Oecanthidae Explained

The Oecanthidae are a recently (2022^[1]) restored family of crickets based on the type genus Oecanthus . They include "tree crickets", "anomalous crickets" and "bush crickets" (American usage) and can be found in warmer parts of most of the world (not the northern Palaearctic, Nearctic or Antarctica).^[2]

Origin and circumscription

The family and lower taxonomic names are based on "Oecanthites" used by Émile Blanchard in 1845,^[3] with the first use as Oecanthidae by Carl Brunner von Wattenwyl in 1873.^[4] Campos et al. (2022)^[1] provide a key to the four subfamilies and tribes.^[2]

subfamily Euscyrtinae

Auth: Gorochov, 1985; selected genera:

• Beybienkoana
• Euscyrtodes
• Euscyrtus - type genus
• Patiscus

subfamily Oecanthinae

Auth: Blanchard, 1845: the tree crickets which are delicate white or pale green insects with transparent fore wings.^[5] Three tribes are now placed in two supertribes:

supertribe Diatrypidi Desutter-Grandcolas, 1988

1. monotypic genus Diatrypa

supertribe Oecanthidi Blanchard, 1845

• tribe Oecanthini Blanchard, 1845
• tribe Xabeini Vickery & Kevan, 1983
• unplaced genera

Podoscirtinae

Auth: Saussure, 1878; : previously a subfamily group containing the "anomalous crickets"

supertribe Hapithidi Gorochov, 1986

• tribe Aphonomorphini Desutter-Grandcolas, 1988
• tribe Cearacesaini Koçak & Kemal, 2010
• tribe Hapithini Gorochov, 1986
• tribe Phyllogryllini Campos, 2022

supertribe Podoscirtidi Saussure, 1878

• tribe Aphonoidini Gorochov, 2008
• tribe Podoscirtini Saussure, 1878
• tribe Truljaliini Gorochov, 2020
• Unplaced genera (extinct)

Tafaliscinae

Auth: Desutter-Grandcolas, 1988: previously incorporated in the Oecanthinae

supertribe Paroecanthidi Gorochov, 1986

• tribe Neometrypini Desutter-Grandcolas, 1988
• tribe Paroecanthini Gorochov, 1986

supertribe Tafaliscidi Desutter-Grandcolas, 1988

• tribe Tafaliscini Desutter-Grandcolas, 1988
  • Tafalisca - type genus

Notes and References

1. de Campos LD, Souza-Dias PGB, Audino JA, Desutter-Grandcolas L, Nihei SS (2022) The fifth family of the true crickets (Insecta: Orthoptera: Ensifera: Grylloidea), Oecanthidae defin. Nov.: phylogenetic relationships and divergence times. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 20, 1–44.
2. https://orthoptera.speciesfile.org/otus/834863/overview Orthoptera Species File: family Oecanthidae Blanchard, 1845
3. Blanchard E (1845) Histoire des insectes: traitant de leurs moeurs et de leurs métamorphoses en général et comprenant une nouvelle classification fondée sur leurs rapports naturels 2: 245.
4. Brunner von Wattenwyl C (1873) Mitt. Schweiz. Ent. Gesellsch. 4(4): 164.
5. Book: Resh, Vincent H. . Cardé, Ring T. . Encyclopedia of Insects . 2009 . Academic Press . 978-0-08-092090-0 . 232–236.