Arachnacris corporalis

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Arachnacris corporalis
Tettigoniidae Arachnacris corporalis 1.jpg
Macrolyristes corporalis (Karny, 1924).JPG
At Kuala Lumpur Butterfly Park (above); specimen with spread wings (below)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
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
  • Macrolyristes corporalis Karny, 1924

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]

Contents

Description

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.

Sexual Dimorphism

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]

Life Cycle and Reproduction

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]

Predator Defense

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.

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<i>Phaneroptera nana</i> Species of cricket-like animal

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<i>Eupholidoptera chabrieri</i> Species of cricket-like animal

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<i>Yersinella raymondii</i> Species of cricket-like animal

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<i>Orchelimum gladiator</i> Species of cricket-like animal

Orchelimum gladiator is a species of katydid that has the common names gladiator meadow katydid and gladiator katydid.

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References

  1. (in German) Karny (1924) Beiträge zur Malayischen Orthopterenfauna IV-XI, Treubia 5(1-3):1-234, Pl. I, II
  2. "Giant Malaysian Katydid". Audubon Nature Institute.
  3. "The World's Weirdest Bugs". DUKE TIP NAVIGATOR. November 14, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 ShawTVSSM (Sep 8, 2015). "Entomica - BugOut - The Giant Malaysian Katydid". YouTube.
  5. Lewis, Riccie (Apr 17, 2022). "🇲🇾 Malaysian Giant Katydid, the largest species in the world". YouTube.