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 insect. 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, , and , 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 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
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Amedegnatomastax Cadena-Castañeda & Cardona, 2015
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Andeomastax Descamps, 1979
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Araguamastax Descamps, 1982
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Beomastax Descamps, 1979
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Caenomastax Hebard, 1923
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Cardonamastax Cadena-Castañeda, 2015
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Descampsmastax Cadena-Castañeda & Cardona, 2015
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Erythromastax Descamps, 1971
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Eumastax Burr, 1899
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Hebardomastax Cadena-Castañeda, 2016
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Helicomastax Rowell & Bentos-Pereira, 2001
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Homeomastax Descamps, 1979
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Hysteromastax Descamps, 1979
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Phryganomastax Descamps, 1982
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Santanderia Hebard, 1923
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Sciaphilomastax Descamps, 1979
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Zeromastax Porras, 2007
Gomphomastacinae
Auth.: Burr, 1899 - India, central and north-eastern Asia
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Afghanomastax Descamps, 1974
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Brachymastax Ramme, 1939
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Clinomastax Bei-Bienko, 1949
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Gomphomastax Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1898
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Gyabus Özdikmen, 2008
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Myrmeleomastax Yin, 1984
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Nepalomastax Yamasaki, 1983
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Oreomastax Bei-Bienko, 1949
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Paedomastax Bolívar, 1930
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Pentaspinula Yin, 1982
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Phytomastax Bei-Bienko, 1949
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Ptygomastax Bei-Bienko, 1959
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Sinomastax Yin, 1984
Masynteinae
Auth.: Descamps, 1973 - Cuba
Morseinae
Auth.: Rehn, 1948 - Americas
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tribe Daguerreacridini Descamps, 1973
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tribe Morseini Rehn, 1948
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tribe Psychomastacini Descamps, 1973
Paramastacinae
Auth.: Rehn & Grant Jr., 1958 - south America
Parepisactinae
Auth.: Descamps, 1971 - south America
Pseudomastacinae
Auth.: Rehn & Grant Jr., 1958 - south America
Temnomastacinae
Auth.: Rehn & Grant Jr., 1958 - south America
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tribe Eumastacopini Descamps, 1973
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tribe Temnomastacini Rehn & Grant, 1958
Incertae sedis
