Mogoplistidae is a family of scaly crickets within the superfamily Grylloidea.[1] Considered to be monophyletic, a sister taxon to the Gryllidae crickets. This family consists of more than 370 species worldwide;[2] 20 species in 4 genera occur in North America and this family includes the scaly crickets of Europe.
The Orthoptera Species File lists the following:[3]
Auth.: Gorochov 1984; distribution: Madagascar and Indian Ocean islands
Auth.: Brunner von Wattenwyl 1873
These crickets have a worldwide distribution: especially in tropical/subtropical environments near water. Like many other crickets, they are omnivorous scavengers and will eat fungi, plant material, and other insects. Members of this family are distinguished from closely related families by the scales that covers their abdomen and parts of their thorax and resemble those of Lepidoptera.
The family was originally described by Brunner von Wattenwyl in 1873,[4]: 167 but a genus (mogoplistes) was described earlier, 1838, by Serville[5] and was the basis for the family nomenclature. Mogoplistidae has three subfamilies: Mogoplistinae, Malgasiinae and Protomogoplistinae. Little work has been completed to classify and describe these crickets although work has been done on their acoustic development and identification of new characters.[6]
Mogoplistidae is a family of scaly crickets within the superfamily Grylloidea. Considered to be monophyletic, a sister taxon to the Gryllidae crickets. This family consists of more than 370 species worldwide; 20 species in 4 genera occur in North America and this family includes the scaly crickets of Europe.
