Arachnacris corporalis | |
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At Kuala Lumpur Butterfly Park (above); specimen with spread wings (below) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Orthoptera |
Suborder: | Ensifera |
Family: | Tettigoniidae |
Genus: | Arachnacris |
Species: | A. corporalis
|
Binomial name | |
Arachnacris corporalis (
Karny, 1924)
| |
Synonyms | |
|
The giant Malaysian katydid (Arachnacris corporalis), also known as the giant long-legged katydid or giant katydid (not to be confused with Stilpnochlora couloniana, a species native to the United States), is a large species of bush crickets or katydids that is native to Malaysia. [1] It is the largest species of katydid in the world. [2]
The giant Malaysian katydid is a large green insect that is, on average, about 6 inches long. [3] They have long, thin legs, like most katydids, with the hind legs being longer than the front two pairs of legs. They have long, leaf-like wings that help them stay camouflaged from predators, as they typically reside in trees and don't move very much. As they age, their coloration mimics a leaf, and the tips of their wings become brown to resemble the way that leaves rot. [4] The amount of brown on their wings can be used as a method to determine the age of the katydid, with more brown meaning an older age.
They make a loud chirping sound by hitting their wings together. [5] They use this sound as a defense mechanism and to attract mates.
Adult males and females of the species are easily distinguished, as females have a green pronotum and males have a brown pronotum, which is the triangular segment at the dorsal base of their wings. [4]
Females have an ovipositor, which they use to lay their eggs in moss or rotting wood. [4] When they reach their adult stage, they start out bright green and, as they get older, the tips of their wings turn brown, leading to a larger brown patch the older the katydid is. They live for about 6 months in their adult stage. [4]
Their primary defense is camouflage due to their leaf-like coloration. To prevent being tracked down by scent, they throw their feces as far away from them as possible, usually to a neighboring bush or tree. [4] They can also use their loud chirping to scare away predators, as the volume is amplified due to their size.
Arachnacris corporalis | |
---|---|
At Kuala Lumpur Butterfly Park (above); specimen with spread wings (below) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Orthoptera |
Suborder: | Ensifera |
Family: | Tettigoniidae |
Genus: | Arachnacris |
Species: | A. corporalis
|
Binomial name | |
Arachnacris corporalis (
Karny, 1924)
| |
Synonyms | |
|
The giant Malaysian katydid (Arachnacris corporalis), also known as the giant long-legged katydid or giant katydid (not to be confused with Stilpnochlora couloniana, a species native to the United States), is a large species of bush crickets or katydids that is native to Malaysia. [1] It is the largest species of katydid in the world. [2]
The giant Malaysian katydid is a large green insect that is, on average, about 6 inches long. [3] They have long, thin legs, like most katydids, with the hind legs being longer than the front two pairs of legs. They have long, leaf-like wings that help them stay camouflaged from predators, as they typically reside in trees and don't move very much. As they age, their coloration mimics a leaf, and the tips of their wings become brown to resemble the way that leaves rot. [4] The amount of brown on their wings can be used as a method to determine the age of the katydid, with more brown meaning an older age.
They make a loud chirping sound by hitting their wings together. [5] They use this sound as a defense mechanism and to attract mates.
Adult males and females of the species are easily distinguished, as females have a green pronotum and males have a brown pronotum, which is the triangular segment at the dorsal base of their wings. [4]
Females have an ovipositor, which they use to lay their eggs in moss or rotting wood. [4] When they reach their adult stage, they start out bright green and, as they get older, the tips of their wings turn brown, leading to a larger brown patch the older the katydid is. They live for about 6 months in their adult stage. [4]
Their primary defense is camouflage due to their leaf-like coloration. To prevent being tracked down by scent, they throw their feces as far away from them as possible, usually to a neighboring bush or tree. [4] They can also use their loud chirping to scare away predators, as the volume is amplified due to their size.