| Tettigoniids are the most speciose of the
ensiferan families. Ancestral Permian katydids
(Sharov 1968) have diversified into almost 6000
living species in 1070 genera (Otte 1997). These
large orthopterans (from 1 to 6 cm) are known as
katydids in the New World and Australia-New
Zealand (where one also hears "long-horned
grasshopper") whereas in Britain and Europe
tettigoniids are "bushcrickets" (sauterelles in
France, esperanás in Portugal, grillos in Spain,
and Laubheuschrecken in Germany (Nickle and
Naskrecki 1997)). Katydids are found on all
continents except Antarctica and in an
assortment of habitats from tropical forests
(Heller 1995) and peat bogs (Vickery and Kevan
1985) to montane alpine zones "far above the
last outposts of trees"(Tinkham 1944). Within
these habitats, virtually all tettigoniids are
associated with vegetation, particularly during
inactive periods when the insects retreat into
(or onto) leaves. Most katydids are omnivorous,
feeding on vegetation, seeds, carrion and
occasional prey.
--From Tree of Life
Tettigoniidae Katydids, Long-horned
Grasshoppers and Bushcrickets
Darryl T. Gwynne and Glenn K. Morris |
