Chorthippus

Fieber, 1852

slant-faced grasshoppers

Species Guides

Chorthippus curtipennis(marsh meadow grasshopper)

Chorthippus is a large of gomphocerine grasshoppers comprising approximately 230 described , predominantly distributed in the Palaearctic realm. The genus was erected by Franz Fieber in 1852 and has been subdivided into subgenera including Altichorthippus, Chorthippus, and Glyptobothrus. Many species within this genus are morphologically cryptic and difficult to distinguish visually, particularly in mainland Eurasia where song patterns serve as the primary means of species identification. The genus contains notable species groups such as the Chorthippus biguttulus group, which includes the common field .

Chorthippus curtipennis by (c) Don Loarie, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Don Loarie. Used under a CC-BY license.

Chorthippus curtipennis Mâle by B59210. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Chorthippus: //kɔːrˈθɪpəs//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

-level identification within Chorthippus is challenging due to extensive morphological similarity among many . In mainland Eurasia, the most reliable distinguishing characteristic is male song pattern, with each species producing species-specific stridulatory signals. Some species groups, such as the Chorthippus biguttulus group, contain multiple cryptic species that are nearly indistinguishable by external alone. The is characterized by features typical of Gomphocerinae, including a slanted and , though these traits are shared with related genera and do not alone distinguish Chorthippus.

Images

Habitat

vary by but generally include grasslands, meadows, pastures, hayfields, roadsides, and mountain environments. Some species inhabit moist areas dominated by sedges or rushes at elevations up to 11,000 feet. The shows ecological breadth from lowland prairies to alpine tundra.

Distribution

Predominantly Palaearctic in distribution, with the vast majority of occurring in Europe and Asia. A single species, Chorthippus curtipennis, inhabits the Nearctic region (western and northern North America), representing the only known trans-Beringian distribution in the . Specific distribution records include East Europe, China, Asia-Tropical regions, Afghanistan, and Albania.

Similar Taxa

BruneriaBoth belong to Gomphocerinae and share slant-faced ; Bruneria brunnea was historically confused with Chorthippus and both may co-occur in western North American grassland .
StenobothrusHistorically congeneric with some Chorthippus (e.g., Stenobothrus brunneus was formerly placed in Bruneria and associated with Chorthippus in field guides); similar slant-faced and acoustic signaling .
GomphocerusFellow member of Gomphocerini with similar overall body plan and preferences; -level identification relies on similar morphological and acoustic characters.

More Details

Cryptic species and acoustic identification

The contains numerous morphologically cryptic that are most reliably distinguished by male calling songs. This has led to the recognition of superspecies and species groups, such as the Chorthippus biguttulus group, where what was once considered a single variable species is now known to comprise multiple reproductively isolated .

Subgeneric classification

The has been subdivided into subgenera Altichorthippus, Chorthippus, and Glyptobothrus, though not all have been assigned to subgenera. This classification reflects morphological and potentially phylogenetic groupings within the large genus.

Wolbachia infection in Chorthippus parallelus

Research on Chorthippus parallelus has documented pipientis affecting in gonadal tissues and inducing between infected and uninfected individuals. This endosymbiont creates reproductive barriers, particularly in hybrid zones between C. p. parallelus and C. p. erythropus in the Pyrenees.