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Orthoptera

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Giant hooded katydid

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Meet the giant hooded katydid
in a vivarium of the Insectarium’s Tête-à-tête room.

The giant hooded katydid lives high in the canopy of tropical rainforests. It can be found in the treetops of Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and northeastern Australia.

This katydid is impressively large. Females can grow up to 15 cm in body length, with a wingspan reaching 25 cm. While often too heavy to fly, they are capable of gliding.

As with other katydid species, the first dorsal segment of its thorax forms a shape that resembles a hood—hence its name.

Lifestyle and communication

Despite their large size, these katydids are difficult to spot. Nocturnal by nature, they rely on camouflage and their high-canopy habitat for protection.

In addition to stridulating to communicate, giant hooded katydids also produce crackling sounds by rapidly flicking the back of their wings. They can also make contact by generating vibrations through their bodies—for example, by rubbing their abdomens against the substrate. These sounds and signals are used to communicate messages related to defense or mating.

Sound-detecting organs called tympana are clearly visible on the tibiae of the katydid’s front legs. Additional sound-receiving structures, known as acoustic spiracles, are located on the first segment of the thorax.

Snowy tree cricket

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Oecanthus fultoni

Snowy tree crickets are pale green, with an orange-yellow marking on the top of the head and long antennae. There are two dark spots at the base of the antennae. The wings are transparent, with fine white veins. The males have wider wings than the females. These insects are 13 to 15 mm long.

Marsh meadow grasshopper

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Chorthippus curtipennis

These crickets may be various shades of yellow, green and brown. Their legs are often reddish, with black joints on the hindlegs.

The males are smaller than the females: 12 to 20 mm long for the males and 20 to 35 for the females. The males’ wings are long, reaching to the tip of the abdomen, while the wings of the flightless females cover only three-quarters of the abdomen. They have fairly short, thread-like antennae.

Oblong-winged katydid

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Amblycorypha oblongifolia

These green crickets are 40 to 52 mm long. When populations are dense, it may be possible to find some yellow or bright pink individuals. As in other members of the Tettigoniidae, their antennae are longer than their bodies. The oblong, fairly wide wings also extend past the abdomen. The head is rounded on top and there is a large space between the antennae at their base. The legs are long.

The female has a laterally flattened ovipositor (egg-laying organ).

Crickets

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Crickets are black or brown insects over 13 mm long. They have long antennae, two compound eyes and grinding mouthparts. They have two pairs of many-veined wings on the thorax. The forewings are fairly tough. They protect the membranous hindwings, which are folded in a fan shape when at rest. Of the three sets of legs, the hindmost legs are the most noticeable, since they are adapted for jumping. Their femurs are particularly strong. Crickets have two sensory appendages called cerci at the tip of the abdomen.

Females have an ovipositor, a long cylindrical egg-laying organ, between the cerci.

House crickets

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Acheta domesticus

House crickets are yellowish-brown, with dark lines on the head, long antennae, two compound eyes and grinding mouthparts. They have two pairs of many-veined wings on the thorax. The forewings are fairly tough. They protect the membranous hindwings, which are folded in a fan shape when at rest. Of the three sets of legs, the hindmost legs are the most noticeable, since they are adapted for jumping. Their femurs are particularly strong. Crickets have two sensory appendages called cerci at the tip of the abdomen.

Females have an ovipositor, a long cylindrical egg-laying organ, between the cerci.

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