Family ACRIDIDAE

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Introduction

This is the largest family of Caelifera. The species exhibits little of the specialisation seen in the other acridoid groups. Dirsh (1961) recognised 17 subfamilies, including six from Australia; only three of the latter are currently recognised. No representatives of the sound-producing Gomphocerinae, which are common in the Northern Hemisphere, occur in Australia. Key (1992, 1993) and Key & Colless (1993) provided a classification of the group which is followed here. Rentz et al. (2003) provided a guide to the Acridoidea of Australia with all references to the literature on the group.

General References

Dirsh, V.M. 1961. A preliminary revision of the families and subfamilies of Acridoidea (Orthoptera, Insecta). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology 10: 351-419

Key, K.H.L. 1992. A higher classification of the Australian Acridoidea (Orthoptera). I. General introduction and sabfamily Oxyinae. Invertebrate Taxonomy 6: 547-551

Key, K.H.L. 1993. A higher classification of the Australian Acridoidea (Orthoptera). II. Subfamily Catantopinae. Invertebrate Taxonomy 7: 89-111

Key, K.H.L. & Colless, D.H. 1993. A higher classification of the Australian Acridoidea (Orthoptera). III. Subfamily Acridinae. Invertebrate Taxonomy 7: 779-786

Rentz, D.C.F. 1970. Orthoptera (Grasshoppers, locusts, katydids, crickets). pp. 369-393 in CSIRO (ed.). The Insects of Australia. A textbook for students and research workers. Carlton : Melbourne University Press 1029 pp.

Rentz, D.C.F. & Su, Y.N. 2003. Orthoptera (Grasshoppers, Locusts, Katydids, Crickets). pp. 827-839 in Resh, V. & Cardé, R. (eds). Encyclopedia of Insects. San Diego, London : Academic Press.

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