Anostostomatinae

Male Mercury Island tusked weta Motuweta isolata, photographed by Chris Winks.

Belongs within: Anostostomatidae.

The king crickets or ground wetas of the Anostostomatinae are found in South America and Australasia. The males often bear noteworthy modifications of the mandibles; in some species, these have large frontal tusks that are used in fighting. One South African species, Libanasidus vittatus, has become known as the 'Parktown prawn' from its frequent discovery in swimming pools of the wealthier suburbs of Johannesburg.

Characters (from Gorochov 2001): Mandibles of male usually with sexual specialisation (enlarged and arched or with horn-like process); female mandibles not so developed. Pronotum and body not arched in profile. Wings, tympana and femoro-abdominal stridulatory apparatus developed or lost.

<==Anostostomatinae [Henicinae, Mimnermidae]
    |--Mimnermus cephalotes Go01
    |--Libanasidus vittatus T01
    |--Spitzaphilus Go01
    |--Spitzapterus Go01
    |--Bochus Go01
    |--Onosandridus Go01
    |--Borborothus opaca T01
    |--Motuweta isolata Gi01
    |--Cnemotettix HR01
    |--Gryllotaurus Karny 1929 R96, MF01
    |    `--*G. bicornis Karny 1929 MF01
    |--Henicus Go01
    |    |--H. monstrosus (Herbst 1803) [=Locusta monstrosa] T01
    |    `--H. whellani FD01
    |--Nasidius Go01
    |    |--N. longicauda T01
    |    |--N. punctulatus FD01
    |    `--N. whellani T01
    |--Libanasa Walker 1869 FD01, G14
    |    |--L. capicola FD01
    |    |--L. femoralis G14
    |    |--L. incisa [incl. L. fusca] G14
    |    |--L. punctulata G14
    |    `--L. vittata G14
    |--Anostostoma Gray 1837 [incl. Australostoma Karny 1931] MF01
    |    |--*A. australasiae Gray 1837 MF01
    |    |--A. erinaceum (Burmeister 1839) MF01 [=Australostoma erinaceum R96]
    |    |--A. femoralis (Walker 1869) MF01
    |    |--A. opacum (Brunner 1888) MF01 [=Australostoma opacum R96]
    |    `--A. spinosum Karny 1930 MF01
    |--Penalva Walker 1870 MF01
    |    |--P. (Penalva) MF01
    |    |    |--*P. (P.) lateralis Walker 1870 MF01
    |    |    `--P. (P.) flavocalceata (Karny 1928) MF01
    |    `--P. (Trihoplophora) MF01
    |         |--P. (*T.) abnormis (Brunner 1888) MF01
    |         `--P. (T.) uniformis Karny 1928 MF01
    |--Carcinopsis Go01
    |    |--*C. signata G14
    |    |--C. cuniculator [incl. C. cuniculator var. ornata] G14
    |    |--C. humboldtiana Griffini 1914 G14
    |    |--C. rothschildi G14
    |    |--C. rouxiana Griffini 1914 G14
    |    |--C. sarasiniana Griffini 1914 G14
    |    `--C. unicolor G14
    `--Hemiandrus Ander 1938 MF01
         |--H. anomalus F01
         |--H. bilobatus M01
         |--H. fiordensis F01
         |--H. furcifer WPT01
         |--H. maculifrons F01 [incl. Zealandosandrus gracilis HR01]
         |--H. pallitarsus M01
         |--H. similis F01
         `--H. subantarcticus F01

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[F01] Field, L. H. 2001. Stridulatory mechanisms and associated behaviour in New Zealand wetas. In The Biology of Wetas, King Crickets and Their Allies (L. H. Field, ed.) pp. 271-295. CABI Publishing: Wallingford (UK).

[FD01] Field, L. H., & N. A. Deans. 2001. Sexual selection and secondary sexual characters of wetas and king crickets. In The Biology of Wetas, King Crickets and Their Allies (L. H. Field, ed.) 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 The Biology of Wetas, King Crickets and Their Allies (L. H. Field, ed.) pp. 35-55. CABI Publishing: Wallingford (UK).

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

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

[HR01] Hale, R. J., & D. C. F. Rentz. 2001. The Gryllacrididae: An overview of the world fauna with emphasis on Australian examples. In The Biology of Wetas, King Crickets and Their Allies (L. H. Field, ed.) pp. 95-110. CABI Publishing: Wallingford (UK).

[M01] McIntyre, M. 2001. The ecology of some large weta species in New Zealand. In The Biology of Wetas, King Crickets and Their Allies (L. H. Field, ed.) pp. 225-242. CABI Publishing: Wallingford (UK).

[MF01] Monteith, G. B., & L. H. Field. 2001. Australian king crickets: Distribution, habitats and biology (Orthoptera: Anostostomatidae). In The Biology of Wetas, King Crickets and Their Allies (L. H. Field, ed.) 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.

[T01] Toms, R. B. 2001. South African king crickets (Anostostomatidae). In The Biology of Wetas, King Crickets and Their Allies (L. H. Field, ed.) pp. 73-78. CABI Publishing: Wallingford (UK).

[WPT01] Wharton, D. A., R. Poulin & C. L. Tyrell. 2001. Parasites of anostostomatid insects. In The Biology of Wetas, King Crickets and Their Allies (L. H. Field, ed.) pp. 259-267. CABI Publishing: Wallingford (UK).