''Conocephalus strictus'', the straight-lanced meadow katydid, is a species of

katydid Insects in the family Tettigoniidae are commonly called katydids (especially in North America), or bush crickets. They have previously been known as "long-horned grasshoppers". More than 8,000 species are known. Part of the suborder Ensifera, ...

(family

Tettigoniidae Insects in the family Tettigoniidae are commonly called katydids (especially in North America), or bush crickets. They have previously been known as "long-horned grasshoppers". More than 8,000 species are known. Part of the suborder Ensifera, ...

) found in North America.

Description

The straight-lanced meadow katydid is large and robust for a ''Conocephalus'', ranging from 13 to 30 mm. It is green and brown in color and has short

tegmina A tegmen (plural: ''tegmina'') designates the modified leathery front wing on an insect particularly in the orders Dermaptera (earwigs), Orthoptera ( grasshoppers, crickets and similar families), Mantodea (praying mantis), Phasmatodea (stick an ...

(forewings). The short-winged form is 13–22 mm, while the long-winged form is 21–30 mm. Males have long cerci which are tapered beyond the tooth and flattened in their final third, and the ability to bend their bodies at extreme angles. Females have a straight

ovipositor The ovipositor is a tube-like organ used by some animals, especially insects, for the laying of eggs. In insects, an ovipositor consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages. The details and morphology of the ovipositor vary, but typica ...

which exceeds body length. The species was named for the distinct

of the female.

Diet

The diet of the ''Conocephalus strictus'' consists mostly of grasses.

Distribution

This katydid is found mainly within the range of central

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to southern

Montana Montana () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West List of regions of the United States#Census Bureau-designated regions and divisions, division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North ...

and southern

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to southern

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within the

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, but is also found in parts of

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and

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. They can commonly be found in dry grasslands and old fields with grasses. Their preferred habitat is that of open areas of short grass along roadsides and in pastures, and they are usually found in clumps of large numbers. The Straight-lanced Meadow Katydid's song is a faint purr at 10–20 kHz with a pulsating quality. Adults first appear in the late summer, but they occur year-round.

Similar species

Similar, co-occurring species are found both in the same genus (e.g., ''Conocephalus fasciatus''), and within the genus ''Orchelimum'' (e.g., ''Orchelimum vulgare''). All of these species have shorter

ovipositors The ovipositor is a tube-like organ used by some animals, especially insects, for the laying of eggs. In insects, an ovipositor consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages. The details and morphology of the ovipositor vary, but typical ...

and cerci.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10458439 strictus