Pyrgomorphidae | |
---|---|
Pyrgomorpha conica, a well-camouflaged species | |
Phymateus morbillosus, a toxic species with bright warning colours | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Orthoptera |
Suborder: | Caelifera |
Superfamily: | Pyrgomorphoidea |
Family: | Pyrgomorphidae Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1874 |
Subfamilies and Tribes | |
See text |
Pyrgomorphidae is a family of grasshoppers in the order Orthoptera; it is the only family in the superfamily Pyrgomorphoidea.[1] Pyrgomorphidae are found worldwide in tropical and warm temperate regions (though none are from US mainland),[1] but the vast majority of the family's approximately 500 species are from Africa, Asia and Australia.[2] Their name is probably derived from pyrgos (Greek: Πύργος) meaning "tower": a reference to the form (morph) of the head in the type genus Pyrgomorpha and other genera.
They may sometimes be known as "gaudy grasshoppers",[1] due to the striking, bright aposematic colouration of a number of genera, warning of their toxicity.[2] However, about 90% of the species in the family are harmless and well-camouflaged,[2] with a few, notably Sphenarium, even caught for human consumption.[3]