Thericleidae

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Ordo: Orthoptera
Subordo: Caelifera
Infraordo: Acrididea
Superfamilia: Eumastacoidea
Familia: Thericleidae
Subfamiliae: Chromothericleinae - Thericleinae - Afromastacinae - Barythericleinae - Loxicephalinae - Plagiotriptinae - Unassigned
Name
Thericleidae Burr, 1899

The Thericleidae are a family of grasshoppers within the order Orthoptera and superfamily Eumastacoidea. They have exceptionally stubby antennae even for the Caelifera, with most species have a characteristic "horse-headed" look in profile.

The family occurs in Africa,[1][2] most members living in small trees and shrubs rather than forbs or grasses.[3]

The type genus is Thericles Stål, 1875.[4] They are obscure insects, not well known to the public, but nonetheless have a few common names, including "monkey grasshoppers", whether because of the head shape, or because they are very agile in leaping about among the twigs of the trees they inhabit, is not clear. They also are called "bush hoppers", a name they share with the closely related Euschmidtiidae.
Subfamilies and selected Genera

Afromastacinae Descamps, 1977
Afromastax Descamps, 1977
Clerithes Bolívar, 1914
Barythericleinae Descamps, 1977 (monotypic)
Barythericles Descamps, 1977
Chromothericleinae Descamps, 1977
Acanthothericles Descamps, 1977
Chromothericles Descamps, 1977
Dimorphothericles Descamps, 1977
Loxicephalinae Descamps, 1977 (monotypic)
Loxicephala Descamps, 1977
Plagiotriptinae Bolívar, 1914
Phaulotypus Burr, 1899
Plagiotriptus Karsch, 1889
Socotrella (insect) Popov, 1957
Thericleinae Burr, 1899
Lophothericles Descamps, 1977
Thericles Stål, 1875
incertae sedis
Smilethericles Baccetti, 1997

References

"Thericleidae: Overview". Encyclopedia of Life.
Descamps, Marius (1977). "Monographie des Thericleidae (Orthoptera Acridomorpha Eumastacoidea)". Sciences zoologiques No. 216. Tervuren, Belgium: Musee royal de l'Afrique centrale. OCLC 6358616.
Alan Weaving; Mike Picker; Griffiths, Charles Llewellyn (2003). Field Guide to Insects of South Africa. New Holland Publishers, Ltd. ISBN 1-86872-713-0.
"Family Thericleidae Burr, 1899". Orthoptera Species File. Archived from the original on 18 June 2014.