OrthopteraTettigoniidae – Katydids

Texas Bush Katydid

Scudderia texensis

This record describes Scudderia texensis (species). Recorded family: Tettigoniidae. Recorded order: Orthoptera.

Identification and Appearance

Texas Bush Katydid - Scudderia texensis — Contributed by Jeffrey Cole; Additional contributions by David Ferguson , metrioptera

Male supra-anal plate with a small tooth in the middle

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera (Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids)
Suborder: Ensifera
Family: Tettigoniidae (Katydids)
Subfamily: Phaneropterinae
Genus: Scudderia (Bush Katydids)

Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.

Habitat and Range

Geographic Range

ME-FL, west to WY

About Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids: the wider group

Order-level background for Orthoptera, the group containing Scudderia texensis. Species-specific details appear above.

Group overview

Orthoptera includes ~28,000 described species of grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids. Desert locusts can form swarms covering 460 square miles containing up to 80 million individuals per square kilometer.

Ecological role of the group

Grasshoppers and crickets are a primary food source for birds, reptiles, and small mammals. Cricket farming is a growing industry - crickets require 12× less feed than cattle to produce the same amount of protein, using 2,000× less water.

Economic and practical significance of the group

A single large locust swarm can consume the same amount of food in one day as 35,000 people. The 2019-2021 East Africa locust crisis affected food security for 42 million people across multiple countries. Global crop losses from locusts can reach billions annually.

Recorded sources for this group: FAO, UN World Food Programme, research publications. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.

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