Orthoptera of North Carolina
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View Tettigoniidae Members: NC Records

Conocephalus fasciatus (De Geer, 1773) - Slender Meadow Katydid

Conocephalus fasciatus
Female		Conocephalus fasciatus
Male
Taxonomy
Family: Tettigoniidae Subfamily: Conocephalinae Tribe: Conocephalini
Comments: One of nineteen species in this large worldwide genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (SINA, 2018; Cigliano et al., 2018); ten have been recorded in North Carolina
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: BugGuide, Google Images,  iNaturalist, GBIFSINA 231a.htm                                                                                  
Comments: A small, slender, long-winged Lesser Meadow Katydid. The dorsal surface of the head, thorax, and abdomen are dark brown; on the abdomen, the dorsal band is bordered by pale lines which, in females, are further bordered by dark brown lines (Rehn and Hebard, 1915). The tegmina are reddish brown and the face, sides of the head, thorax, abdomen, as well as the legs are green. While our other members of this genus are typically short-winged, the long-winged forms that occasionally occur are very similar in size, color, and pattern to fasciatus and are best distinguished by features of the male cerci (see below).
Total Length [body plus wings; excludes ovipositor]: Body length: 12-13.5 mm, males; 12-14.5 mm, females (Blatchley, 1920)
Structural Features: No brachypterous individuals are known; the tegmina typically surpass the ends of the hind femora but occasionally just barely (Rehn and Hebard, 1915). The cerci have a strong median spine and a somewhat depressed apex, but not as strongly flattened on the interior side as in brevipennis (Blatchley, 1920). The ovipositor is straight and about 2/3 as long as the hind femora.
Structural photos
Singing Behavior: Fulton (1932) describes the song as consisting of a rapid series of short lisps located between longer buzzes, with the entire pattern regularly repeated. The song has a pleasant purring sound (Elliott and Hersberger, 2006) but is difficult for humans to hear due its high frequency range of 10-20 khz, only the lower portion of which is audible to us.
Distribution in North Carolina
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Adult Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Diet:
Observation Methods:
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Adult Phenology:
See also Habitat Account for General Successional Fields and Forblands
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 [S5]
State Protection:
Comments:

Image Gallery for Conocephalus fasciatus - Slender Meadow Katydid

Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp
Johnston Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Brunswick Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp
Johnston Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp
Johnston Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Richmond Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Scotland Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Scotland Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Davidson Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Davidson Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Montgomery Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Montgomery Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Rowan Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Rowan Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Simpson Eason
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Columbus Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Columbus Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp
Johnston Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp
Johnston Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Duplin Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Duplin Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Sampson Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Sampson Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Bladen Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Bladen Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Greene Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Greene Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Wayne Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Wayne Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Wayne Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Wayne Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp
Nash Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp
Nash Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Wilson Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Brunswick Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Watauga Co.
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Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Watauga Co.
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Recorded by: Stephen Hall, Bo Sullivan, and Jim Petranka
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: R. Newman
Carteret Co.
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Recorded by: Michael P. Morales
Sampson Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Michael P. Morales
Sampson Co.
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Recorded by: Michael P. Morales
Sampson Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: John Petranka
Dare Co.
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Recorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan
Moore Co.
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Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
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Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Steve Hall
Scotland Co.
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Recorded by: Simpson Eason
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Vin Stanton
Buncombe Co.
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Recorded by: Vin Stanton
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
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Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
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Recorded by: J.B. Sullivan
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin
Transylvania Co.
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Recorded by: J.B. Sullivan
Jones Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: J.B. Sullivan
Carteret Co.
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Recorded by: J.B. Sullivan
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: J.B. Sullivan
Carteret Co.
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Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
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Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Stephen Hall
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: Hunter Phillips
Onslow Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger
Rockingham Co.
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