Russalpia albertisi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Russalpia albertisi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| In Australia | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Orthoptera |
| Suborder: | Caelifera |
| Family: | Acrididae |
| Subfamily: | Catantopinae |
| Tribe: | Catantopini |
| Genus: | Russalpia |
| Species: | R. albertisi |
| Binomial name | |
| Russalpia albertisi (Bolívar, 1898) | |
 | |
Russalpia albertisi, the Tassie hopper, is a species of short-horned grasshopper in the family Acrididae. It is found in Tasmania, Australia.[1]
Russalpia albertisi is distinguished from other species by its micropterous wings, with small, non-functional forewings and vestigial hind wings.[2] Its pronotum features a smooth median carina and a well-defined caudal margin.[2] Males typically have more inflated hind femora, while females tend to have slender femora and a slightly larger, more robust abdomen, as is common in many grasshopper species.[2] The colouration of R. albertisi varies widely, with individuals appearing in shades of green, brown, or black, providing effective camouflage in Tasmanian grasslands.[2]
Taxonomy
Originally described as Trigoniza albertisi by Bolívar in 1898, the species was later reclassified into the genus Russalpia by Sjöstedt in 1921.[3] Phylogenetic studies confirmed a close relationship between Russalpia and the New Zealand Sigaus genus, suggesting a shared evolutionary history between Tasmanian and New Zealand alpine grasshoppers.[2] Molecular analyses, including mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequencing, have placed R. albertisi within the subtribe Russalpiina, a group restricted to Tasmania and New Zealand.[2]
