Taxonomic Revision of Pygmy Devil Genera Almacris, Ginixistra, Tegotettix, and Xistra, with Comments on Xistrella (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae)

The Philippines and the Papuan archipelagos harbor a vast diversity of pygmy grasshoppers, including the pygmy devils of the genera Xistra and Tegotettix, as well as visually similar taxa reviewed in this study. A new tribe, two new genera, a new subgenus, three new species, and 24 new or resurrected taxonomic combinations are proposed in this study. A new colorful wingless genus and species, Almacris alleochroa gen. et sp. nov., is described from Mindanao. Taxonomic reshuffling of the genus Xistra is performed—a new subgenus is described, Tegoxistra subgen. nov., to include X. derijei, X. corniculata, and X. cristifera, while the nominotypical subgenus becomes restricted to X. gogorzae and X. sagittaria. All other species previously assigned to Xistra are herewith moved to Xistrella, resulting in 20 new combinations. The genus Ginixistra gen. nov. (Exanimini)—whose members show remarkable similarity to Fiji-endemic Fijixistra—is described for G. novaeguineae, G. davorkae sp. nov., and G. novaebritanniae sp. nov. from New Guinea and New Britain. The new tribe Xistrellini trib. nov. is established to accommodate Afrosystolederus, Bannatettix, Kanakacris, Phaesticus, Pseudoparatettix, Pseudosystolederus, Pseudoxistrella, Synalibas, Systolederus, Teredorus, and Xistrella. Previous molecular phylogenetic studies have confirmed Xistrellini monophyly and suggested that the ancestor of this tribe may have originated during the Cretaceous period, approximately 127–100 million years ago (mya).