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.
- Nymph body length 10mm
- Phaneropterinae is the largest subfamily of Tettigoniidae. They can be found in different kinds of habitats. They are common in rainforest and eucalypt forests. All of them are herbivorous. Most of them feed on a large variety of plants, however, many species show their hosts preferences. Most of them are active at night although a few are active during the day. Most species are found on trees while some are found on grasses and others on ground.
- Nymphs are usually looked 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.
- Bush Katydids in Subfamily Phaneropterinae have the globular head. 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.
- As the katydids, males sing with very complex songs. In some species, females may reply to males' songs.
Tribe Ducetilli
- Brown-backed Bush Katydid
- Ducetia japonica, Female, male, body length 30mm, nymph body length 20mm
- We found this green katydid nymph on a small tree top during winter at Toohey Forest. It was moving slowly trying 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. Later we found an adult which we believed they are the same species For more information please also check this page.
- White-backed Katydid Nymph
- ? Ducetia sp., nymph, body length 20mm
- Pictures taken during mid summer in Karawatha forest. We encountered this nymphs many times, but does not know how its adults look like. This could be the nymph of the above species. More pictures can be found in this page.
Tribe Phaneropterini
- Naskrecki's Bush Katydid
- 32-Spotted Katydid, Mottled Katydid, Speckled Grasshopper
- Ephippitytha trigintiduoguttata, male, female body length 65mm, nymph body length 20mm
- This large katydid is quite common in Brisbane bushlands. We sometimes found this katydid in our backyard. Males and females look almost the same. However, nymphs look very different. More information and pictures can be found on this page.
- Speckled Katydid
- Diastella latifolia, adult body length 35mm, nymph 15mm.
- The katydid looks similar to those Caedicia species below, although it has the stout body and shorter wings. We found this species once in Ford Road Conservation Area late summer Jan 2009. The katydid was wandering on grass near the forest floor. It was slow-moving, although it did jump and fly to a meter away when we came too closely. Please also check this page for more pictures.
- Common Garden Katydid
- Caedicia simplex, nymph length 25mm
- Pictures was taken on Oct 2007 in Karawatha Forest. From the reference information, the Common Garden Katydid broadly occurs throughout the temperate areas of east coast of Australia. However, in Brisbane we found they are not quite common. The Common Garden Katydid is hardly seen.
- ? Common Garden Bush Katydid
- ? Caedicia simplex, body length 20mm
- We think this could be the Common Garden Katydid nymph. We will try to raise one large nymph to adult next time if we find one. Please come back to check this page later.
- Brisbane Garden Katydid
- Caedicia sp., male, female length 40mm, nymph length 25mm
- Brisbane Garden Katydids, as its common implied, are common 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.
- Dark Green Katydid
- ? Caedicia webberi, body length 35mm
- This katydid look very close to the species Caedicia webberi, but the species is a rainforest species and found only in northern part of Queensland. Please check this page for more pictures and information.
- Unknown Bush Katydid Nymph I
- ? Caedicia sp., nymph, body length 25mm, 15mm
- We found this nymph many times but did not known their adult forms yet. Next time if we found some last instars we may keep them to see what the adults look like, We think it could be the Brisbane Garden Katydid nymph but not exactly sure. Details information can be found in this page.
- Unknown Bush Katydid Nymph II
- ? Caedicia sp., nymph, body length 5-10mm
- Those katydid nymphs are the 1st and 2nd instars. They could be the 1st and 2nd instars of the Brisbane Garden Katydid above. Please check this page for more photos.
- 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.
Unplaced Group
- Gum Leaf Katydid
- Torbia viridissima, female length 60mm, nymph length 30mm, 20mm.
- 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 hearing organs function like our ears. The female katydid uses them to locate the males by their love songs. We have more information about them on this Gum-leaf Katydid page.
- Mountain Katydid, Mountain Grasshopper
- Acripeza reticulata, body length male 40, 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.
- 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.
- 3. A Guide to the Katydids of Australia - David Rentz, CSIRO PUBLISHING, 2010, p153.
- 4. Tettigoniidae Katydids - Insects of Townsville, Australia, by Graeme Cocks, 2007.
- 5. Subfamily Phaneropterinae - Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, 2008.
