Spiky pygmy devils: revision of the genus Discotettix (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae) and synonymy of Discotettiginae with Scelimeninae.

Spiky pygmy devils (Tetrigidae: Discotettiginae) are, because of the spiky pronotal projections and widened subapical antennal segments, among the most unique pygmy grasshoppers in Southeast (SE) Asia. The taxonomy of the group was unclear in the past, so this study brings a taxonomic and biographical review of the genus Discotettix Costa, 1864. New terminology of the pronotal projections is proposed for Scelimeninae. All valid species hitherto included in the genus are redescribed; a new genus is established for Discotettix shelfordi Hancock, 1907, Disconius Skejo, Pushkar et Tumbrinck gen. n., so a new combination is established for the species (Disconius shelfordi comb. n.). New synonymy is established: Discotettix selysi Bolívar, 1887 = Discotettix selangori Mahmood, Idris et Salmah, 2007 syn. n. Three new species are described and a key to Discotettix species is provided. The genus now includes seven species (1) Discotettix aruanus Skejo, Pushkar et Tumbrinck sp. n. from Aru; (2) D. belzebuth (Serville, 1838) from Borneo; (3) D. doriae Bolívar, 1898 stat. resurr. from the Mentawai islands; (4) D. kirscheyi Skejo, Pushkar, Tumbrinck et Tan sp. n. from Northeast (NE) Borneo; (5) D. scabridus (Stål, 1877) endemic to Mindanao and Samar; (6) D. selysi Bolívar, 1887 from Sumatra and peninsular Malaysia; (7) D. sumatrensis Skejo, Pushkar et Tumbrinck sp. n. endemic to southern Sumatra. Moreover, Discotettix is again subdivided into two subgenera: Mnesarchus Stål, 1877 stat. resurr. (D. scabridus) and nominotypical one (other species). Widened antennal segments are the only character common to all Discotettiginae genera, but this trait does not have great taxonomic importance, as it is homoplastic, meaning that it appeared in distant Tetrigidae groups independently. Discotettix is herewith transferred to the subfamily Scelimeninae and accordingly, the subfamily Discotettiginae Hancock, 1907 syn. n. becomes a junior synonym of the subfamily Scelimeninae Bolívar, 1887. The tribe Discotettigini stat. resurr., on the other hand, gathers corticolous genera of the Scelimeninae (Austrohancockia Günther, 1938, Bidentatettix Zheng, 1992, Disconius gen. n. Discotettix, Eufalconius Günther, 1938, Gibbotettix Zheng, 1992, Paragavialidium Zheng, 1994, Gavialidium Saussure, 1862, and Tegotettix Hancock, 1913), while the tribe Scelimenini becomes restricted to amphibious taxa. All taxa are described and amply depicted with both museum specimens and in situ photographs. An identification key is provided. The morphology and function of widened antennae in Discotettigini are discussed.

Review of the status of the genus Phelene stat. resurr. (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae: Lophotettiginae) and description of a new species.

The status of the genus Phelene stat. resurr., previously synonymized under Chiriquia is revalidated. The genus is redescribed and Phelene turgida stat. rev. a lectotype and paralectotypes are designated for this species. Tetrix laticeps is proposed as nomen dubium and its described a new additional species Phelene maroon n. sp. The diagnosis of the subfamily is adjusted with the characters of the new taxa included and an updated key of genera and species is provided.

Horned and spiky: Tegotettix derijei sp. n. (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae) is a peculiar new pygmy grasshopper species from Mindanao.

A new peculiar, spiky, and yellowish species of the genus Tegotettix Hancock, 1913 is described from the Davao region of the island of Mindanao (the Philippines)-T. derijei sp. n. (Mindanao horned pygmy devil). The species is visually similar to T. cristiferus (Günther, 1935) from Borneo and T. armatus Hancock, 1913 from Borneo, which is the type species of the genus, and of which a new record from Sabah is also presented in the study. The new species is also similar to an undescribed species from Bukidnon, which we presented by photographs in its natural habitat. To date, T. armatus was known only from old descriptions and drawings and has not been reported for more than 100 years. A brief overview of the species of the genus Tegotettix, with its division into three species groups, is presented.

Cockscomb-shaped twighopper, Cladonotus bhaskari sp. n., a new and rare pygmy grasshopper species from Sri Lanka (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae: Cladonotinae).

The paper describes a new species of a Sri Lankan twighopper, genus Cladonotus Saussure, 1862 (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae: Cladonotini), C. bhaskari sp. n., based on a single female specimen collected and photographed by T. Kirschey in 2016 in Sinharaja rainforest (SW Sri Lanka). The new species is clearly distinguished from other species of the genus by its long and spine-like frontomedial projection and cockscomb-shaped promedial projection. Species of this genus resemble tiny twigs, hence the name 'twighopper'. Our new specimen is the first known female of the genus, and we also present the first photograph of the member of this genus in the natural habitat. An annotated identification key for the Cladonotus species is provided. Furthermore, we synonymize genus Hypsaeus Bolívar, 1887 syn. nov. with Hymenotes Westwood, 1837, based on the pronotal variability of the leaf-like pygmy grasshoppers in the Philippines and introduce one new combination-Hymenotes westwoodi (Bolívar, 1887) comb. nov..

Systematics and biogeography of the genus Scaria Bolívar, 1887 (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae: Batrachideinae).

The Amazon rainforest is the world's most extensive tropical rainforest, holding a considerable ecological and taxonomic diversity. Speciation in this region arises from multiple factors, such as topography, climate fluctuations, oceanic transgression, vegetation and the delimitation of zones circumscribed by sub-basins within the greater Amazon basin. Different scenarios have been proposed to better understand the diversification of Amazonian taxa, whether by Pleistocene refugia or by areas of endemism.                The genus Scaria is distributed mostly in Amazonia, with a single species that ranges from the Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena ecoregion well into Central America all the way to southern Nicaragua. Eight species are currently recognized, with three additional described here as new: Scaria rafaeli sp. nov., S. jonasi sp. nov. and S. granti sp. nov., and the status of S. laeta stat. resurr. is revalidated. Two new combinations are established: S. verutum comb. nov. (formerly placed in Rehnidium Grant, 1956) and Batrachidea brevis comb. nov. (formerly placed in Scaria). New synonym is proposed: Batrachidea brevis (Hancock, 1909) = Batrachidea inermis Hebard, 1923 syn. nov. Lectotypes and paralectotypes were selected for S. laeta, S. maculata and S. lineata, as well as the neotypes for S. hamata and S. boliviana. An updated key to species of Scaria is also provided.                A cladistic analysis for 15 species was performed (12 in the inner group and 3 in the outer group) with 40 morphological characters, confirming the monophyly of Scaria. A biogeographical analysis of dispersion-vicariance indicates that the origin of the genus was probably in the Inambari endemism center as the only reconstruction of the resulting ancestral distribution, five dispersions and three vicariance events being postulated. These suggest that both types of events are equally important in the current configuration of the distribution in Scaria. Vicariance events arise mostly by isolation of the species because of the uplift of the Andes and the dispersion events comprise four waves originating from the ancestral range into central and east Amazonia.

Nymph inadvertently described as new species for a fourth time? On the identity of Euscelimena hardi (Tetrigidae: Scelimeninae) with general remarks on the identification of pygmy grasshopper nymphs.

Euscelimena hardi Gupta et Chandra, 2018 was described earlier this year from Chhattisgarh (India) as a unique species within the genus, characterized in small size, long pronotal projections, and a lack of wings. In this commentary we provide evidence that E. hardi is a nymph of E. harpago (Serville, 1838), hence a new synonymy is proposed: Euscelimena harpago (Serville, 1838) = Euscelimena hardi Gupta et Chandra, 2018 syn. nov. Since this is the fourth time a nymph of Euscelimena Günther, 1938 has been described as a new species, we present general remarks on how to distinguish pygmy grasshopper nymphs and adults. Presence of a groove on the dorsal margin of the hind femora, directly before the knee (separating antegenicular and genicular teeth) is the only definite feature to separate nymphs from adults in brachypronotal or micropronotal wingless species. In macropterous species, morphology of tegmina and alae is helpful to separate nymphs from adults, nymphs having alae rich in radial venation in front of tegmina, while in adults tegmina are in front of developed alae. When dealing with a potential new species, researchers should firstly take into account known pygmy grasshoppers fauna of the studied area via Orthoptera Species File Online database Complex search (with imput Scope of search: Tetrigidae, Place name from geographic hierarchy: continent or country name).

The importance of validated alpha taxonomy for phylogenetic and DNA barcoding studies: a comment on species identification of pygmy grasshoppers (Orthoptera, Tetrigidae).

In a recently published paper on colour polymorphism in a Pygmy grasshopper from China (Zhao et al 2016) an unidentified Paratettix sp. was misidentified as Tetrix bolivari. This case highlights the need for correct species identification and provides an opportunity to recommend some aspects of Good Taxonomic Practice (GTP) in Tetrigidae to reduce the number of erroneous identifications.