Chlorobalius leucoviridis

Chlorobalius leucoviridis, commonly known as the spotted predatory katydid,[1] is a species of long-horned grasshopper in the family Tettigoniidae. It is a predator and is an acoustic aggressive mimic of cicadas; by imitating the sounds and movements made by female cicadas, it lures male cicadas to within its reach and then eats them.

Chlorobalius leucoviridis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Orthoptera
Family:
Tettigoniidae
Genus:
Chlorobalius
Species:
C. leucoviridis
Binomial name
Chlorobalius leucoviridis
Tepper, 1896
Synonyms
  • Terpandroides pulcherrimus Ander, 1957
  • Yorkiella vidua Carl, 1921
  • Yorkiella picta Carl, 1908

Taxonomy

Chlorobalius leucoviridis was first described by the Prussian/Australian botanist and entomologist Johann Gottlieb Otto Tepper in 1896. It forms part of the family Tettigoniidae, the subfamily Listroscelidinae and the tribe Terpendrini, the gum-leaf katyatids. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Chlorobalius.[2]

Description

The adult Chlorobalius leucoviridis is a large, cryptically-coloured, long-horned grasshopper. The body, wings and legs are barred and spotted in green and white. The legs bear short spines and both males and females have stridulatory organs,[1] the male has a file-and-scraper structure on the tegmen (fore-wing) while the female has pegs on the hind wing which rub against certain veins on the fore-wing.[3]

Distribution and habitat
Male

Chlorobalius leucoviridis is native to arid, inland regions of Australia. It is typically found high in a large bush or small tree.[1]

Behaviour

Chlorobalius leucoviridis is nocturnal and occurs in small groups which move from one location to another.[2] It feeds by catching other insects such as flies, grasshoppers and other katydids, grasping the prey with its fore-legs or first two pairs of legs, and immobilising it by biting it under the throat. The spines on the legs seem to play a part in controlling larger prey items.[1] The male makes loud, trilling songs to lead females of its own species towards its location.[1]

The male attracts male cicadas on which to feed by mimicry, luring them to its vicinity by deception. This is accomplished both acoustically, by audible wing-clicking in a pattern similar to that used by sexually-receptive female cicadas, and visually by the use of synchronised body movements similar to those exhibited by the females.[4] Remarkably, the katydid has the ability to mimic the sounds and movements of a number of different prey species, even some species with which it has never had direct contact.[4]

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References
  1. Shapiro, Leo. "Chlorobalius leucoviridis: Spotted predatory katydid". EoL. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  2. Rentz, David C. (2010). A Guide to the Katydids of Australia. Csiro Publishing. pp. 55–56. ISBN 978-0-643-09554-0.
  3. Rentz, David C. (2010). A Guide to the Katydids of Australia. Csiro Publishing. p. 26. ISBN 978-0-643-09554-0.
  4. Marshall, D.C.; Hill, K.B.R. (2009). Chippindale, Adam K. (ed.). "Versatile aggressive mimicry of cicadas by an Australian predatory katydid". PLOS ONE. 4 (1): e4185. Bibcode:2009PLoSO...4.4185M. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0004185. PMC 2615208. PMID 19142230.
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