Africa Wild

Digging Grasshopper Acrotylus sp.
Family: Acrididae. Subfamily: Oedipodinae. Tribe: Acrotylini

© ExFmem
Kruger National Park

Genus Acrotylus
Body length 20 - 30 mm. Cryptic brown and tan in color, with large bulging eyes. The middle legs are elongated for digging. Hind legs with black bands. Hind wings are red or blue with a black border.

These grasshoppers partially bury themselves when wind picks up. When disturbed, they make short flights, displaying colourful hindwings.
Two generations per year.
Acrotylus spp. favour sandy areas, including agricultural land and homesteads.
19 species native to southern Africa.

Links:
http://www.biodiversityexplorer.info/or ... otylus.htm
http://orthoptera.speciesfile.org/Commo ... ID=1104086
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10. ... 6.11448403

Burrowing Grasshopper, Band-wing Grasshopper Acrotylus diana
Family Acrididae. Subfamily: Oedipodinae. Tribe: Acrotylini


Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Description
Most species of the subfamily Oedipodinae, as implied by the common name, have a dark band crossing the hind wing somewhere between the middle and outer margin, most have the basal part (or "disc") of the wing colored. A few species have entirely dark or clear hind wings. The relative placement and shape of the dark band, as well as the color of the base is often of great help in identifying the species.

Members of the genus Acrotylus are burrowing grasshoppers, whose middle legs are elongated for digging. They are also medium-sized ( 20 - 30 mm) with large, bulging eyes, and hind legs banded with black.

Distribution
Southern Africa, Namibia

Habitat
Open habitat in savanna in loose shifting sand or hard gravelly soil, such as disturbed areas, e.g. road verges.

Biology
Members of Acrotylus are poor fliers, displaying banded hind wings in flight. They bury themselves when disturbed or in windy conditions, using the middle legs. Stridulate loudly. Egg pod with hard wall, lacking a cap. Rising spring temperatures break the resting period (diapause) of the eggs. There are 2 generations per year.

Environmental Impact
The grasshoppers of the tribe Acrotylini are entirely vegetarian and voracious feeders. They cause severe damage to various valued crops.



http://orthoptera.speciesfile.org/Commo ... ID=1104056

Slender Digging Grasshopper, Slender Red-winged Grasshopper Acrotylus patruelis
Family: Acrididae. Subfamily: Oedipodinae. Tribe: Acrotylini


KTP


Links:
https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/15431178/71713869

Order: Orthoptera



Suborder: Ensifera (elongate, bendy, antennae with many segments)
Family: Anostostomatidae (Wetas, including Parktown prawn)
Unidentified King Cricket viewtopic.php?f=247&t=3192&start=10#p166803
Unidentified King Cricket viewtopic.php?f=247&t=3192&start=10#p166811

Family: Gryllacrididae

Family: Gryllidae (True Crickets)
Acanthogryllus fortipes Brown Cricket viewtopic.php?p=530153#p530153
Brachytrupes membranaceus Giant Burrowing Cricket, Tobacco Cricket viewtopic.php?p=492642#p492642
Gryllodes sigillatus Banded Cricket, Tropical House Cricket viewtopic.php?p=193727#p193727
Gryllus bimaculatus African or Mediterranean Field Cricket, Common Garden Cricket viewtopic.php?p=260385#p260385

Family: Gryllotalpidae (Mole Crickets)

Family: Rhaphidophoridae (Cave Crickets)

Family: Schizodactylidae (Dune Crickets)

Family: Stenopelmatidae (King Crickets)

Family: Tettigoniidae (Katydids, Koringkrieks)
Clonia wahlbergi Winged Predatory Katydid viewtopic.php?p=144555#p144555
Conocephalus sp. Meadow Katydid viewtopic.php?p=491261#p491261
Cymatomerella spilophora Bark-mimic Sylvan Katydid viewtopic.php?p=193096#p193096
Eurycorypha sp. Oblong-eyed Leaf Katydid viewtopic.php?f=247&t=3192&p=176523#p176523
Eurycorypha sp. Leaf Katydid Nymph viewtopic.php?p=497878#p497878
Phaneroptera sparsa Leaf Katydid viewtopic.php?f=247&p=144777#p144777
Phaneroptera sp. (Nymph) viewtopic.php?p=194206#p194206
Terpnistria zebrata Acacia Katydid viewtopic.php?f=247&p=143119#p143119
Zabalius sp. True Leaf Katydid viewtopic.php?p=312266#p312266
Zuludectus modestus viewtopic.php?f=247&t=3192#p143413
Subfamily: Hetrodinae (Armoured Crickets)
Acanthoplus discoidalis Armoured Katydid viewtopic.php?p=159937#p159937
Acanthoplus longipes Long-legged Armoured Katydid viewtopic.php?p=217141#p217141
Acanthoproctus cervinus Antlered Thorny Katydid viewtopic.php?f=247&t=3192&p=142161#p142161

Suborder: Caelifera (short, straight antennae)
Family: Acrididae (Grasshoppers and Locusts)
Subfamily: Acridinae
Acrida sp. Stick Grasshopper viewtopic.php?p=193791#p193791
Sphingonotus scabriculus Blue-wing viewtopic.php?p=191248#p191248
Subfamily Catantopinae
Cantatops sp viewtopic.php?p=528510#p528510
Phaeocatantops sp. viewtopic.php?p=487226#p487226
Subfamily: Cyrtacanthacridinae (Bird Locusts)
Acanthacris ruficornis Garden Locust viewtopic.php?f=247&t=3192&p=142230#p142230
Anacridium moestum Tree Locust viewtopic.php?p=190419#p190419
Anacridium cf. rehni Tree Locust viewtopic.php?p=528470#p528470
Cyrtacanthacris aeruginosa Green Tree Locust viewtopic.php?p=531088#p531088
Bird Locust nymph viewtopic.php?p=487745#p487745
Subfamily Euryphyminae (Agile Grasshoppers)
Amblyphymus sp. Agile Grasshopper viewtopic.php?p=496443#p496443
Rhachitopis sp. Agile Grasshopper viewtopic.php?p=489588#p489588
Rhodesiana cuneicerca Shorthorned Grasshopper viewtopic.php?p=191286#p191286
Subfamily: Oedipodinae
Acrotylus diana Burrowing Grasshopper viewtopic.php?p=191603#p191603
Acrotylus patruelis Slender Digging Grasshopper viewtopic.php?p=190824#p190824
Acrotylus sp. Digging Grasshopper viewtopic.php?p=500699#p500699
Morphacris fasciata Cryptic Grasshopper viewtopic.php?p=530164#p530164
Trilophidia conturbata Band-winged Grasshopper viewtopic.php?p=530216#p530216

Family: Euschmidtiidae (Bush Hoppers)
Bush Hopper possibly Amatonga or Pseudamatonga sp. viewtopic.php?p=193632#p193632

Family: Pamphagidae (Toad Grasshoppers)
Lamarckiana sparrmani Rain Locust viewtopic.php?p=190026#p190026
Lamarckiana sp. Rain Locust viewtopic.php?f=247&t=3192&start=10#p160446
Lamarckiana sp. Rain Locust viewtopic.php?p=205474#p205474
Lamarckiana sp. Rain Locust viewtopic.php?p=268235#p268235
Lobosceliana Shieldback Locust viewtopic.php?f=247&t=3192&start=10#p161654
Porthetine Grasshopper viewtopic.php?p=198289#p198289

Family: Pneumoridae (Bladder Grasshoppers)

Family: Pyrgomorphidae (Gaudy Grasshoppers)
Chrotogonus (Chrotogonus) hemipterus viewtopic.php?p=530462#p530462
Dictyophorus spumans Koppie Foam Grasshopper viewtopic.php?f=247&t=3192&p=142933#p142933
Phymateus leprosus Green Milkweed Locust viewtopic.php?f=247&t=3192&p=142237#p142237
Phymateus morbillosus Common Milkweed Locust viewtopic.php?p=260849#p260849
Phymateus viridipes viridipes Green Stinkweed Locust viewtopic.php?p=487214#p487214
Zonocerus elegans Elegant Grasshopper viewtopic.php?f=247&t=3192&p=178163#p178163

Family: Tetrigidae (Pygmy Grasshoppers)
Paratettix scaber Pygmy Grasshopper viewtopic.php?p=530443#p530443

Family: Thericleidae
Lophothericles cf modestus Bushhopper viewtopic.php?p=245181#p245181
Lophothericles sp. Bushhopper viewtopic.php?p=498364#p498364
Schulthessiella minuta Bushhopper viewtopic.php?p=215985#p215985

Family: Tridactylidae (Pygmy Mole 'Crickets')