Anostostomatidae is a family of insects in the order Orthoptera, widely distributed in the southern hemisphere. It is named Mimnermidae or Henicidae in some taxonomies, and common names include king crickets in Australia and South Africa, and wētā in New Zealand (although not all wētā are in Anostostomatidae). Prominent members include the Parktown prawn of South Africa, and the giant wētā of New Zealand.

General characteristics

Some members of this family can be quite large: Parktown prawn can exceed 6 cm and tree weta can exceed 8 cm in length.

Some Australian and Asian anostostomatids have wings (e.g. Exogryllacris, Gryllotaurus, Transaevum), while most lack wings (e.g. Anostostoma, Hypocophoides, Penalva).

Males of some species have highly modified heads, which they use in male-male conflicts.

Diet

The wētā of New Zealand, such as Hemideina, are mostly herbivores that feed on leaves, fruit and flowers, but may also scavenge recently killed invertebrates.

The king crickets of Australia include generalised scavengers that consume various dead and decaying matter, specialised feeders (e.g. Exogryllacris feeds on fungal fruiting bodies growing on fallen trees) and predators of other invertebrates.

Behaviour

Anostostomatidae are nocturnal. They generally become active soon after sunset. lists the following;

Anabropsinae

Auth.: Rentz & Weissman, 1973 – Americas, Africa, India, E. Asia, Australasia

  • tribe Anabropsini Rentz & Weissman, 1973
  • Anabropsis Rehn, 1901 (includes subgenera Paterdecolyus Griffini, 1913, Apteranabropsis and Pteranabropsis Gorochov, 1988)
  • Exogryllacris Willemse, 1963: monotypic E. ornata Willemse, 1963 - Australia
  • Melanabropsis Wang & Liu, 2020 - China, Japan
  • tribe Brachyporini Gorochov, 2001 - Southern Africa, Australia
  • Brachyporus Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1888
  • Penalva Walker, 1870

Anostostomatinae

Auth.: Saussure, 1859 – Africa (including Madagascar), Australia, New Zealand

  • Anostostoma
  • Bochus
  • Borborothis
  • Carcinopsis
  • Gryllotaurus
  • Henicus Gray, 1837
  • Libanasidus, king crickets
  • Motuweta, tusked wētā
  • Nasidius Stål, 1876
  • Onosandridus
  • Onosandrus
  • Spizaphilus

Cratomelinae

Auth.: Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1888 – South America

  • Cratomelus Blanchard, 1851

Deinacridinae

Auth.: Karny, 1932 – New Zealand

  • Deinacrida, giant wētā
  • Hemideina, tree wētā

Leiomelinae

Auth.: Gorochov, 2011 – S. America

  • Leiomelus Ander, 1936

Lezininae

Auth.: Karny, 1932 – N. Africa, Middle East

  • Lezina Walker, 1869

Lutosinae

Auth.: Gorochov, 1988 – Central & S. America, Africa, PNG

  • Apotetamenus Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1888
  • Hydrolutos Issa & Jaffe, 1999
  • Libanasa Walker, 1869
  • Licodia Walker, 1869
  • Lutosa Walker, 1869
  • Neolutosa Gorochov, 2001
  • Papuaistus Griffini, 1911
  • Rhumosa Hugel & Desutter-Grandcolas, 2018

Subfamily not assigned

  • tribe Glaphyrosomatini Rentz & Weissman, 1973
  • Cnemotettix Caudell, 1916
  • Glaphyrosoma Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1888
  • incertae sedis
  • Aistus Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1888
  • Anisoura Ander, 1932 – monotypic Northland tusked wētā: A. nicobarica Ander, 1932
  • Coccinellomima Karny, 1932 – monotypic C. shelfordi Karny, 1932
  • Dolichochaeta Philippi, 1863 – monotypic D. longicornis Philippi, 1863
  • Gryllacropsis Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1888 – monotypic (India) G. magniceps (Walker, 1870)
  • Hemiandrus Ander, 1938 - ground wētā
  • Hypocophoides Karny, 1930
  • Hypocophus Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1888
  • Leponosandrus Gorochov, 2001 – monotypic L. lepismoides (Walker, 1871)
  • Transaevum Johns, 1997 – monotypic T. laudatum Johns, 1997

King crickets of South Africa

The best-known species is the Parktown prawn, not to be confused with the well-known Koringkrieke or armoured ground crickets, which never have been in the family Anostostomatidae.

Henicus monstrosus is a nocturnal anostostomatid. The males are unusual in their anatomy; their heads are disproportionately large and bear forward-directed prongs. They have extremely long, curved mandibles that are functional, but seem to play no part in the eating process.

Wētā of New Zealand

thumb|right|Defensive male Wellington tree wētā

Six genera of New Zealand wētā are part of the family Anostostomatidae: