Tarsi with four segments, pulvilli at sole not widened, first segment with two pulvilli; tympana developed or lost; outer side of hind femur may have distinct chevron ridges. Abdominal part of femoro-abdominal stridulatory apparatus (if present) only irregularly denticulated or with small ridges; male abdominal apex with tenth tergite divided into lateral halves or undivided, with pair of hooked processes, paraproct usually (not always) with specialised process; ovipositor (if well-developed) with lower part of upper valvae inserted in furrow on lower valvae.

<==Anostostomatidae
    |--ZeuneropterinaeGo01
    |    |--Zeuneroptera Sharov 1968Go01
    |    |    `--Z. scoticaGo01
    |    `--Albertoilus Kevan & Wighton 1981Go01
    |         `--A. cervirufiGo01
    `--+--+--Leiomelus [Leiomelinae]Go01
       |  `--Cratomelus Blanchard 1851 [Cratomelinae]A01
       |       `--*C. armatus Blanchard 1851A01
       |--Anabropsinae [Anabropsini]Go01
       |    |--PaterdecolyusGo01
       |    |--Pteranabropsis carliGo01
       |    |--ApteranabropsisGo01
       |    |--BrachyporusGo01
       |    |--PapuaistusGo01
       |    |--AnabropsisGo01
       |    `--Exogryllacris Willemse 1962MF01
       |         `--*E. ornata Willemse 1962MF01
       `--+--Cooloola [Cooloolidae, Cooloolinae]Go01
          |    |--C. dingoR96
          |    |--C. propatorR96
          |    `--C. ziljanGo01
          `--+--Lezina [Lezininae]Go01
             |    `--L. muticaGo01
             `--+--AnostostomatinaeGo01
                |--DeinacridinaeGo01
                `--Lutosinae [Lutosini]Go01
                     |--ApotetamenusGo01
                     |--Lutosa marginalisGo01
                     |--Hypocophoides lepismoides (Walker 1871) [=Onosandrus lepismoides]MF01
                     `--LicodiaGo01
                          |--L. cerberusFD01
                          |--L. grandisFD01
                          `--L. pallipesFD01
Anostostomatidae incertae sedis:
  Glaphyrosoma [Glaphyrosomatini]W01
  Transaevum Johns 1997MF01
    `--*T. laudatum Johns 1997MF01
  GryllacropsisGo01
  CoccinellomimaGo01
  Anisoura nicobarica Ander 1938 [incl. Hemiandrus monstrosus Salmon 1950]Gi01
  HypocophusGo01
  DolichochaetaGo01
  AistusGo01
    |--*A. gracilis [incl. A. gracilis var. cingulifer Griffini 1914]G14
    |--A. rouxi Griffini 1914G14
    `--A. sarasini Griffini 1914G14
  PenthoplophoraGo01

*Type species of generic name indicated

References

[A01] Angulo, A. O. 2001. Anatomy, development and behaviour of the Chilean red cricket, Cratomelus armatus Bl. In: Field, L. H. (ed.) The Biology of Wetas, King Crickets and Their Allies pp. 205–222. CABI Publishing: Wallingford (UK).

[FD01] Field, L. H., & N. A. Deans. 2001. Sexual selection and secondary sexual characters of wetas and king crickets. In: Field, L. H. (ed.) The Biology of Wetas, King Crickets and Their Allies pp. 179–204. CABI Publishing: Wallingford (UK).

[Gi01] Gibbs, G. W. 2001. Habitats and biogeography of New Zealand’s deinacridine and tusked weta species. In: Field, L. H. (ed.) The Biology of Wetas, King Crickets and Their Allies pp. 35–55. CABI Publishing: Wallingford (UK).

[Go01] Gorochov, A. V. 2001. The higher classification, phylogeny and evolution of the superfamily Stenopelmatoidea. In: Field, L. H. (ed.) The Biology of Wetas, King Crickets and Their Allies pp. 3–33. CABI Publishing: Wallingford (UK).

[G14] Griffini, A. 1914. Stenopelmatidae della Nuova-Caledonia. In: Sarasin, F., & J. Roux (eds) Nova Caledonia: Forschungen in Neu-Caledonian und auf den Loyalty-Inseln. A. Zoologie vol. 1 pt 4 pp. 283–311. C. W. Kreidels Verlag: Wiesbaden.

[MF01] Monteith, G. B., & L. H. Field. 2001. Australian king crickets: distribution, habitats and biology (Orthoptera: Anostostomatidae). In: Field, L. H. (ed.) The Biology of Wetas, King Crickets and Their Allies pp. 79–94. CABI Publishing: Wallingford (UK).

[R96] Rentz, D. 1996. Grasshopper Country: The abundant orthopteroid insects of Australia. University of New South Wales Press: Sydney.

[W01] Weissman, D. B. 2001. Communication and reproductive behaviour in Noth American Jerusalem crickets (Stenopelmatus) (Orthoptera: Stenopelmatidae). In: Field, L. H. (ed.) The Biology of Wetas, King Crickets and Their Allies pp. 351–375. CABI Publishing: Wallingford (UK).