Conehead
Guides
Belocephalus davisi
Davis's conehead
Belocephalus davisi, commonly known as Davis's conehead, is a species of katydid in the family Tettigoniidae. It belongs to the tribe Copiphorini, a group characterized by their distinctive cone-shaped head projections. The species was described by Rehn and Hebard in 1916 and is native to the southeastern United States.
Belocephalus sabalis
Palmetto Conehead
Belocephalus sabalis, commonly known as the palmetto conehead, is a species of katydid in the family Tettigoniidae. It belongs to the conehead subfamily Conocephalinae, characterized by the distinctive forward-projecting cone on the head. The species is native to North America, with records primarily from Florida and the southeastern United States.
Bucrates malivolans
Cattail Conehead
Bucrates malivolans, commonly known as the Cattail Conehead, is a katydid species in the family Tettigoniidae. It occurs in the southeastern United States, with records from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana. The species is associated with wetland habitats, particularly those supporting cattail vegetation. It belongs to the conehead tribe Copiphorini, characterized by elongated cone-shaped heads.
Conocephalinae
Coneheads and Meadow Katydids
Conocephalinae is a subfamily of katydids (family Tettigoniidae) comprising two main groups: meadow katydids (tribe Conocephalini, including genera Conocephalus and Orchelimum) and conehead katydids (tribe Copiphorini, including genera Neoconocephalus and Pyrgocorypha). Members are characterized by elongated bodies, long thread-like antennae, and often possess a distinctive forward-projecting cone or fastigium of the vertex. The subfamily is abundant in eastern North America and adjacent Canada, particularly in grasslands, wetlands, and meadows. Many species are known for their stridulatory songs produced by rubbing forewings together, and they exhibit diverse feeding habits ranging from herbivory to opportunistic predation.
Conocephalus hygrophilus
Conocephalus hygrophilus is a species of meadow katydid in the family Tettigoniidae, described by Rehn & Hebard in 1915. As a member of the genus Conocephalus, it belongs to a group of small to medium-sized katydids commonly known as lesser meadow katydids or coneheads. The species epithet "hygrophilus" suggests an affinity for moist or wet habitats. Like other Conocephalus species, it is expected to possess the characteristic long, thread-like antennae that distinguish katydids from true grasshoppers, along with enlarged hind legs adapted for jumping.
Copiphorini
Coneheads
Copiphorini is a tribe of katydids (Tettigoniidae) within the subfamily Conocephalinae, characterized by a distinctive cone-shaped projection on the head that extends forward in front of the antennae base. Members range from 24 to 74 mm in length, with females typically larger than males. The tribe was originally described as a subfamily (Copiphorinae) by Karny in 1912 but has been reclassified. Species produce loud songs through forewing stridulation and possess straight, slender, toothless ovipositors.
Neoconocephalus
common coneheads, conehead katydids
Neoconocephalus is a genus of large katydids in the tribe Copiphorini, commonly known as conehead katydids. Members are characterized by a prominent cone-shaped projection on the head, which varies in shape and size among species. The genus is distributed across the Americas, with many species in North America and additional diversity in Central and South America. Conehead katydids are notable for their acoustic communication, with males producing species-specific songs to attract females. Some species exceed seven centimeters in length, making them among the largest katydids in their range.
Neoconocephalus ensiger
Sword-bearing Conehead, Swordbearer
Neoconocephalus ensiger is a katydid species in the conehead tribe Copiphorini, recognized by the male's elongated, sword-like ovipositor-like structure at the abdomen tip. Males produce loud, distinctive songs through stridulation of modified forewings. The species occurs in grassland and prairie habitats across eastern and central North America. It is primarily nocturnal and has been observed molting to adulthood at night near ultraviolet light sources.
Neoconocephalus melanorhinus
black-nosed conehead
Neoconocephalus melanorhinus, commonly known as the black-nosed conehead, is a species of katydid in the family Tettigoniidae. It is one of the larger conehead katydids, with some members of the genus Neoconocephalus exceeding seven centimeters in length. The species is found in eastern and southeastern North America. Like other coneheads, it produces sound through stridulation, rubbing specialized structures on its forewings together to create species-specific songs.
Neoconocephalus nebrascensis
Nebraska conehead
Neoconocephalus nebrascensis, the Nebraska conehead, is a species of conehead katydid in the family Tettigoniidae. It is found in North America, particularly in the central United States including Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Kansas. Conehead katydids are among the largest members of the subfamily Conocephalinae, with some species exceeding seven centimeters. They are characterized by their powerful mandibles capable of cracking grass seeds.
Neoconocephalus palustris
marsh conehead
Neoconocephalus palustris, commonly known as the marsh conehead, is a large katydid species in the family Tettigoniidae. It belongs to the conehead group, characterized by a distinctive forward-projecting cone on the head. The species is found in wetland habitats across eastern North America. Like other members of the genus Neoconocephalus, it is among the largest katydids in its range, with some individuals exceeding seven centimeters in length.
Neoconocephalus robustus
robust conehead, crepitating conehead
Neoconocephalus robustus, commonly known as the robust conehead or crepitating conehead, is a North American katydid in the family Tettigoniidae. It is notable for producing one of the loudest insect songs on record, reaching 116 decibels at a peak frequency of 8 kHz—audible from 500 meters away even inside a moving vehicle with closed windows. The song has a whining quality at distance but becomes painful to hear at close range. This species belongs to the subfamily Conocephalinae, a group characterized by their elongated, cone-shaped heads.
Neoconocephalus triops
Broad-tipped Conehead
Neoconocephalus triops, commonly known as the broad-tipped conehead, is a large katydid species in the family Tettigoniidae. It has a wide geographic distribution spanning from Peru to Ohio, USA, including the Caribbean and North America. Females use male pulse rate and call structure for mate recognition, with documented geographic variation in signal preferences between populations. Puerto Rican females show high selectivity for pulse rate but not call structure, while Costa Rican females prefer versed calls and show temperature-dependent selectivity for pulse rate.
Neoconocephalus velox
swift conehead
Neoconocephalus velox, known as the swift conehead, is a species of conehead katydid in the family Tettigoniidae. It is native to North America, with records from the southeastern United States including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi. As a member of the genus Neoconocephalus, it is among the larger katydids, though specific measurements for this species are not well documented.
Pyrgocorypha
coneheads
Pyrgocorypha is a genus of conehead katydids in the family Tettigoniidae, established by Carl Stål in 1873. The genus comprises approximately 16 described species distributed across the Americas and southern and eastern Asia. Members of this genus are recognized by their distinctive head morphology, particularly the modified fastigium (cone) that projects forward from the vertex. The hook-faced conehead (Pyrgocorypha uncinata) is among the most distinctive North American species, characterized by a pronounced hook at the tip of its cone.
Pyrgocorypha uncinata
Hook-faced Conehead
Pyrgocorypha uncinata, commonly known as the hook-faced conehead, is a katydid species in the family Tettigoniidae. It is distinguished by its distinctive hook-shaped cone (fastigium), which curves downward at the tip and gives the species its common name. The species occurs in the southeastern United States, with records extending to northern Arkansas at the western edge of its range. Like other conehead katydids, it produces sound by stridulation and is active during the warmer months.