Conocephalus strictus

Distinguished from co-occurring Conocephalus fasciatus and Orchelimum species by the female's conspicuously longer, straight ovipositor. Males identified by cerci that are tapered beyond the tooth and flattened distally, versus shorter, differently shaped cerci in similar species. Wing dimorphism (short vs. long tegmina) present but not diagnostic alone. Song a faint, pulsating purr at 10–20 kHz, softer than many congeners.

Large and robust for the genus Conocephalus. Body length ranges 13–30 mm depending on wing form. Coloration green and brown. Tegmina (forewings) short relative to body. Two distinct morphs exist: short-winged form (13–22 mm) and long-winged form (21–30 mm). Males possess long cerci tapered beyond the tooth, flattened in their final third, and capable of extreme body bending. Females have a straight, sword-like ovipositor that exceeds body length—the species' namesake feature.

Dry grasslands, old fields with grasses, and open areas of short grass along roadsides and in pastures. Prefers clumped vegetation where individuals aggregate in large numbers. Not associated with wetlands or dense woody vegetation.

North America: central Arizona to southern Montana and southern New York to southern Georgia in the United States; extends into parts of Mexico and Canada.

Adults first appear in late summer; occur year-round in suitable habitats.

Grasses, with a focus on grass seeds. Mandibles powerful enough to crack seeds.

Hemimetabolous development with egg, nymph, and adult stages. Eggs deposited using the elongated ovipositor, likely inserted into soil or vegetation. Nymphs resemble miniature adults without wings. Adults reach maturity in late summer.

Forms dense aggregations or clumps of individuals. Males stridulate to produce species-specific song for mate attraction. Both sexes capable of powerful jumping using enlarged hind legs. Males exhibit extreme body bending, possibly related to mating or signaling.

Primary consumer converting grass biomass to insect biomass; significant herbivore in grassland ecosystems. Serves as prey for predatory wasps including Sphex ichneumoneus (Great Golden Digger Wasp), which paralyzes katydids to provision nests. Population studies indicate meadow katydids can convert substantial portions of plant biomass (e.g., 16% of Juncus biomass in one study) and reduce seed production of grasses and rushes by 30–50%.

Subject of ecological research on grassland herbivory and plant-insect interactions. Song audible to humans with good high-frequency hearing or recording equipment, contributing to soundscape of North American grasslands. No documented agricultural pest status or economic importance.

• Conocephalus fasciatusCo-occurs in same range; distinguished by shorter ovipositor and cerci in both sexes.
• Orchelimum vulgareSympatric meadow katydid with shorter ovipositor and cerci; belongs to different genus with generally larger body size.

• katydid
• meadow katydid
• grassland
• North America
• stridulation
• ovipositor
• wing dimorphism

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
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