The Orthopteroid insects are some of the most well-known insects in Australia, with species found all over the country encompassing a number of orders. In no particular order, from the
- order Orthoptera, that include grasshoppers, crickets, and allies),
- order Blattodea (cockroaches and termites),
- order Mantodea (mantises),
- order Phasmatodea (stick and leaf insects),
- order Embioptera (webspinners),
- order Dermaptera (earwigs),
- order Plecoptera (stoneflies),
- order Zoraptera (angel insects),
- order Notoptera (ice crawlers and gladiators) – a non-Australian order
In Australia, both our heaviest and our longest insects are orthopteroids – the Giant Burrowing Cockroach (Macropanesthia rhinoceros) at 35 grams and the Gargantuan Stick Insect (Ctenomorpha gargantua) at 61.5 cm.
Many of our orthopteroids are also masters of camouflage, with katydids, stick insects, and mantises all well-known for being impossible to find. Others are brightly coloured, including some grasshoppers and desert cockroaches.
This section is a work in progress, in the meantime to find out more, check out our Footnotes & References.
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Informal: Pterygotes
- Order: Orthoptera
- Suborder: Caelifera
- Suborder: Ensifera
- Family: Eumastacidae
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Subclass: Pterygota
- Order: Blattodea
- Superfamilies:
- Corydioidea
- Blaberoidea
- Blattoidea
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Subclass: Pterygota
- Order: Mantodea
- Suborder: Eumantodea
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Orthoptera
- Suborder: Caelifera
- Infraorder: Acrididea
- Informal group: Acridomorpha
- Superfamilies:
- Acridoidea
- Eumastacoidea
- Pneumoroidea
- Proscopioidea
- Pyrgomorphoidea
- Tanaoceroidea
- Trigonopterygoidea
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Subclass: Dicondylia
- Infraclass: Pterygota
- Superorder: Neoptera
- Order: Phasmatodea
- Family: Phasmidae
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Informal: Pterygotes
- Order: Embioptera
- Family:
- Australembiidae
- Notoligotomidae
- Oligotomidea
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Informal: Pterygotes
- Order: Dermaptera
- Family:
- Anisolabididae
- Apachyidae
- Chelisochidae
- Forficulidae
- Labiduridae
- Pygidicranidae
- Spongiphoridae
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Informal: Pterygotes
- Order: Plecoptera
- Suborder: Antarctoperlaria
- Suborder: Arctoperlaria
- Family:
- Austroperlidae
- Eustheniidae
- Gripopterygidae
- Notonemouridae
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Informal: Pterygotes
- Order: Zoraptera
- Family: Zorotypidae
Footnote & References
- Australian Orthopteroids, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/projects/australian-orthopteroids
- Australian Orthopteroids, Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/australian.orthopteroids
OrthopteraGarden Mantis Grasshoppers Blistered Pyrgomorph Giant Grasshopper (Valanga irregularis) Macrotona Queensland Spotted Pyrgomorph (Greyacris profundesulcata)
InsectsBees Beetles Blattodea Butterflies Coleoptera Cicada Crabronidae Diptera Dragonflies & Damselflies Formicidae Hemiptera Heteroptera (True Bugs) Mango Planthopper Moths Orthoptera Orthopteroid Processionary Caterpillar Stink Bugs, Shield Bugs and Allies Syrphidae Wasps Water Scorpion (Laccotrephes tristis) Witchetty Grub