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 |
