Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve

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Insects of Cedar Creek

Order ORTHOPTERA

Family TETTIGONIIDAE

(Longhorned Grasshoppers)

(Table of Species)

The Long-horned Meadow Grasshoppers (243 NA spp, 25 MN spp) are mostly large and green with long antennae and most have large wings and are capable of flight. They are all phytophagous. 16 species have been collected at CCESR.  Some authorities break this groups into distinct families. Here I will consider them as subfamilies.

PHANEROPTERINAE
Four species of Scudderia have been collected at Cedar Creek. They generally occur at marsh edges or mesic weedy-brushy fields. S. texensis is the most common species in old fields, but it does not appear to occur every year. S. furcata and S. curvicauda are quite common at marsh edges and brushy fields. S. pistillata is an uncommon species of brushy woodland. Amblycorphya oblongifolia most commonly occurs in marshy ditches. Their distinctive calls announce their presence from August to first frost.

CONOCEPHALINAE
Neoconocephalus ensiger, the Conehead, is common in mesic grasslands but is rare to absent from xeric fields. Two other common genera are Conocephalus(generally small with short wings) and Orchelimum (larger with full wings). Five species of Conocephalus have been collected. Three species occur in mesic-grassy fields. C. saltans (with two terminal tibial spurs) is the most common. C. strictus (female with long straight ovipositor) ranks second. C. fasciatus (with full wings) ranks third in abundance. C. brevipennis and C. nigropleurum are more common at marsh edges. Species of Orchelimum favor marshes. Three species have been collected (O. gladiator, O. delicatum, O. concinnum).

TETTIGONIINAE
Atlanticus testaceous, a large brown Shield-bearer, is an uncommon inhabitant of dry, open oak woodland.

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Last updated May, 2000