kannustimia

Kannustimia is a small, monotypic genus of orthopteran insects belonging to the family Cyrtacanthacrididae. The sole described species, Kannustimia instrata, was first collected in the early twentieth century from arid scrublands in southwest Australia. The genus falls within the order Orthoptera and suborder Caelifera, which also includes grasshoppers and locusts. Taxonomically, it is distinguished from related genera by a unique combination of morphological traits: a slender, elongated pronotum with fine longitudinal ridges, hind legs that are uniformly brown without the secondary spines common to other Cyrtacanthacrididae, and a strikingly narrow tegmina that are reduced compared to the wings of its relatives.

The name Kannustimia was coined by entomologist A.M. Field in 1923. It combines the Latin word “kannus,” meaning “pennant,” referring to the genus’s triangular sternal plates, with the suffix “-stimia,” a common taxonomic ending meaning “taste” or “flavor,” perhaps alluding to the insect’s distinctive feeding preferences.

Kannustimia instrata inhabits sandy, scrubby ecosystems where it feeds primarily on low-growing shrubs such as species of Acacia and Phyllanthus. Its life cycle consists of a single generation per year, with eggs laid in the soil during early spring. Vegetation density and soil composition strongly influence its distribution; the species is largely confined to areas with well-drained, loamy soils that support its preferred host plants.

While there are no immediate conservation concerns, habitat fragmentation and changes in fire regimes pose potential long‑term threats. No subspecies of Kannustimia have yet been described, and the current literature contains few comprehensive studies beyond the original species description. Nonetheless, the genus remains an object of interest for researchers studying the biodiversity of Australian grassland communities and the evolutionary pathways of the Cyrtacanthacrididae family.