Pygmy Grasshoppers (Tetrigidae) are small Orthopteran Insects related to True Grasshoppers, Crickets and Katydids, found across much of the globe but most numerous and diverse in the tropics. The name ‘Pygmy Grasshoppes’ is somewhat misleading, as they seldom feed on Grass, instead mainly consuming Bryophytes (Mosses), Algae, Lichens and only the occasional small vascular plant; the group are also known as Grouse Locusts or Ground Hoppers. Surprisingly for Orthopterans, many species are capable swimmers, and live semi-aquatic lifestyles. They are a large group today, with over 1700 described species, however their fossil record is rather limited, with only eleven fossil species described to date.
In a new paper published in the journal Zootaxa on 16 August 2019, Jared Thomas of the Center for Paleontology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Josip Skejo of the Evolution Lab at the University of Zagreb, and the Institute for Molecular Evolution at Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, and Sam Heads, also of the Center for Paleontology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, describe a new species of Pygmy Grasshopper from Eocene Baltic Amber.
Baltic amber is the preserved resin of Eocene Coniferous Trees that formed huge forests covering much of Scandinavia and Northern Europe between about 56 and 34 million years ago. Since this amber floats, it is often found on beaches around the Baltic Sea, and sometimes further afield, making the precise dating of individual pieces difficult, though most Baltic Amber is thought to be about 46 million years old.
The new species is named Danatettix hoffeinsorum, where 'Danatettix' means 'Dana's Grasshopper' in honour of Katie Dana, the wife of Jared Thomas, for stimulating his interest in Insects, and 'hoffeinsorum' honours Christel and Hans Hoffeins for their efforts in collecting Baltic Amber; the specimens from which the species is described come from the Hoffeins' collection, but will be donated to the Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut in Müncheberg. The new species is described from three specimens, an adult female and two nymphal (immature) males.
Dorsal oblique view adult female Danatettix hoffeinsorum. (1) Photograph. (2) Line drawing. Scale bars are 1 mm. Thomas et al. (2019).
The anterior (front) margin of the pronotum (plate that covers the back of the thorax) is truncated in Danatettix hoffeinsorum, a trait seen in members of the living genera Paurotarsus and Eutettigidea, which are found in Central and South America. This is interesting because like them Danatettix hoffeinsorum appears to be a member of the subfamily Batrachideinae, which today is found in the Americas, Africa, Australia, and parts of tropical Asia, but not Europe. This suggests that the subfamily was more widely distributed in the past.
Left lateral image of early instar male nymph of Danatettix hoffeinsorum. (9) Photograph. (10) Line drawing. Scale bars are 1 mm. Thomas et al. (2019).
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Pygmy Grasshoppers (Tetrigidae) ni wadudu wadogo wa Orthopteran wanaohusiana na Grasshoppers, Crickets na Katydids, wanaopatikana katika sehemu kubwa ya ulimwengu lakini wengi na tofauti katika kitropiki. Jina la Pygmy Grasshoppes ni la kupotosha, kwani mara chache hula nyasi, badala yake hasa wanakula Bryophytes (Mosses), Algae, Lichens na mimea midogo ya mishipa tu mara kwa mara; kikundi hicho pia kinajulikana kama Grouse Locusts au Ground Hoppers. Kwa kushangaza kwa Orthopterans, spishi nyingi ni waogeleaji wenye uwezo, na wanaishi maisha ya nusu-maji. Kuna aina zaidi ya 1,700 zilizotajwa, lakini rekodi yao ya visukuku ni ndogo, na aina kumi na moja tu za visukuku zimeelezwa hadi sasa. Katika makala ya hivi karibuni iliyochapishwa katika jarida la Zootaxa, Jared Thomas wa Kituo cha Paleontolojia cha Chuo Kikuu cha Illinois huko Urbana-Champaign, Josip Skejo wa Maabara ya Mageuzi ya Chuo Kikuu cha Zagreb, na Taasisi ya Mageuzi ya Molekuli katika Chuo Kikuu cha Heinrich-Heine huko Düsseldorf, na Sam Heads, pia wa Kituo cha Paleontolojia cha Chuo Kikuu cha Illinois huko Urbana-Champaign, wanaelezea spishi mpya ya Pygmy Grasshopper kutoka Eocene Baltic Amber. Amber ya Baltic ni resini iliyohifadhiwa ya miti ya Eocene ya Coniferous ambayo iliunda misitu mikubwa inayofunika sehemu kubwa ya Scandinavia na Ulaya Kaskazini kati ya miaka milioni 56 na 34 iliyopita. Kwa kuwa amber hii huelea, mara nyingi hupatikana kwenye fuo karibu na Bahari ya Baltic, na wakati mwingine mbali zaidi, na kufanya tarehe sahihi ya vipande vya mtu binafsi kuwa ngumu, ingawa amber nyingi za Baltic zinafikiriwa kuwa na umri wa miaka milioni 46. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, aina ya ""Danatettix hoenensorum"" ni jina la mchwa wa Dana, kwa heshima ya mke wa Jared Thomas, Katie Dana, kwa kuchochea maslahi yake katika wadudu, na ""Hoenensorum"" ni heshima ya Christel na Hans Hoenens kwa juhudi zao za kukusanya Baltic Amber, na spishi ambazo zinatajwa zinatoka kwa mkusanyiko wa Hoenens, lakini zitapewa kwa Institut Deutsches Senckenberg." Spishi mpya imeelezwa kutoka kwa sampuli tatu, mwanamke mzima na wanaume wawili wa nymphal (wasio na ukomavu). Dorsal oblique view mwanamke mzima Danatettix hoffeinsorum. (1) Picha. (2) Kuchora mstari. Vipimo vya kiwango cha 1 mm Thomas et al. (2019). Sehemu ya mbele ya pronotum (bamba linalofunika sehemu ya nyuma ya kifua) imepunguzwa katika Danatetix hoffensorum, sifa inayoonekana katika wanachama wa jamii za Paurotarsus na Eutetigidea, ambazo hupatikana Amerika ya Kati na Kusini. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""Danatetix hofeinsorum"" ni jamii ya aina ya batrachidae, ambayo kwa sasa hupatikana katika Amerika, Afrika, Australia, na sehemu za Asia ya kitropiki." Hilo laonyesha kwamba familia hiyo ilikuwa na watu wengi zaidi wakati uliopita. Picha ya upande wa kushoto ya nymph ya kiume ya mapema ya Danatettix hoffeinsorum. (9) Picha. (10) Mchoro wa mstari. Vipimo vya kiwango cha 1 mm Thomas et al. (2019). Fuata Mawazo ya Sayansi kwenye Facebook.