Mohavacris timberlakei

Rehn, 1948

Timberlake's Desert Long-horned Grasshopper

Mohavacris timberlakei is a of desert in the Tanaoceridae, to arid regions of California. It belongs to a small family of specialized adapted to extreme desert environments. The species was described by Rehn in 1948 and named in honor of the P.H. Timberlake, who extensively collected in the southwestern United States.

Mohavacris timberlakei by (c) River Ahlquist, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by River Ahlquist. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Mohavacris timberlakei: //moʊˈhævəkrɪs tɪmbərˈleɪki//

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Identification

Distinguished from other Tanaoceridae by its association with the Mojave Desert region and specific genitalic characters; however, detailed diagnostic features require examination of . The Mohavacris contains with elongated relative to many , a trait reflected in the '' (though not to be confused with , which are often called or true long-horned grasshoppers).

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Habitat

Arid desert environments, specifically the Mojave Desert region of California. The Tanaoceridae is specialized for life in extreme desert conditions, with typically associated with sandy or rocky desert substrates.

Distribution

to California, United States, with records from the Mojave Desert region. GBIF distribution records confirm presence in California, North America.

Similar Taxa

  • Tanaocerus koebeleiAnother in the same (Tanaoceridae), also found in southwestern North deserts; differs in distribution and specific morphological characters.
  • Other Acrididae grasshoppersSuperficially similar body plan but distinguished by -level characters including structure and desert specialization; Tanaoceridae is a small, distinct family of desert-adapted .

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Taxonomic Note

The Tanaoceridae is a small group of containing only a few , all restricted to arid regions of North America. These are sometimes called 'desert ' due to their relatively long compared to typical , though they are not closely related to (), which are the true 'long-horned' orthopterans.

Nomenclatural Origin

The specific epithet 'timberlakei' honors Philip Hunter Timberlake (1883-1981), a prolific who worked at the University of California, Riverside and made extensive collections of and other throughout the southwestern United States. Multiple insect bear his name, reflecting his significant contributions to regional .

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