Review of the genus Qinshuiacris (Orthoptera: Acrididae) from China with proposal of Caryanda viridis-species group and description of a new species.

Based on an examination of type and additional material, Qinshuiacris viridis Zheng & Mao, 1996 and some allied species in the genus Caryanda are reviewed. Q. viridis Zheng & Mao, 1996 is transferred to Caryanda as a new combination: C. viridis (Zheng & Mao, 1996) comb. nov.. The female of C. viridis is described for the first time and sixty-two topotypes are designated. The genus Qinshuiacris Zheng & Mao, 1996 is synonymized with Caryanda Stål, 1878 because of the transfer of the type species. C. yini Mao & Ren, 2006 is proposed as a new junior synonym of C. dehongensis Mao, Xu & Yang, 2003. A new species, C. eshana Mao sp. nov., is also described and illustrated. Additionally, the conception of the Caryanda viridis-species group is proposed to contain the four allied species with falciform cerci: C. albomaculata Mao, Ren & Ou, 2007, C. dehongensis Mao, Xu & Yang, 2003, C. eshana Mao sp. nov., and C. viridis (Zheng & Mao, 1996) comb. nov.. A key to the species of C. viridis-species group is provided. Type specimens are deposited in the Biological Science Museum, Dali University (BMDU), Yunnan Province, China, in the Institute of Zoology, Shaanxi Normal University (IZSNU), Shaanxi Province, China and in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China (IZCAS).

Taxonomic notes on Pternoscirtapulchripes Uvarov, 1925 (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Oedipodinae) with proposal of new synonyms in the genera Flatovertex and Mioscirtus.

Based on the examination of types and additional materials, the morphology of Pternoscirtapulchripes Uvarov, 1925 and Flatovertex species were reviewed. As a result of our study, the genus Flatovertex Zheng, 1981 was synonymized with the genus Pternoscirta Saussure, 1884, the species Flatovertex cyaneitibialis Zhang & Han, 2010 was synonymized with Pternoscirta caliginosa (Haan, 1842), Flatovertex rufotibialis Zheng, 1981 with Pternoscirta pulchripes Uvarov, 1925, and Flatovertex nigritibialis Zheng & Zhang, 2006 with Mioscirtus wagneri wagneri (Eversmann, 1859), respectively. Mioscirtus varentzowi Zubowsky, 1896 was considered as a junior synonym of Mioscirtus wagneri wagneri (Eversmann, 1849) but not that of Mioscirtus wagneri rogenhoferi (Saussure, 1888).

A review of Caryanda viridis- species group (Orthoptera: Acrididae) with a new species.

A new species of Caryanda viridis- species group, i.e. Caryanda biserrata Mao et Yin sp. nov. is described and illustrated. C. xinpingensis Mao, 2017 is included into C. viridis- species group, and C. viridoides Mao, Ren & Ou, 2011 is removed from it. C. viridis- species group presently contains six species: C. viridis (Zheng & Mao, 1996), C. dehongensis Mao, Xu & Yang, 2003, C. albomaculata Mao, Ren & Ou, 2007, C. eshana Mao, 2015, C. xinpingensis Mao, 2017 and C. biserrata Mao et Yin sp. nov.. The key to the six species of C. viridis- species group is updatad.

Taxonomy on three allied genera within Arcypterini (Orthoptera: Acrididae) from Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, China.

The generic diagnosis of three allied genera, Leuconemacris Zheng, 1988, Asulconotoides Liu, 1984 and Asulconotus Ying, 1974, are compared and redescribed. Four new species, Leuconemacris acuminata, sp. nov., L. xinlongensis, sp. nov., L. muliensis, sp. nov. and Asulconotus acarinatus, sp. nov. are described and illustrated. Two new combinations are established: Asulconotoides asulcata (Zheng, 1988) comb. nov. = Leuconemacris asulcata Zheng, 1988 and Asulconotoides microptera (Zheng, 1988), comb. nov. = Leuconemacris microptera Zheng, 1988. All updated keys to genera and species are given.

Descriptions on two new species of the genus Macromotettixoides (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae: Metrodorinae ) from China.

Two new species Macromotettixoides amplifronta sp. nov. and M. yingjiangensis sp. nov. from Yunnan, are described and illustrated with photographs. An updated key to species of the genus Macromotettixoides is provided.

The Complete Mitogenomes of Three Grasshopper Species with Special Notes on the Phylogenetic Positions of Some Related Genera.

Clarifying phylogenetic position and reconstructing robust phylogeny of groups using various evidences are an eternal theme for taxonomy and systematics. In this study, the complete mitogenomes of Longzhouacris mirabilis, Ranacris albicornis, and Conophyma zhaosuensis were sequenced using next-generation sequencing (NGS), and the characteristics of the mitogenomes are presented briefly. The mitogenomes of the three species are all circular molecules with total lengths of 16,164 bp, 15,720 bp, and 16,190 bp, respectively. The gene structures and orders, as well as the characteristics of the mitogenomes, are similar to those of other published mitogenomes in Caelifera. The phylogeny of the main subfamilies of Acrididae with prosternal process was reconstructed using a selected dataset of mitogenome sequences under maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) frameworks. The results showed that the genus Emeiacris consistently fell into the subfamily Melanoplinae rather than Oxyinae, and the genus Choroedocus had the closest relationship with Shirackiacris of the subfamily Eyprepocnemidinae in both phylogenetic trees deduced from mitogenome protein coding genes (PCGs). This finding is entirely consistent with the morphological characters, which indicate that Emeiacris belongs to Melanoplinae and Choroedocus belongs to Eyprepocnemidinae. In addition, the genera Conophymacris and Xiangelilacris, as well as Ranacris and Menglacris, are two pairs of the closest relatives, but their phylogenetic positions need further study to clarify.

Taxonomic review of the genus Assamacris (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Catantopinae) with a new species and a newly discovered female.

Taxonomic review of the genus Assamacris Uvarov, 1942 is given. The genus Traulitonkinacris You Bi, 1983 is synonymized with Assamacris. Traulitonkinacris bifurcatus You Bi, 1983 is transferred to Assamacris as a new combination. Assamacris splendida sp. nov. is described as new species. A newly discovered female of A. curticerca (Huang, 1981) is introduced. A key to the species is updated.

Taxonomic revision of Phaesticus Uvarov and synonymy with Flatocerus Liang amp; Zheng syn. nov. (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae).

The genus Phaesticus Uvarov, 1940 is revised here with updated generic characteristics and a key to the species. New synonyms and a new combination are proposed: 1) Phaesticus Uvarov, 1940 = Flatocerus Liang Zheng, 1984 syn. nov.; 2) P. mellerborgi (Stål, 1855) = P. insularis (Hancock, 1907) syn. nov., = P. carinatus Zheng, 1998 syn. nov., = P. azemii Mahmood, Idris Salmah, 2007 syn. nov., = F. brachynotus Liang, Chen Chen, 2008 syn. nov., = P. uvarovi Storozhenko Dawwrueng, 2015 syn. nov.; 3) P. moniliantennatus (Günther, 1940) = F. nankunshanensis Liang Zheng, 1984 syn. nov., = F. wuyishanensis Zheng, 1991 syn. nov., = F. guizhouensis Wang, 1992 syn. nov., = F. daqingshanensis Zheng Jiang, 1998 syn. nov., = F. dentifemura Zheng, 2003 syn. nov.; 4) P. hainanensis (Liang, 1988) comb. nov. = F. hainanensis Liang, 1988. Intraspecific variation in the lengths of the hind pronotal processes and hind wings in the family Tetrigidae are discussed in detail.

A new species of the genus Tuberfemurus (Orthoptera: Tetrigoidea: Cladonotinae) with comments on the characters of mitochondrial genome.

A new species, Tuberfemurus viridulus sp. nov. is described and illustrated with photographs. The new species is similar to T. torulisinotus Deng, 2019, but differs from the latter by broader vertex, invisible frontal costa in profile, distinctly truncate apex of hind pronotal process, and two large triangular projections on lower outer carinae of hind femur. An updated key to species of Tuberfemurus is provided. Simultaneously, the complete mitochondrial genome of Tuberfemurus viridulus sp. nov. is sequenced and analyzed. The total length of the assembled mitogenome is 15,060 bp with 37 typical mitochondrial genes and a non-coding region (A + T-rich region). The order and orientation of the gene arrangement pattern are identical to that of most Tetrigoidea species. All PCGs initiate with the standard start codon of ATN, except ATP6 with GAC and ND1 with TTG; and terminate with the complete stop codon (TAA/TAG) or with an incomplete T- codon. This data could provide the genome information available for Tetrigoidea and facilitate phylogenetic studies of related insects.

Phylogenetic Position of the Genus Alulacris (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Melanoplinae: Podismini) Revealed by Complete Mitogenome Evidence.

Whole mitogenomes are a useful data source for a wide variety of research goals due to the vastly cheaper sequencing cost and the far less demanding high-quality templates. The mitogenome has demonstrated great potential in resolving phylogenetic questions in Orthoptera at different taxonomic scales as well as exploring patterns of molecular and morphological character evolutions. In this study, the complete mitogenome of Alulacrisshilinensis (Zheng, 1977) was sequenced using next-generation sequencing, the characteristics of the mitogenome are presented briefly, and the phylogeny of the Melanoplinae and Catantopinae was reconstructed using a selected dataset of mitogenome sequences under maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference frameworks. The results show that the genus was consistently assigned to the subfamily Melanoplinae rather than Catantopinae in all phylogenetic trees deduced from different datasets under different frameworks, and this finding is entirely consistent with its morphological characters. Therefore, it is more appropriate to place the genus Alulacris in Melanoplinae rather than in Catantopinae.

A taxonomic study of the genus Macromotettixoides (Tetrigidae, Metrodorinae) with descriptions of two new species and two newly discovered males.

Fifteen species of Macromotettixoides are systematically researched in this paper. Two new species (M. tuberculata Mao, Li Han, sp. n. and M. truncata Mao, Li Han, sp. n.) and two newly discovered males (M. curvimarginus (Zheng Xu) and M. longling Deng) are introduced with descriptions and illustrations. An updated identification key to all known species of the genus is given.

Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of the Yunnan endemic grasshopper Longchuanacris curvifurculus (Insecta: Orthoptera: Catantopidae).

Longchuanacris curvifurculus (L. curvifurculus) was once a dominating grasshopper in the Yunnan province (People's Republic of China) that occupy important ecological niche. However, its population has severely declined because of the deterioration of ecological environment. Identifying the species and source of L. curvifurculus is important for biodiversity conservation and ecological/environmental preservation. In the study, the complete mitochondrial genome of L. curvifurculus was assembled from high-coverage (36.8×) Illumina MiSeq sequencing data. The circular genome is 15,450 bp in length, harboring 37 typical mitochondrial genes and one control region. The nucleotide composition is asymmetric (43.0% A, 14.3% C, 10.5% G, and 32.2% T), with an overall A + T content of 75.2%. All the protein-coding genes (PCGs) are initiated with typical ATN start codons and terminated by the typical TAA codons or the incomplete T(aa) codon. The control region has a remarkably high A + T content (84.9%) and is located between genes rrnS and trnV.