Wikipedia
The Thericleidae are a family within the order Orthoptera. They are short-horned grasshoppers (meaning that they are in the suborder Caelifera), and in fact they have exceptionally stubby antennae even for the Caelifera. Most species have a characteristic "horse-headed" look in profile.
The family occurs in Africa, most members living in small trees and shrubs rather than forbs or grasses.
The type genus is Thericles Stål, 1875. They are obscure insects, not well known to the public, but nonetheless have a few common names, including "monkey grasshoppers", whether because of the head shape, or because they are very agile in leaping about among the twigs of the trees they inhabit, is not clear. They also are called "bush hoppers, a name they share with the closely related Euschmidtiidae.
There are several subfamilies:
- Afromastacinae Descamps, 1977
- Barythericleinae Descamps, 1977
- Chromothericleinae Descamps, 1977
- Loxicephalinae Descamps, 1977
- Plagiotriptinae Bolívar, 1914
- Thericleinae Burr, 1899