Bush Katydids - Subfamily Phaneropterinae
Family TETTIGONIIDAE
This page contains pictures and information about Bush Katydids in Subfamily Phaneropterinae that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
- Phaneropterinae is the largest subfamily of Tettigoniidae. They can be found in different kinds of habitats. Most of them feed on a large variety of plants. Most of them are active at night although a few are active during the day.
- Nymphs are usually looked very different from their parents. Most nymphs take the advantages of mimicking other insects to avoid predators. Most adults, however, are green in colour and camouflage as leaf.
- Most species females have short and armed ovipositor which cut the edge of leaves where hard hard, black, disk-like eggs are laid. Some other species glue their rows of eggs on twigs or bark. A few species lay their eggs on ground.
- Mountain Katydid, Mountain Grasshopper
- Acripeza reticulata, body length female 30mm, nymph 20mm
- Mountain Katydid is one of the Australian Insect Icon because of its remarkable colours. In normal, the insect is well camouflage as dry leaf in dark brown colour. The katydid doesn't show her colours unless she is disturbed. Then she raises her pair of wing-covers and exposes the bright red, blue and black striped abdomen. More pictures and information please click here.
- 32-Spotted Katydid, Mottled Katydid, Speckled Grasshopper
- Ephippitytha trigintiduoguttata, adult male body length 65mm, nymph body length 20mm
- We sometimes find this katydid in our backyard. The katydid in the above first picture were found on a shop display window during the day in mid summer. We brought it home, put it in our backyard and took some pictures. More information and pictures can be found on this page.
- Gum Leaf Katydid
- Torbia viridissima, female length 60mm, nymph length 30mm.
- This katydid resembles a gum tree leaf. We found it feeding on a gum tree at night in Wishart in late summer. Notice the openings on its front legs. They are the organs function like our ears, are to hear. The female katydid uses them to locate the males by their love songs. We have more information about them on the Gum Leaf Katydid page.
- Small Grassland Katydid
- Polichne sp., head to wings tip length 30mm
- Pictures taken in Mt Cotton during mid summer. This katydid is relatively small in size. The brown form was found in Alexandra Hill during later summer. More pictures and information please visit this page.
- Small Gum Tree Katydid
- ? Caedicia sp., nymph length 20mm.
- We found this green katydid nymph on a small tree top during winter at Toohey Forest. It was moving slowing to escape from our disturb. The nymph was leaf green in colour and did not have any marking or pattern on its body. Its wing buds were well development showing it could be the last instars, but relatively small in side. We will collect and raise one if we can find them again so that we will know how their adult look like. For more information please also check this page.
- Common Garden Katydid
- Caedicia simplex, female length 40mm, nymph length 25mm.
- Common Garden Katydids are also known as Inland Katydid. This katydid look very similar to the Gum Leaf Katydid. The insect, as its common implied, can be easily found in Brisbane gardens. The insects are green in colour resemble leaves. On the top of their abdomen there are the pink and yellow pattern covered by their wings. More information and pictures please click here.
- White Back Katydid Nymph
- Body length 20mm
- Pictures taken during mid summer in Karawatha forest. We encountered this nymphs a few times, but does not know how its adults look like. More pictures can be found in this page.
- Reference:
- 1. Insects of Australia - CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University Press, 2nd Edition 1991, p384.
- 2. Grasshopper Country - the Abundant Orthopteroid Insects of Australia, D Rentz, UNSW Press, 1996, p109.
