Acrididae, MacLeay, 1821

Chen, Jian-Yu, Wang, Shao-Shan, Yang, Jin-Chen, Wan, Xin & Li, Xin-Jiang, 2025, First record of Tropidopolinae (Orthopetra: Acrididae) in China, Zootaxa 5693 (3), pp. 441-446 : 444-445

Part subfamilies key to family Acrididae from China

1. Lateral lobes of mesosterum touching in part or whole length each other, interspace closed. Body usually relatively slender......................................................................................... Tropidopolinae

- Lateral lobes of mesosternum widely separated, interspace wider, sometimes narrower, but bothlobes not contiguous or connected each other only at a point. Body usually relatively robust............................................. 2

2. Lower genicular lobe of hind femur elongated backward at apex, forming pointed spine-like needle.................... 3

- Lower genicular lobe of hind femur not elongated backward into pointed spine, apex nearly rounded or acute angle, but not spine-like........................................................................................... 4

3. Tegmina developed, reaching or extending beyond the apex of abdomen, if shortened, overlapping each other on dorsum. Hind tibia expanded plate like at apical part on dorsal margin. Subgenital plate in male normal...................... Oxyinae

- Tegmina lobi-form, lateral, not touching on dorsum. Hind tibia cylindrical at apical part, margin not expanded...................................................................................................... Caryndinae

4. Dorsal carina of hind femur smooth, without serration........................................................ 5

- Dorsal carina of hind femur serrated...................................................................... 7

5. Radial area of tegmen with row of parallel transverse veinlets, vertical with main longitudinal veins, if tegmen reduced, lobi-form or absent, prosternal process spathulate................................................................ 6

- Radial area of tegmina without row of parallel transverse veinlets. If tegmina reduced into lobi-formor absent, prosternal process not spathulate....................................................................... Melanoplinae

6. Sulci of pronotum black. Prosternal process conical or spathulate................................... Hemiacridinae

- Sulci of pronotum uncolored. Prosternal process spathulate....................................... Spathosterninae

7. Tegmina and wings in both sexes fully developed, reaching or extending beyond the end of abdomen, if shortened, overlapping each other on dorsum, sometimes lobi-form, lateral, cerci in male bilobate........................................ 8

- Tegmina and wings in both sexes all undeveloped, shortened, lobi-form, lateral, not touching ondorsum. Cerci in male conical, apex not dentate. Sometimes tegmina and wings in both sexes absent............................... Habrocneminae

8. Pronotum without lateral carinae, sometimes with indistinct lateral carinae in prozona, hind tibia with less spines along dorso outer side, about 8–10 spines............................................................................ 9

- Pronotum with distinct lateral carinae, sometimes weakly. hind tibia with more spines on dorso-outer side, about 11–16 spines............................................................................................. 11

9. Lateral lobes of mesosternum narrower, inner margin nearly right angle, or lower angle at innermargin acute angle. Body usually larger relatively............................................................... Cyrtacanthacridinae

- Lateral lobes of mesosternum relatively broad and short, inner margin nearly wider round, or lower angle at inner margin nearly obtuse angle. Body smaller............................................................................. 10

10. Prosternal process conical, apex slightly pointed. Lateral lobes of metasternum distinctly. separatedat posterior apical part. The 10th abdominal tergite with furcula on the posterior margin. Tegminain majority species obliquely truncated at apex................................................................................................ Coptacridinae

- Prosternal process cylindrical, apex obtusely rounded. Lateral lobes of metasternum usually touching each other at posterior margin. The 10th abdominal tergite in male in majority species without furcula. Tegmina usually widely rounded at apex............................................................................................. Catantopinae

11. Cerci in male forceps-like, strongly incurved, apically divided into two lobes, ventral lobes sometimes with two teeth on apex, Pronotum unicolour on dorsum. Epiphallus disc-shaped, lophi absent................................. Calliptaminae

- Cerci in male compressed, strongly curved downward, apex intact, not split into dentes. Pronotum usually with black velvet stripe. Epiphallus not disc-shaped, lophi usually present....................................... Eyprepocnemidinae