Molecular phylogeny of the grasshopper family Pyrgomorphidae (Caelifera, Orthoptera) reveals rampant paraphyly and convergence of traditionally used taxonomic characters.

The grasshopper family Pyrgomorphidae is one of the most colorful orthopteran lineages, and includes biologically fascinating and culturally important species. Recent attempts to reconstruct the phylogeny of this family have resulted in a large degree of conflicts between a morphology-based study and a molecular-based study, mainly due to convergent morphological traits that affected phylogenetic reconstruction. In this study, a molecular phylogeny of Pyrgomorphidae based on 32 ingroup species and mitochondrial genome data is proposed, which is used to test the monophyly of the taxonomic groupings used in the current classification scheme. Using the ancestral character state reconstruction analyses and character mapping, we demonstrate that some of the morphological characters, including the male genitalia, which were considered to be taxonomically important, have evolved convergently across the phylogeny. We discuss the discrepancies between our phylogeny and the previous studies and propose an approach to establish a natural classification scheme for Pyrgomorphidae.

An Illustrated Key of Pyrgomorphidae (Orthoptera: Caelifera) of the Indian Subcontinent Region.

The Indian subcontinent is known to harbor a high level of insect biodiversity and endemism, but the grasshopper fauna in this region is poorly understood, in part due to the lack of appropriate taxonomic resources. Based on detailed examinations of museum specimens and high-resolution digital images, we have produced an illustrated key to 21 Pyrgomorphidae genera known from the Indian subcontinent. This new identification key will become a useful tool for increasing our knowledge on the taxonomy of grasshoppers in this important biogeographic region.