Observation of a cross-subfamily male-male mating attempt of grasshoppers in Kazakhstan (Orthoptera, Acrididae)

Same-sex and interspecific sexual behavior have been documented in arthropods, but records remain very scarce. We report a mating attempt of a male Dociostaurus kraussi (Ingenitzky, 1897) (Gomphocerinae) and a male of Oedaleus decorus (Germar, 1825) (Oedipodinae), both grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae), from the region of the Dzungarian Alatau Mountains in Kazakhstan. A Disc3D scan showed that the cerci of the D. kraussi male clearly connect to the external genitalia of the O. decorus male, but we could not ascertain if the genitalia were inserted or if any sperm was transferred. We consider erroneous recognition the most likely explanation but discuss other potential reasons, concluding that much remains to be learned about the highly complex reproductive behavior of acridid grasshoppers.