Monday, August 22, 2016

The Australian Mountain Katydid

An interesting insect found in the Eastern part of  Australia:






Museums Field Guide apps species profiles – terrestrial invertebrates

Brief description
Wispy antennae, mottled grey-brown, abdominal bands of crimson and blue, body-length to 5 cm.
Description
Female squat, long-legged and flightless; male more elongate and with fully-formed wings. Both sexes have long, wispy antennae. Colour mottled grey-brown, cream-white and black, but with bands of crimson and blue – normally hidden – along the edge of each abdominal segment. Body-length up to 5 cm.
Biology
These insects feed mostly on fireweeds and other herbs, from which they may assimilate toxins that make them distasteful to predators. They rely on camouflage to avoid detection. When threatened, females freeze while males emit a warning call. If further threatened, the wing-covers are raised and the abdomen arched and vibrated, revealing otherwise hidden bands of shimmering crimson and electric blue. Males also sing when defending territory or courting.
Habitat
Mostly high-altitude grasslands, heathlands and woodlands.
Native status
Native to Australia.
Maximum size (cm)
5
Diet
Herbivore
Dangerous
Usually harmless, but can bite.
Colours
black, white, grey, red, blue
Distribution
Eastern Australia

:o)




3 comments :

  1. There might be some of those little critters up on the Tablelands about an hours drive from me.
    The same place that Miss Lisa's coffee came from. It's beautiful up there and I don't get up there nearly often enough. I'm down on the coast and we get different critters here.

    ReplyDelete
  2. There might be some of those little critters up on the Tablelands about an hours drive from me.
    The same place that Miss Lisa's coffee came from. It's beautiful up there and I don't get up there nearly often enough. I'm down on the coast and we get different critters here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now if we only had cute bugs like that in Joisey! :o)

      Delete