List of Orthoptera of South Africa

This page is incomplete and lacking information and resources! If you have expertise or materials on this topic that you are willing to contribute, please feel free to add it here using the Edit button above or get in touch with an administrator to help.

This is a list of all Orthoptera species that have been recorded in the country of South Africa.

The following tags have been used to highlight some categories of occurrence:

(E) Endemic - a species endemic to South Africa.

(I) Introduced - an exotic species that has established a breeding population.

(V) Vagrant - a rare individual outside of its typical range.

Family Acrididae

Subfamily Acridinae

• Two-coloured stick grasshopper (Acrida bicolor)
• Splendid cone-headed grasshopper (Truxalis nasuta)

Subfamily Calliptaminae

• Acorypha clara
• Acorypha glaucopsis

Subfamily Catantopinae

• Devil grasshopper (Diabolocatantops axillaris)
• Vitticatantops humeralis

Subfamily Cyrtacanthacridinae

• Garden locust (Acanthacris ruficornis)
• Brown‐spotted locust (Cyrtacanthacris tatarica)
• Red locust (Nomadacris septemfasciata)
• Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria)

Subfamily Eyprepocnemidinae

• Lamenting grasshopper (Eyprepocnemis plorans)

Subfamily Oedipodinae

• Aiolopus longicornis
• Slender green-winged grasshopper (Aiolopus thalassinus)
• Migratory locust (Locusta migratoria)
• Brown locust (Locustana pardalina)
• Shady grasshopper (Morphacris fasciata)
• Senegalese grasshopper (Oedaleus senegalensis)

Family Pyrgomorphidae

Subfamily Pyrgomorphinae

• Chrotogonus hemipterus
• Chrotogonus senegalensis
• Koppie foam grasshopper (Dictyophorus spumans)
• Green milkweed locust (Phymateus viridipes)
• Elegant grasshopper (Zonocerus elegans)

Family Gryllidae

Subfamily Gryllinae

• Tobacco cricket (Brachytrupes membranaceus)
• Two-spotted cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus)

Family Oecanthidae

Subfamily Oecanthinae

• Cape thermometer cricket (Oecanthus capensis)
• Limpopo green tree cricket (Oecanthus galpini) (E)

Family Gryllotalpidae

Subfamily Gryllotalpinae

• African mole cricket (Gryllotalpa africana)

Family Anostostomatidae

Subfamily Anostostomatinae

• Parktown prawn (Libanasidus vittatus)

Family Tettigoniidae

Subfamily Conocephalinae

• Lesotho meadow katydid (Conocephalus basutoanus)
• Long-tailed meadow katydid (Conocephalus caudalis)
• African meadow katydid (Conocephalus conocephalus)
• Common Restio katydid (Conocephalus montana)
• Peringuey’s meadow katydid (Conocephalus peringueyi)
• Striped Restio katydid (Conocephalus vaginalis)
• Zlobin's meadow katydid (Conocephalus zlobini)
• Robust conehead katydid (Ruspolia ampla)
• Nsenene (Ruspolia differens)

Subfamily Hetrodinae

• Brown armored corn cricket (Acanthoplus discoidalis)

Subfamily Meconematinae

• Drakensberg grass false shieldback (Paracilacris lateralis)
• Golden Gate grass false shieldback katydid (Paracilacris mordax)
• Imperiled grass false shieldback katydid (Paracilacris periclitatus)

Subfamily Mecopodinae

• Cederberg cave katydid (Cedarbergeniana imperfecta)

Subfamily Phaneropterinae

• Slender leaf katydid (Catoptropteryx aurita)
• Green Ducetia katydid (Ducetia chelocerca)
• Brunner's Melidia katydid (Melidia brunneri)
• Spotted leaf katydid (Phaneroptera nigropunctata)
• Grass krompokkel katydid (Plangia graminea)