Primitive-orthopteran
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Cyphoderris strepitans
sagebrush cricket, sagebrush grig
Cyphoderris strepitans is a primitive orthopteran and one of few surviving members of the family Prophalangopsidae, a relict group known primarily from fossils. The species is endemic to the mountains of Wyoming and Colorado, where males produce loud calling songs by stridulation to attract females. A notable feature of its reproductive biology is sexual cannibalism during mating, where females consume the male's fleshy hind wings and hemolymph, and subsequently a proteinaceous spermatophore. Males experience significant energetic costs from this nuptial feeding, reducing their ability to call and remate. The species is cold-adapted and capable of singing at temperatures as low as -8°C.