Conocephalini

Conocephalini katydids can be distinguished from other Tettigoniidae by their association with grassland and meadow habitats combined with specific morphological traits. Conehead katydids (Neoconocephalus) are notably large, with some species exceeding seven centimeters in body length. Meadow katydids (Conocephalus, Orchelimum) are generally smaller. Females possess a prominent ovipositor for egg-laying, visible at the rear of the abdomen. Males produce calling songs by stridulation, rubbing a scraper on one forewing against a file on the opposing forewing; these songs are species-specific and used for mate attraction.

Members of Conocephalini occupy grassland, meadow, prairie, and wetland habitats. Some species are found in seasonally flooded savannah habitats. African representatives in the subtribe Karniellina occupy montane to afroalpine grasslands, forest clearings, and forest edges. The tribe shows adaptation to open grassland environments, with some lineages evolving in response to the spread of grasslands and increasing aridification in East Africa.

Conocephalini has a worldwide distribution. The genus Conocephalus contains approximately 150 recognized species globally, with around 25 species in South America. North American members are abundant in the eastern United States and adjacent Canada. African representatives are found in East African mountain ranges including Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Kenya, the Eastern Arc mountains, and associated highlands. Some species are endemic to specific regions, such as the Apalachicola River Basin in Florida.

In temperate regions, adults reach maturity in late summer and autumn (September-October in North America). Activity patterns include both diurnal and nocturnal calling during this period.

Conocephalini katydids are omnivorous. A substantial portion of the diet consists of grass seeds, which they crack with powerful mandibles. They also feed on forbs (flowering herbaceous plants), consuming leaves and flowers. Some species, particularly meadow katydids in the genus Orchelimum, are opportunistic predators on other insects including leafhoppers, planthoppers, smaller katydids, and aphids. Females may require additional protein for egg development.

Males produce species-specific calling songs through stridulation to attract females. Females discriminate among potential mates based on song quality, with the buzz component of the male's song playing a significant role in mate choice in some species. During copulation, males deliver a spermatophore consisting of a sperm container (ampulla) and a nutritious gelatinous mass (spermatophylax), which the female consumes. This nuptial gift may reduce the likelihood of female remating. Some species have been observed using their front tarsi to manipulate food items while feeding.

Conocephalini katydids function as primary consumers of plant material, particularly grass seeds and forb vegetation. One study documented that three meadow katydid species converted nearly 16% of rush biomass into katydid biomass. Their seed feeding can reduce seed production of rushes and grasses by 30-50%. As opportunistic predators, they also contribute to population regulation of smaller herbivorous insects. They serve as prey for higher trophic levels.

• Tettigoniinae (true katydids)Also in family Tettigoniidae but typically associated with arboreal or shrub habitats rather than grasslands and meadows; generally lack the same degree of adaptation to open grassland environments.
• Copiphorini (coneheads)Historically sometimes confused with Neoconocephalus; both have cone-shaped heads, but Copiphorini is a separate tribe with distinct distributions and acoustic behaviors.
• Acrididae (short-horned grasshoppers)Also abundant in grasslands but distinguished by short, stout antennae versus the very long, thread-like antennae characteristic of katydids in Conocephalini.

• katydids
• meadow katydids
• conehead katydids
• grassland insects
• stridulation
• omnivory
• acoustic communication

• BugGuide
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• Bug Eric: Orthoptera Thursday: The Katydid's Menu
• Minstrels of the meadow: Short-winged meadow katydid, Conocephalus brevipennis — Bug of the Week
• Bug Eric: Mate Guarding and Oviposition in the White-spotted Sawyer, Monochamus scutellatus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)
• Clarifying the identity of the Uruguayan meadow katydid Conocephalus doryphorus (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalini)
• A new genus of African Karniellina (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae, Conocephalinae, Conocephalini): integrating morphological, molecular and bioacoustical data
• A new species of Meadow Katydid (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalini) from the Apalachicola River Basin of Florida, USA
• Notes on the genus Conocephalus (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae; Conocephalinae; Conocephalini) from India and description of two new species 
• Dispersal and speciation of East African mountain bushcrickets of the genus Phlesirtes (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae, Conocephalini) related to climate fluctuations
• Ecological adaptations of grassland‐inhabiting flightless Orthoptera: Fulvoscirtes and Acanthoscirtes , two new genera of African Karniellina (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae, Conocephalinae, Conocephalini)
• The genus Phlesirtes Bolivar, 1922 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae, Conocephalini; Karniellina), a review of the genus with data on its bioacoustics and the description of new species