Phaulacridium Explained

Phaulacridium^[1] is a genus of grasshoppers in the tribe Catantopini from Australia and New Zealand. These short-horned grasshoppers have a single generation each year^[2]

Species

There are five known species of Phaulacridium:

• Phaulacridium crassum
• Phaulacridium howeanum
• Phaulacridium marginale - type species (as Caloptenus marginalis Walker)
• Phaulacridium otagoense
• Phaulacridium vittatum

Two species Phaulacridium crassum and Phaulacridium vittatum are endemic to the Australian mainland and Phaulacridium howeanum occurs only on Lord Howe Island. Phaulacridium grasshoppers require open space for thermoregulation through basking and forage in natural and modified grasslands.^[3] Females are larger than males in all five species, and size variation within Phaulacridium vittatum is associated with rainfall.^[4] Of the two New Zealand Phaulacridium grasshoppers, Phaulacridium marginale is commonly found on sand dunes above the high-tide mark, along open grassy river flats and in the sub-alpine zone to an altitude of 1350m (4,430feet) on the Ragged Range (-43.2464°N 171.1028°W). It is fairly common alongside roads and in disturbed habitats in North and South Island. The Australian wingless grasshopper Phaulacridium vittatum is regarded as an agricultural pest in some regions with the potential to shift in response to changing climate and land use.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Brunner von Wattenwyl (1893) Ann. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. Genova 2 13(33): 151.
2. Clark. DP. 1967. A population study of Phaulacridium vittatum Sjost (Acrididae). Australian Journal of Zoology. 15. 4. 799–872. 10.1071/ZO9670799.
3. Sivyer. Louisa. Morgan‐Richards. Mary. Koot. Emily. Trewick. Steven A.. 2018. Anthropogenic cause of range shifts and gene flow between two grasshopper species revealed by environmental modelling, geometric morphometrics and population genetics. Insect Conservation and Diversity. en. 11. 5. 415–434. 10.1111/icad.12289. 89841369 . 1752-4598.
4. Harris. Rebecca. McQuillan. Peter. Hughes. Lesley. 2012. Patterns in body size and melanism along a latitudinal cline in the wingless grasshopper, Phaulacridium vittatum: Geographic variation in size and melanism. Journal of Biogeography. en. 39. 8. 1450–1461. 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2012.02710.x. 84001949 .
5. Yadav. Sonu. Stow. Adam J.. Dudaniec. Rachael Y.. 2019-07-11. Detection of environmental and morphological adaptation despite high landscape genetic connectivity in a pest grasshopper (Phaulacridium vittatum). Molecular Ecology. 28 . 14 . en. 3395–3412. 10.1111/mec.15146. 31177610 . 182949325 . 0962-1083.