Family (Alpha): ACRIDIDAE GRYLLACRIDIDAE GRYLLIDAE GRYLLOTALPIDAE RHAPHIDOPHORIDAE ROMALEIDAE TETRIGIDAE TETTIGONIIDAE TRIDACTYLIDAE
View Tettigoniidae Members:
Conocephalus aigialus Conocephalus allardi Conocephalus brevipennis Conocephalus fasciatus Conocephalus nemoralis Conocephalus nigropleuroides Conocephalus saltans Conocephalus spartinae Conocephalus stictomerus Conocephalus strictus Conocephalus unidentified species Odontoxiphidium apterum Orchelimum agile Orchelimum bradleyi Orchelimum campestre Orchelimum carinatum Orchelimum concinnum Orchelimum erythrocephalum Orchelimum fidicinium Orchelimum militare Orchelimum minor Orchelimum nigripes Orchelimum pulchellum Orchelimum superbum Orchelimum vulgare Orchelimum unidentified species Belocephalus subapterus Bucrates malivolans Neoconocephalus bivocatus Neoconocephalus caudellianus Neoconocephalus ensiger Neoconocephalus exiliscanorus Neoconocephalus melanorhinus Neoconocephalus palustris Neoconocephalus retusus Neoconocephalus robustus Neoconocephalus triops Neoconocephalus velox Neoconocephalus unidentified species Pyrgocorypha uncinata Amblycorypha alexanderi Amblycorypha arenicola Amblycorypha peedee Amblycorypha carinata Amblycorypha floridana Amblycorypha longinicta Amblycorypha oblongifolia Amblycorypha rotundifolia Amblycorypha unidentified species Microcentrum retinerve Microcentrum rhombifolium Montezumina modesta Inscudderia walkeri Scudderia unidentified species Scudderia cuneata Scudderia curvicauda Scudderia curvicauda laticauda Scudderia fasciata Scudderia furcata Scudderia septentrionalis Scudderia texensis Pterophylla camellifolia Atlanticus americanus Atlanticus gibbosus Atlanticus monticola Atlanticus pachymerus Atlanticus unidentified species Hubbellia marginifera Atlanticus davisi NC Records
Odontoxiphidium apterum Morse, 1901 - Wingless Meadow Katydid
Taxonomy
Family: Tettigoniidae
Subfamily: ConocephalinaeTribe: ConocephaliniComments: This is one of two members of this strictly southeastern North American genus (Cigliano et al., 2024). Only O. apterum occurs in North Carolina with O. apalachicolae confined to the Appalachicola delta.Species Status: Very similar to Conocephalus species but females are nearly wingless and males have cerci with two spurs rather than just one.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: BugGuide , Google Images ,
iNaturalist , GBIF SINA 241a.htm Comments: A small, green and brown meadow katydid. The top of the head, pronotum, and abdomen are reddish-brown, bordered by a bright white line that runs along the lateral carinae of the pronotum and continuing along the upper sides of the abdomen. The sides of the head, thorax, and abdomen are green, although Blatchley (1920) describes males as having brown-sided abdomens and females as having completely brown abdomens. All of the femors are green with thick speckling of reddish-brown. In specimens we have examined, the apex of the femurs have a dark brown spot and the eyes are pearly white with a slight purplish shading. Specimens of Conocephalus strictus and the green form of C. saltans can be similar in color and pattern and the structural differences between these species must be used to distinguish between them.Total Length [body plus wings; excludes ovipositor]: 11-14 mm, males; 11-18 mm, females (Blatchley, 1920)Structural Features: Females lack obvious wings (vestigial remnants are hidden under the pronotum). Males possess tegmina but they are shorter than the pronotum and oval in shape (Blatchley, 1920). The cerci of the males are slender, sub-cylindrical, and elongate. Both a short basal dorsal tooth is present -- found only in this genus -- and a longer postmedian lateral tooth.Singing Behavior: Songs consist of continuous series of buzzes with very short separations between them.
Distribution in North Carolina
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Adult Dates: Click on graph to enlarge
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Diet: Observation Methods: Abundance/Frequency: Adult Phenology:
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: Natural Heritage Program Ranks: [GNR] [SU]State Protection: Comments:
Image Gallery for Odontoxiphidium apterum - Wingless Meadow Katydid Recorded by: Stephen Hall Recorded by: Becky Elkin, Jim Petranka, Steve Hall, and Mark Basinger
»
