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Josip Skejo

@skejo.bsky.social
24 followers 48 following 7 posts

Grasshopper expert from Croatia | 100+ new Tetrigidae species discovered | Also studying eukaryotic evolution | Asst Prof at Faculty of Science—University of Zagreb | Member of IUCN | linktr.ee/skejo

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Josip Skejo @skejo.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
New paper on taxonomic vandalism is out. Study entitled Towards improved taxonomic standards in Orthoptera: Critical examination of Cadena-Castañeda et al. (2025b) and proposed synonymies deals with recent changes in Metrodorinae, Tetrigidae taxonomy, and beyond. Available at doi.org/10.3897/cont...
contributions-to-entomology.arphahub.com
Towards improved taxonomic standards in Orthoptera: Critical examination of Cadena-Castañeda et al. (2025b) and proposed synonymies
Zootaxa recently published a monograph entitled “Studies on pygmy grasshoppers: On the current Metrodorinae sensu lato classification (Orthoptera, Tetrigidae) with emphasis on American and Malagasy ta...
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Josip Skejo @skejo.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Just published in Life @mdpiopenaccess.bsky.social: "Establishing Ingrischana gen. nov. as a First Step in Reviewing Asian Tetriginae (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae)". New Tetrigin Himalayan genus for species with furry mid & serrated hind femora; honoring Dr. Sigfrid Ingrisch. www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/16...
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phy_papers @phypapers.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
Nucleomorph phylogenomics suggests a deep and ancient origin of cryptophyte plastids within Rhodophyta pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41933888
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NetScience @netscience.bsky.social · 16/11/2025
Fifteen millennia of human mitogenome evolution in Sicily | Science Advances www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
Fifteen millennia of human mitogenome evolution in Sicily
Mitogenomes spanning 15 millennia reveal a genetic discontinuity within Sicily and continuous gene flow from Eurasia and Africa.
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Jean-Lou Justine @jean-lou-justine.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
This is not a land flatworm... it's a land nemertean! In this new paper, we describe its complex mitogenome, report the presence of NUMTs, and even more! 🧪 doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Molecular characterisation of the invasive terrestrial nemertean Geonemertes pelaensis: long and complex mitogenome and presence of NUMTs
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Josip Skejo @skejo.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
🧬🦋Special issue "Insect Taxonomy in the Era of Mitogenomics" in journal Life, @mdpiopenaccess.bsky.social, explores how mitochondrial genomes transform(ed) entomological systematics. #mitogenomes #mitochondria #entomology #taxonomy #phylogeny Submit your work at www.mdpi.com/journal/life...
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Josip Skejo @skejo.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
Pseudosystolederus voeltzkowianus is an #AwesomeTetrigidae and endemic Malagasy 🇲🇬 species. This good flier can be found on large boulders in and around rivers, all over Madagascar, from Nosy Be through Ranomafana all to Isalo. Read more about this curious species in jor.pensoft.net/article/1402...
Pygmy grasshopper standing on rock in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar. Pymgy grasshoppers, unlike other grasshoppers, have their pronotum (that is neck shield) produced all over their body as a spine.
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Journal of Orthoptera Research @jor.pensoft.net · 04/02/2026
The Kole wetlands of Kerala is a unique wet ecosystem, and yet its insects have not been thoroughly studied. In this paper, a generic level key for the identification of pygmy grasshoppers in the region is provided. Learn more here: doi.org/10.3897/jor.35.152281
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 01/07/2022
Valalyllum folium is a new genus and species from Madagascar. It belongs to a newly described tribe Valalyllini together with Lepocranus fuscus. Both species inhabit the rainforest which is suffering severe deforestation. Paper:
doi.org
Lepocranus and Valalyllum gen. nov. (Orthoptera, Tetrigidae, Cladonotinae), endangered Malagasy dead-leaf-like grasshoppers
Only two leaf-like pygmy grasshopper species and specimens are known from Madagascar: the Leatherback Pygmy Grasshopper (Lepocranus fuscus Devriese, 1991) —which has a relatively low median carina of the pronotum; and the Malagasy Litterhopper (Valalyllum folium gen. et. sp. nov.), herein described — which has a high median carina. Lepocranus fuscus is known from the rainforests around Tampolo, Manakambahiny, and Mahavelona (Foulpointe). The new taxon, Valalyllum folium gen. et. sp. nov. is known only from the Belanono forest. Both species inhabit northeastern Madagascar. The new species could be rare or not-easy-to-spot in the rainforest leaf litter, where it most probably lives. A new tribe, Valalyllini trib. nov., is described for the two mentioned genera because its members are different from the Caribbean leaf-like Choriphyllini Cadena-Castañeda & Silva, 2019, from the African leaf-like Xerophyllini Günther, 1979, and from the Asian leaf-like Cladonotini Bolívar, 1887. A tabular key to the tribes of Cladonotinae with leaf-like representatives is provided, together with photographs of type specimens of both species belonging to the newly described tribe. The holotype of the new species belongs to the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle Orthoptera collection, Paris.
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 24/01/2023
The results of two years' worth of our Orthoptera fieldwork has just been published. There are more than 100 species in this relatively small area of Dinarides!
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 24/03/2023
A new leaf-like species just dropped! Choriphyllum wallaceum, named after the one and only Alfred Russel Wallace for his 200th birthday is a new species of Tetrigidae from Cuba.
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 14/04/2023
Central America is a treasure trove of Tetrigidae, but you would be hard-pressed to find which species live there. In our newest publication, we have fixed this injustice. Read our richly illustrated catalogue at:
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 18/04/2023
A species from Nepal has just been named after me! I am beyond honored. Thanks to Madan for letting my spirit inhabit the Himalayas in this way. Read more at:
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 20/04/2023
New paper! A new species of Tetrigidae, Aryalidonta itishreea, named after the legendary Nepali satirist Bhairav Aryal.
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 25/04/2023
There is a new Dinaric endemic genus, Dinarippiger! Read at:
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 24/05/2023
New paper! DNA Barcoding of Pygmy Hoppers—The First Comprehensive Overview of the BOLD Systems’ Data Shows Promise for Species Identification
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 28/07/2023
New paper: Definition of the tribe Metrodorini (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae) with notes on biogeography and evolution of Metrodorinae and Cladonotinae A bit dry but a necessary half-step for setting up future research.
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 28/10/2023
Two new Central American genera, just described!
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 28/10/2023
New genus and species: Naskreckiana kosemeni Thanks to Piotr Naskrecki and @cmkosemen for being an inspiration, each in his own way.
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 28/10/2023
New genus and species: Procellator kai Thanks to Kai Squires for going above and beyond to bring this species to light. Procellator kai is by far the prettiest known tetrigid.
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 09/01/2024
We just described a new, 40 million years old, genus and species!
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 25/02/2024
Lamellitettigodes jhalakmani, a new species from Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park. Described in our newest paper:
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 26/02/2024
Aryalidonta rochaki, a new species from Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park. Described in our newest paper: Tetrigidae (Orthoptera) of Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park in Nepal.
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 27/02/2024
Hebarditettix sanduki, a new species from Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park. Described in our newest paper: Tetrigidae (Orthoptera) of Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park in Nepal.
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 28/02/2024
Skejotettix mahajodi, a new species from Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park. Described in our newest paper: Tetrigidae (Orthoptera) of Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park in Nepal.
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 29/02/2024
Skejotettix mahendrai, a new species from Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park. Described in our newest paper: Tetrigidae (Orthoptera) of Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park in Nepal.
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 31/03/2024
Thanks to the Queensland Museum, we got an incredible opportunity to study tetrigids collected from Fiji. We identified a baffling diversity and described many new taxa: 2 tribes, 4 genera, and 7 species. The showcases of the new species are upcoming.
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 01/04/2024
Salomonotettix vincekae is a new species from Fiji. Its name honors Nadica Vincek, the technician of the Evolution Lab, University of Zagreb, who assisted us a lot over the years. Read more in our newest paper:
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 02/04/2024
Exanimus somniator, the Dead Dreamer, is a new genus and species of pygmy grasshoppers from Fiji. The name is inspired by Thomas Ligotti’s short story collection “Songs of a Dead Dreamer”. Read more:
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 03/04/2024
Exanimus torviscriba, the grimscribe, is a new genus and species of pygmy grasshoppers from Fiji. The name refers to Thomas Ligotti’s short story collection “Grimscribe: His Lives and Works”. Read more:
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 04/04/2024
Gammonotus draudrau, the leafy groundhopper, is a new genus and species from Fiji. The genus name is a wordplay on “Deltonotus”, its SE Asian relative. The specific epithet „draudrau” is a Fijian adjective, meaning “leafy”. Read more:
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 07/04/2024
Fijixistra drobnaki, Drobnak’s Fijixistra, is a new genus and species from Fiji. The genus name is a reference to Xistra. The species was named for M. Drobnak, the mentor of S. Budimir who loaned us the equipment for examining the specimens. Read more:
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 10/04/2024
Fijixistra tvrtkovici, Tvrtković's Fijixistra. Named for the legendary Croatian biologist Nikola Tvrtković. Read more:
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 11/04/2024
Fijixistra teo, Teo’s Fijixistra, is a new species from Fiji. Named for Teo Benc, a future scientist. Read more:
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 02/06/2024
Phelene reinschmidti is a new species from Ecuador, named after Prof. Dr. Matthias Reinschmidt, the current director of the Karlsruhe Zoo for his dedication and investments in nature protection in Ecuador and around the world. Read more in our new paper
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 20/08/2024
New paper: The smallest Australian Tetrigidae (Orthoptera): taxonomic revision of Peraxelpa Sjöstedt, 1932 with the descriptions of three new genera and eleven new species Species spotlights incoming
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 20/08/2024
Peraxelpa subedi, Subedi's Peraxelpa, is a new species of Peraxelpa from Australia. It was named after Madan Subedi, a young and highly productive Nepali orthopterist, and a good friend.
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 22/08/2024
Peraxelpa wrightae, Wright's Peraxelpa, is a new species of Peraxelpa from Australia. It was named after Susan Wright who is senior insect collection manager at the Queensland Museum and participated in several of the QM expeditions to New Caledonia.
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 23/08/2024
Peraxelpa thompsoni, Thompson's Peraxelpa, is a new species of Peraxelpa from Australia. It was named for Geoff Thompson, who assisted in many early expeditions in North Queensland and is now the Queensland Museum’s imaging expert.
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 24/08/2024
Peraxelpa bogdanovici, Bogdanović's Peraxelpa, is a new species of Peraxelpa from Australia. It was named for Dr. Sandro Bogdanović, who provided the space where this research was conducted.
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 25/08/2024
Peraxelpa oankali is a new species of Peraxelpa from Australia. It was named after the alien species Oankali from the series of novels “Lilith’s Brood” by Octavia E. Butler. @OctaviaEButler
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 26/08/2024
Echopraxia cooki is a new species from Australia. The genus name refers to the phenomenon of involuntary repetition of the observed movements as well as to the novel by Peter Watts. The species is named for Doug Cook, who guided many QM collecting groups.
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 27/08/2024
Echopraxia hasenpuschi is a new species from Australia. The genus name refers to the involuntary repetition of observed movements as well as to the excellent novel by Peter Watts. The species is named for Jack Hasenpusch, who collected the type series.
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 31/08/2024
Quasimodo kochae is a new species from Australia. The genus was named after the titular character from “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame” by Victor Hugo. The species was named for Karin Koch who is an insect collection manager at the Queensland Museum.
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 01/09/2024
Quasimodo janetzkae is a new species from Australia. The genus was named after the titular character from “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame”. The species was named for Heather Janetzki, the Collection Manager at the Queensland Museum.
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 03/09/2024
Quasimodo yeatesi is a new species from Australia. The genus was named after the titular character from the novel “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame”. The species was named for Dr. David Yeates who helped in the North Queensland surveys in the 1980s.
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 04/09/2024
Seraph maestus is a new genus and species from Australia. The genus was named after the six-winged angels described in Abrahamic religions. The species' name is the Latin adjective “maestus”, meaning “mournful”.
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 21/10/2024
New monograph! The genus Hirrius turned out to be incredibly polyphyletic so we had to split it into four different genera belonging to different subfamilies.
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 27/10/2024
Hirrius ruber is a new species from The Philippines. Its name is derived from Latin ‘ruber, rubra’ meaning ‘red’, referring to bright red abdomen coloration. Read more:
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Niko Kasalo @kasalo.bsky.social · 29/10/2024
Parahirrius parvus is a new genus and species from The Philippines. The genus name means ‘near Hirrius’, the genus under which this new genus and species were hidden for more than 145 years, while the species name means ‘small’.
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