Alice Springs Desert Park

ASDP OrthopteraKatydid (Taeniomenae)

Alice Springs Desert ParkFauna Flora Nature Theatre Nocturnal House

Throughout the Alice Springs Desert Park you are sure to be able to see members of the order Orthoptera comprising the terrestrial insects that are known by the common names of grasshoppers, katydids, locusts and crickets (as well as related groups without common names).

There were 1,835 described species that are found in Australia, although there are many undescribed species.

Most orthopterans are herbivorous, feeding on a variety of plant material. Some species are scavengers, known to feed on animal and plant debris. Others are predators of other insects; many katydids and crickets tend to be more omnivorous.

Nymph stage of Giant Grasshopper (Valanga irregularis), Alice Springs NT
Nymph stage of Giant Grasshopper (Valanga irregularis), Alice Springs NT
Valanga irregularis nymph, Alice Springs NT
Valanga irregularis nymph, Alice Springs NT
Katydid - Taeniomenae (genus group), Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Katydid – Taeniomenae (genus group), Alice Springs Desert Park NT

  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Hexapoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Informal: Pterygotes
  • Order: Orthoptera
  • Suborder: Caelifera
  • Suborder: Ensifera
  • Family: Eumastacidae

Footnote & References

  1. Orthoptera, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/0192736e-0955-4830-9977-61e07c843b28
  2. Orthoptera (Grasshoppers & Locusts), What Bug Is That? The Guide To Australian Insect Families, https://anic.csiro.au/insectfamilies/order_overview.aspx?OrderID=24892&PageID=overview
  3. Phylum Arthropoda-Subphylum Hexapoda-Class Insecta-Order Orthoptera, Key to Australian Freshwater and Terrestrial Invertebrates, https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/TFI/start%20key/key/hexapoda%20key/Media/HTML/Orthoptera.html
  4. Australian Orthopteroids, iNaturalist, https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/australian-orthopteroids
  5. Orthopteroid, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthopteroid

ASDP OrthopteraKatydid (Taeniomenae)

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Alice Springs Desert ParkFauna Flora Nature Theatre Nocturnal House