Nine Isophya species were studied from the Batı Karadeniz Region of Turkey and one new species, Isophya yaraligozi, described. Distributions, previous records, type material and type depositories are given. A key to the species of the region is provided.

A new species of Pseudosaga (Tettigoniidae: Mecopodinae: Aprosphylini), P. maraisi sp. n. is described from Brandberg Massif in western Namibia. It differs from other members of the genus in the development of the male stridulatory structures and the female subgenital plate. A key for identification of all known species of Pseudosaga is provided.

A new genus and species of tetrigid, Antillotettix nanus, is described from several mountain localities (1000 to 1500 m) in the Bahoruco and Central mountains of the Dominican Republic, Hispaniola. Antillotettix is characterized by a very small and rounded body, a frontal costa opened some 30° and a slightly tectate and roundly truncate pronotum that covers just over half the abdomen. It is the smallest of known Hispaniolan tetrigids.

Orthopteran species on the Lesser Antilles islands of St Eustatius and Saba are poorly known. Recent field surveys and examinations of museum collections revealed 24 species separated into the following families: Acrididae, 6; Tettigoniidae, 6; Gryllidae, 2; Mogoplistidae, 1; Oecanthidae, 1; Phalangopsidae, 2; Podoscirtidae, 5; Trigonidiidae, 1. Seven species are new, 2 of which are described herein (Mogoplistidae: Cycloptilum eustatiensis; Trigonidiidae: Cyrtoxipha orientalis). Crickets alone are represented by 12 species. Among all species, 1 is cosmopolitan, 2 are neotropical, 4 are distributed in most of the Caribbean region, 5 occur in one or several provinces located in the Greater Antilles, and 12 are distributed in the Lesser Antilles province only. Among these last species, 8 could be endemic to St Eustatius and/or Saba. Species diversity and distribution patterns are discussed in relation to island habitats and groupings.

In Africa and Asia in recent years (1986 to 2002), repeated outbreaks and plagues of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Forskål), have prompted the international community, through early intervention, to focus on preventing plague status from being reached. The relative lack of applied research breakthroughs on desert locust monitoring and control, means that for preventive or proactive control, direct access to the breeding areas is essential for both operations so that conventional, short-residual pesticides can be applied to gregarizing or fully gregarious populations. There are a number of challenges to desert locust survey and control as it is currently practiced: these include lack of funding and training, weak regional organizations, and remote and rugged terrain in breeding areas. The most intractable challenge to overcome, and arguably the chief cause for desert locust outbreaks to develop without suppressive interventions to plague status, is armed conflict, especially in countries with key breeding areas. Salient areas of armed conflict in countries where key desert locust breeding areas exist, and the impacts of those conflicts on desert locust survey and control, are described. Possible solutions of the problems presented by armed conflict for desert locust operations are discussed.

We tested the response of individual adult lubber grasshoppers in a wind tunnel to the odors of 3 plant species and to water vapor. Grasshoppers moved upwind to the odors of fresh-mashed narcissus and mashed Romaine lettuce, but not to water vapor, or in the absence of food odor. Males and females showed similar responses. Upwind movement tended to increase with the length of starvation (24, 48, or 72 h). The lack of upwind movement to water vapor implies that orientation toward the mashed plants was not simply an orientation to water vapor. These results support a growing data base that suggests that grasshoppers can use olfaction when foraging in the wild.

Ottedana cercalis, a new genus and species of luzarine phalangopsid cricket, is described from the Araucaria forest on the Serra da Mantiqueira range of southeastern Brazil.

Mariascopia is a new genus with 3 species. It belongs to Proscopiinae, Proscopiidae. The structure of the spermathecae suggests it is closely related to Orienscopia; both genera have 3 different spermathecae. The genus is erected on the basis of the phallic complex. External features are similar to those of species of Tetanorhynchus, Cephalocoema, Orienscopia, Scleratoscopia and Pseudastroma. Mariascopia shows preferences for grasslands in the Chaco biogeographical region.

Within the family Proscopiidae Serville 1839 (Orthoptera, Caelifera) the majority of the described genera belong to the subfamily Proscopiinae Liana 1980. They show sufficient differentiation to justify being divided into tribes. The present work deals with the first of these, Tetanorhynchini tr. nov.

This tribe consists of a homogenous assemblage of genera, viz. Cephalocoema Serville 1839, Tetanorhynchus Brunner von Wattenwyl 1898, Orienscopia Bentos-Pereira 2000, Scleratoscopia Jago 1989, Pseudoastroma Jago 1989, and Mariascopia Bentos-Pereira (in this issue) comprising at least 53 certain species and 31 doubtful ones, the types of the latter having been lost. All of these doubtful species belong to the genera Tetanorhynchus and Cephalocoema and the majority of them were described by Toledo Piza.

Here I present characters of the tribe. They are based on the external morphology and the male and female genitalia. A key to identify each genus is given. I further discuss the origins and relations of the family Proscopiidae, based on the distribution and characteristics of all the genera of the family, and postulate a center of origin in the Pre-Andean-Chaco shield.

Females of Panoploscelis specularis present a dramatic modification of their forewings for stridulation. The female generator is illustrated and its distinct form contrasted with that of males. The physical form of the signals that females might produce is inferred; male calling and protest signals are characterized. The male of P. specularis is described for the first time.