Eumastacidae are a family of grasshoppers sometimes known as monkey- or matchstick grasshoppers. They usually have thin legs that are held at right angles to the body, sometimes close to the horizontal plane. Many species are wingless. Their heads are held at an angle with the top of the head often jutting above the line of the thorax and abdomen. They have three segmented tarsi and have a short antenna with a knobby organ at the tip. They do not have a prosternal spine or tympanum. Most species inhabit the tropics, with a greater diversity in the neotropics. They are considered primitive within the Orthoptera and feed on algae, ferns, and gymnosperms, the more ancient plant groups.
The families Chorotypidae and Morabidae were formerly included in this group as subfamilies but are now considered as separate families within the Eumastacoidea. With the exception of the central Asian Gomphomastacinae, all other subfamilies are restricted to South America.
Subfamilies and genera The Orthoptera Species File lists the following:Species File (v. 5.0; retrieved 10 August 2021)
Eumastacinae Auth.: Burr, 1899 - central and south America Amedegnatomastax Cadena-Castañeda & Cardona, 2015 Andeomastax Descamps, 1979 Araguamastax Descamps, 1982 Beomastax Descamps, 1979 Caenomastax Hebard, 1923 Cardonamastax Cadena-Castañeda, 2015 Descampsmastax Cadena-Castañeda & Cardona, 2015 Erythromastax Descamps, 1971 Eumastax Burr, 1899 Hebardomastax Cadena-Castañeda, 2016 Helicomastax Rowell & Bentos-Pereira, 2001 Homeomastax Descamps, 1979 Hysteromastax Descamps, 1979 Phryganomastax Descamps, 1982 Santanderia Hebard, 1923 Sciaphilomastax Descamps, 1979 Zeromastax Porras, 2007
Gomphomastacinae Auth.: Burr, 1899 - India, central and north-eastern Asia Afghanomastax Descamps, 1974 Brachymastax Ramme, 1939 Clinomastax Bei-Bienko, 1949 Gomphomastax Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1898 Gyabus Özdikmen, 2008 Myrmeleomastax Yin, 1984 Nepalomastax Yamasaki, 1983 Oreomastax Bei-Bienko, 1949 Paedomastax Bolívar, 1930 Pentaspinula Yin, 1982 Phytomastax Bei-Bienko, 1949 Ptygomastax Bei-Bienko, 1959 Sinomastax Yin, 1984
Masynteinae Auth.: Descamps, 1973 - Cuba Masyntes Karsch, 1889
Morseinae Auth.: Rehn, 1948 - Americas tribe Daguerreacridini Descamps, 1973 Daguerreacris Descamps & Liebermann, 1970 tribe Morseini Rehn, 1948 Eumorsea Hebard, 1935 Morsea Scudder, 1898 tribe Psychomastacini Descamps, 1973 Psychomastax Rehn & Hebard, 1918
Paramastacinae Auth.: Rehn & Grant Jr., 1958 - south America Paramastax Burr, 1899
Parepisactinae Auth.: Descamps, 1971 - south America Chapadamastax Descamps, 1979 Parepisactus Giglio-Tos, 1898
Pseudomastacinae Auth.: Rehn & Grant Jr., 1958 - south America Pseudomastax Bolívar, 1914
Temnomastacinae Auth.: Rehn & Grant Jr., 1958 - south America tribe Eumastacopini Descamps, 1973 Arawakella Rehn & Rehn, 1942 Bahiamastax Descamps, 1979 Eumastacops Rehn & Rehn, 1942 Maripa Descamps & Amédégnato, 1970 Pareumastacops Descamps, 1979 Pseudeumastacops Descamps, 1974 Tachiramastax Descamps, 1974 tribe Temnomastacini Rehn & Grant, 1958 Eutemnomastax Descamps, 1979 Temnomastax Rehn & Rehn, 1942
Incertae sedis Acutacris Dirsh, 1965 - Madagascar Angulomastax Zheng, 1985 - central Asia Archaeomastax Sharov, 1968 Taphacris Cockerell, 1926
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