Tettigoniidae

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.