Studies on Mexican grasshoppers: Stegotettix cristata a new genus and species, and three new species of the genus Oaxaca Fontana et al. 2011 (Acrididae; Melanoplinae)

In this study, we describe five taxa of Melanoplinae from southwestern Mexico: Stegotettix cristata gen. nov. sp. nov., and three species of the genus Oaxaca Fontana, Buzzetti & Mariño-Pérez, 2011, O. pyromaculata sp. nov., O. tecuani sp. nov. and O. turquesa sp. nov. The taxonomic descriptions were based on morphological analyses of a minimum of 64 specimens collected over the last five years from at least eight localities per species. Taxonomic keys in tabular form are provided, along with information on the probable host plants, habitat, phenology, and occurrence records from iNaturalist. We discuss morphological similarities between the described taxa, as well as the morphological singularity of grasshoppers of genus Stegotettix cristata gen. nov. sp. nov. among other melanoplines. This work increases the known diversity of Melanoplinae in southwestern Mexico and highlights the region as an important center of endemism for the subfamily.