Pamphagidae Burmeister, 1840: 45

Usmani, Mohammad Kamil, 2007, Studies on some Libyan species of Pamphagidae (Orthoptera: Acridoidea), Zootaxa 1625, pp. 47-60 : 48-49

Pamphagidae Burmeister, 1840: 45 , 46.

Type-genus: Pamphagus Thunberg, 1815

Diagnosis: Size medium to very large, body of variable shape, dorso-ventrally depressed, laterally compressed or subcylindrical; integument mostly strongly rugose; head of variable shape, conical, sub conical or sub globular; frons in profile excurved, straight or deeply incurved; fastigial furrow always present; frontal ridge present, mostly sulcate; fastigium of vertex variable, fastigial foveolae absent, but concavities present; antennae ensiform; dorsum of pronotum crested, tectiform, subcylindrical or flat; prosternal process present; mesosternal interspace open; tympanum usually present; tegmina and wings fully developed, shortened, lobiform, rudimentary or absent; reticulation of tegmina dense; venation normal or highly specialized; Krauss's organs mostly present; hind femur of various shapes with lower basal lobe longer than upper one; Brunner's organs present; external apical spine of hind tibia present; stridulatory mechanism of different types present; male supra-anal plate angular, cercus simple, conical; male subgenital plate short, subconical, conical or bilobate at apex; epiphallus large, shieldlike, with small and finger-shaped ancorae and without lophi, oval sclerites absent, basal valve or aedeagus separated from apical valve but articulated with them, Gonopore process absent, spermatophore sac relatively small, dorsal in position; spermatheca with a single diverticulum S or Gshaped, sometimes curved or twisted and sometimes with lateral bulges; ovipositor elongate with robust and curved valves; posterior margin of female subgenital plate not fused with floor of genital chamber, egg-guide rudimentary or absent in true sense, Jannone's organs absent.

The family Pamphagidae is represented by five genera belonging to two subfamilies from Fezzan, Libya. A key for their separation is given.