Cladistics and Phylogenetic Analyses of the Grasshopper Genus Chorthippus Fieber (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

Cladistic and phylogenetic analyses were conducted for the grasshopper genus Chorthippus Fieber. Forty-two species were analyzed, including nine belonging to the subgenus Megaulacobothrus, three to the subgenus Chorthippus, 11 to the subgenus Glyptobothrus and 19 to the subgenus Altichorthippus. In total, 50 equally parsimonious trees were constructed, with length = 176 steps, ci = 34% and ri = 77%. A strict consensus tree was constructed. All nine species of the subgenus Megaulacobothrus formed a clade, which is corroborated by five transformations. This clade is paraphyletic and near the root of the cladogram containing other Chorthippus species. In the latter clade, subclade Altichorthippus is on the base, subclade Glyptobothrus on top with subclade Chorthippus nested in it. We, therefore, suggest that the current grasshopper genus Chorthippus is paraphyletic. The subgenus Megaulacobothrus Caudell should be removed from Chorthippus and treated as a genus. The subgenus Altichorthippus contains the most ancient species of the grasshopper genus Chorthippus. The subgenus Glyptobothrus is derived from Altichorthippus and contains some species that should be referred to as Altichorthippus. The subgenus Chorthippus is a recent evolutionary group, descended from Glyptobothrus.