Haplotropiidini Sergeev, 1995

Yu, Sergey & Paik, Jong-Cheol, 2011, Review of the genus Haplotropis Saussure, 1888 (Orthoptera: Pamphagidae), with notes on classification of the subfamilies Pamphaginae and Trinchinae, Zootaxa 2897, pp. 27-34 : 28-29

Tribe Haplotropiidini Sergeev, 1995

Haplotropini Sergeev, 1993: 62 . Unavailable name according to Article 13.1 of the Code (ICZN, 1999). Haplotropini Sergeev, 1995: 216 .

Type genus: Haplotropis Saussure, 1888 .

Redescription. Fastigium of vertex relatively broad, with one pair of foveolae visible from above. Frontal ridge relatively broad, weakly or not sulcate. Antennae filiform. Median carina of pronotum raised, usually smooth or in some specimens gently cut by hind furrow. Tegmina lateral, scale-like. Hind wings as long as tegmina, second anal vein of hind wing thickened, S-shaped. Upper side of mid tibiae with a few tubercules near the base only. Hind femora stout. Krauss’ organ large. Apical valves of penis short. Epiphallus semi-bridge.

Composition. One genus in East Asia.

Remark. The generic name Haplotropis originated from Greek words, therefore the correct spelling of tribe name is Haplotropiidini (not Haplotropini as proposed by Sergeev).

Discussion. Recently five subfamilies of Eurasian Pamphadigae was described based mainly on the shape of antennae and presents or absents of tympanum ( Zhang et al., 2003), beside them Nocarodesinae Zhang, Yin et Yin, 2003 (type genus: Nocarodes Fischer-Waldheim, 1846 ), Tropidaucheninae Zhang, Yin et Yin, 2003 (type genus: Tropidauchen Saussure, 1887 ), and Orchaminae Zhang, Yin et Yin, 2003 (type genus: Orchamus Stål, 1876 ). The reduction of tympanal organ in apterous species takes place in different groups of grasshoppers and is not used as a taxonomic character for separating of tribes or subfamilies. The shape of antennae in Acridoidea has no taxonomic value in separating of families and subfamilies. Therefore four subfamilies are synonymized under two tribes of subfamily Pamphaginae .

The presence of Krauss’ organ is one of the main apomorphic characters separating Pamphagidae from other families of Acridoidea, wherefore the secondary reduction of this organ seems more important for dividing Pamphagidae in subfamilies and tribes. But the most important is the structure of male genitalia. In this respect genus Haplotropis is quite differs from all known Pamphaginae , in which the epiphallus is strongly shield-like, and the apical valves of penis relatively long. By the S-shaped second anal vein in hind wing and by the relatively short apical valves of penis Haplotropis similar with the subfamily Trinchinae Stål, 1876 (= Akicerinae Bolivar, 1916 ), but well distinguished from the latter by the structure of fastigium of vertex (see Uvarov, 1943: figs. 1 – 8), by presents of a few tubercules on the upper side of mid tibiae near the base only, and by arch-like median keel of pronotum usually not cut by furrows, and undoubtedly belongs to subfamily Pamphaginae .

Haplotropis seems to be one of the most primitive members of subfamily Pamphaginae . First at all, it inhabits the steppe-forest zone; even other Pamphadinae specialize on living in the desert or semi-desert conditions. Frontal ridge in Haplotropis is relatively wide and smooth, rarely with weak sulcus above median occelus; even in other Pamphaginae frontal ridge is very narrow and deeply sulcate. Moreover, in some aspects this genus is similar with subfamily Trinchinae (especially in venation of hind wings); even semi-bridge epiphallus is also present in the African Echinotropinae , but in the latter subfamily Krauss’ organ is absent and the head is specialized.

Thus, only three tribes are well recognizable in the subfamily Pamphaginae . The differential diagnoses of these tribes are given in the key below.