Comicus sp. Photograph courtesy of Hamish Robertson, South African Museum

The Dune Crickets (Orthoptera: Schizodactylidae) of South Africa Compiled by John Irish National Museum, P.O. Box 266, Bloemfontein, 9300 South Africa

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Family: SCHIZODACTYLIDAE Karny 1937

The Old World family Schizodactylidae contains two genera, one of which occurs in Africa, and the other (Schizodactylus) from Burma to Turkey. Members of the African genus are wingless. They are abdomino-femoral stridulators. The second and third tarsal joints bear large lateral lobes that enable the animals to jump several metres at a time on sand substrates. Mature males may bear knobs on their cerci. The adults are aparently predacious.

1. Genus: COMICUS Brunner von Wattenwyl 1888
   1. C. capensis Brunner von Wattenwyl

      Comicus capensis Brunner von Wattenwyl 1888: 386.
      Western Cape and Northern Cape, to Namibia; all year.

      
      
   2. C. arenarius Ramme

      Comicus arenarius Ramme 1931: 166.
      Northern Cape; July to March.

      
      
   3. C. cavillorus Irish

      Comicus cavillorus Irish 1986: 259.
      Western Cape and Northern Cape; August, September, November and January.

      
      
   4. [ C. campestris Irish

      Comicus campestris Irish 1986: 260.
      Namibia and Angola; all months. ]

      
      
   5. C. calaharicus Irish

      Comicus calaharicus Irish 1986: 261.
      Northern Province and Northern Cape, to Botswana and Namibia; July to November, January, February and May.

      
      
   6. C. calcaris Irish

      Comicus calcaris Irish 1986: 262.
      Northern Cape, to Namibia; July to January, March.

      
      

REFERENCES

Irish, J. 1986.

The species of Comicus Brunner v. Wattenwyl (Orthoptera: Schizodactylidae), with a discussion of their origin. Navorsing van die Nasionale Museum 5: 253-276.

Irish, J. 1995.

A new species of Comicus Brunner v. Wattenwyl, with additional biogeographical data on the genus (Orthoptera: Schizodactylidae). Cimbebasia 14: 37-41.