Stridulation
Guides
Acheta
house crickets, field crickets
Acheta is a genus of field crickets (Gryllidae) containing approximately 17 described species, with Acheta domesticus (house cricket) being the most widely known and economically significant. The genus is distributed across the Palaearctic realm and North America, with A. domesticus achieving cosmopolitan distribution through human activity. Species in this genus are characterized by their stridulatory communication, with males producing species-specific calling songs to attract females. The house cricket serves as a major source of animal feed, fish bait, and increasingly as human food, though its cultivation faces challenges from Acheta domesticus Densovirus (AdDNV).
Agromyza
A genus of small flies in the family Agromyzidae. Adults are distinguished by stridulatory files on the first two abdominal tergites and halteres that are usually white or yellow. The genus is best known for its leaf-mining larvae, which feed internally on plant leaf tissue. Some species are minor agricultural pests of crops including corn and rice.
Amblycorypha
Round-headed Katydids, False Katydids, Bush-crickets
Amblycorypha is a genus of North American round-headed katydids in the family Tettigoniidae, containing approximately 14 described species. These insects are renowned for their exceptional leaf-mimicry, with wing venation closely matching the vein patterns of leaves. They are known for their acoustic communication, with males producing songs via stridulation to attract females. Some species reach prodigious sizes in tropical regions, and males provide nuptial gifts to females during mating.
Amblycorypha alexanderi
Clicker Round-winged Katydid
Amblycorypha alexanderi, commonly known as the clicker round-winged katydid, is a phaneropterine katydid species in the family Tettigoniidae. It was described by Walker in 2003 and is native to North America. The species belongs to a genus known for remarkable leaf-mimicking camouflage and acoustic communication through stridulation.
Amblycorypha cajuni
Cajun round-headed katydid
Amblycorypha cajuni is a species of round-headed katydid (bush-cricket) in the family Tettigoniidae, described by Walker in 2004. Like other members of its genus, it possesses remarkable leaf-mimicking camouflage with wing venation that closely resembles leaf veins. The species is known from the Gulf Coast region of the United States, specifically Louisiana and Mississippi. As with related Amblycorypha species, males produce courtship songs using stridulatory organs on their forewings, and females detect these songs through tympanal organs located on their forelegs.
Amblycorypha huasteca
Texas false katydid
Amblycorypha huasteca, commonly known as the Texas false katydid, is a species of bush-cricket in the family Tettigoniidae. It belongs to the round-headed katydid genus Amblycorypha, a group renowned for exceptional leaf-mimicry. The species occurs in the south-central United States and northeastern Mexico. Like other Amblycorypha, it produces species-specific songs through stridulation of forewing structures to attract mates.
Amblycorypha oblongifolia
oblong-winged katydid
Amblycorypha oblongifolia, commonly known as the oblong-winged katydid, is a species of bush-cricket in the family Tettigoniidae. The species is notable for exhibiting unusual color polymorphism, with individuals occurring in green, tan, pink, or rare dark tan/orange morphs. These color variants are genetically determined and present from birth, not influenced by sex, age, or environment. Green is the most common morph, while pink and tan are rare, and dark tan or orange is very rare. The species is found throughout the northeastern and midwestern United States.
Amblycorypha parvipennis
Western Round-winged Katydid
Amblycorypha parvipennis, the western round-winged katydid, is a phaneropterine katydid in the family Tettigoniidae. It is found in North America, with confirmed records from Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, and Missouri. Males produce calling songs for acoustic communication, a key feature of their mating behavior. The species exhibits typical katydid traits including leaf-mimicking wing venation and sound production via forewing stridulation.
Amblycorypha uhleri
Uhler's virtuoso katydid, Uhler's katydid
Amblycorypha uhleri, commonly known as Uhler's virtuoso katydid or Uhler's katydid, is a species of phaneropterine katydid in the family Tettigoniidae. It is a North American species known for its distinctive song produced by stridulation of the forewings. Like other members of the genus Amblycorypha, it exhibits remarkable leaf-mimicry through wing venation patterns and green coloration, serving as camouflage against predators.
Arhaphe
bordered plant bugs
Arhaphe is a genus of bordered plant bugs in the family Largidae, comprising 26 described species. The genus is notable among hemipterans for possessing a sound-producing stridulitrum, where the hind femur is rubbed against the costal margin of the forewings. Four species occur in the United States: A. arguta, A. breviata, A. carolina, and A. mimetica. The genus has been proposed as a potential model for ecological evolutionary developmental biology studies of insect-microbe symbiosis.
Asagena
Asagena is a genus of cobweb spiders (family Theridiidae) established by Carl Jakob Sundevall in 1833. It comprises nine species distributed across North America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Members are small spiders (2.4–5.9 mm body length) that construct webs in sheltered microhabitats including under stones, in leaf litter, under bark, and in moss. The genus was formerly classified within Steatoda.
Asagena americana
Two-spotted Cobweb Spider, Twospotted Cobweb Spider
Asagena americana, commonly known as the two-spotted cobweb spider, is a small theridiid spider native to North America. Males are notably robust with short, muscular legs and possess a stridulating organ used to produce sound during courtship. Females construct cobwebs in concealed microhabitats including under stones, in leaf litter, under bark, and in moss. The species exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism in body form and is frequently preyed upon by mud dauber wasps.
Asagena fulva
Red-and-white Asagena
Asagena fulva is a small cobweb spider in the family Theridiidae, found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Females range from 3–5.9 mm in body length, males from 2.4–5 mm. The species appears distinctly redder with more white markings than its congener A. americana. It has been observed in association with harvester ant nests, suggesting possible ant specialization.
Atlanticus testaceus
protean shieldback, short-legged shield-bearer
Atlanticus testaceus, commonly called the protean shieldback or short-legged shield-bearer, is a shield-backed katydid native to eastern North America. The species exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism in diet: adult females are primarily carnivorous while adult males consume mostly dried leaves and sand. Both sexes are known to engage in cannibalism. Activity is concentrated in the evening hours, with males stridulating intensively from elevated vegetation while females search for mates and prey.
Bromius obscurus
Western Grape Rootworm, Brown and Black Beetle
Bromius obscurus is a small leaf beetle (Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae) and the sole member of its genus. It is a Holarctic species with a notable geographic parthenogenesis pattern: North American populations reproduce sexually while European populations are triploid and reproduce asexually. The species is recognized as a pest of grape vines in Europe and western North America. Adults possess a stridulatory apparatus on the wings, the first documented in the subfamily Eumolpinae.
Buenoa platycnemis
Buenoa platycnemis is a species of backswimmer in the family Notonectidae. It is a predatory aquatic insect found in freshwater habitats across the Americas. The genus Buenoa is distinguished by males producing audible stridulatory sounds, a rare trait among aquatic Heteroptera. This species has been recorded from North, Central, and South America, including multiple states in Brazil.
Callicorixa
Callicorixa is a genus of water boatmen (family Corixidae) comprising nine described species. Members are aquatic insects inhabiting freshwater environments. Research on *Callicorixa vulnerata* has demonstrated sexual size dimorphism and tarsal asymmetry in mid-leg morphology. *Callicorixa praeusta* exhibits complex acoustic communication, with males producing synchronized stridulatory calls for congregation and reproduction.
Capnobotes
shield-backed katydids, longwings
Capnobotes is a North American genus of shield-backed katydids (family Tettigoniidae) containing approximately nine described species. Members are commonly known as "longwings" due to their elongated forewings. The genus was established by Scudder in 1897 and is primarily distributed across arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Species exhibit morphological diversity in body form and wing structure, with common names reflecting these traits (slender, sooty, spatulate, etc.).
Cenocorixa
water boatmen
Cenocorixa is a genus of water boatmen (family Corixidae) comprising approximately 12 described species. These aquatic insects are notable for their specialized swimming mechanics using synchronized hind leg rowing, and for their complex acoustic communication systems involving species- and sex-specific stridulatory signals. Both males and females produce sound by rubbing specialized pegs on the fore femora against the head. The genus exhibits significant ecological research interest regarding feeding niche partitioning in sympatric and allopatric populations, with some species inhabiting saline lakes.
Cerambycidae
Longhorn beetles, Long-horned beetles, Longicorn beetles
Cerambycidae is a large family of beetles comprising approximately 35,000 described species worldwide. Members are characterized by exceptionally long antennae, often exceeding body length, which gives rise to their common name. The family exhibits diverse ecological strategies, with larvae predominantly developing in woody tissues and adults showing varied feeding habits including pollen, nectar, and foliage consumption. Many species are important ecological decomposers of dead and dying wood, while some are significant forest pests.
Chimarocephala pacifica
Painted Meadow Grasshopper, Painted Grasshopper
Chimarocephala pacifica is a band-winged grasshopper in the family Acrididae, commonly known as the painted meadow grasshopper. The species occurs in western North America and Central America, with subspecies C. p. pacifica and C. p. incisa recognized. Males produce acoustic signals through stridulation and vibration for sexual communication, while both sexes employ visual signals including a waving gesture.
Chimarocephala pacifica pacifica
A subspecies of band-winged grasshopper in the family Acrididae, known for its complex acoustic and visual communication behaviors. Males produce sounds by rubbing the inner surface of the hind femora against the tegmina. Sexual behavior is mediated through cyclic female receptivity phases, with males employing stridulations, vibrations, and visual signals to communicate with both sexes.
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.
Conocephalini
Common Meadow Katydids
Conocephalini is a tribe of katydids within the subfamily Conocephalinae, commonly known as meadow katydids and conehead katydids. Members are among the most abundant orthopterans in eastern North America and adjacent Canada. The tribe includes genera such as Conocephalus (lesser meadow katydids), Neoconocephalus (conehead katydids), and Orchelimum (greater meadow katydids). Many species exhibit omnivorous feeding habits and produce species-specific acoustic signals for mate attraction.
Conocephalus attenuatus
Long-tailed Meadow Katydid, Lance-tailed Meadow Katydid
Conocephalus attenuatus is a meadow katydid species in the family Tettigoniidae, found in North America. It is commonly known as the long-tailed meadow katydid or lance-tailed meadow katydid, referencing its distinctive elongated ovipositor. The species belongs to the subfamily Conocephalinae, a group abundant in grassland and wetland habitats of eastern North America. Like other meadow katydids, it produces species-specific acoustic signals through stridulation for mate attraction.
Conocephalus brevipennis
Short-winged Meadow Katydid
The short-winged meadow katydid (Conocephalus brevipennis) is a small, flightless katydid native to North America and the Caribbean. Males produce species-specific stridulations by rubbing forewing structures together to attract mates. Females are distinguished by a prominent sword-like ovipositor used to deposit eggs in protected locations. The species is active primarily in late summer and autumn.
Conocephalus nemoralis
woodland meadow katydid
Conocephalus nemoralis, commonly known as the woodland meadow katydid, is a species of meadow katydid in the family Tettigoniidae. It is native to eastern North America, with records from states including Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Missouri. As a member of the subfamily Conocephalinae, it shares characteristics with other meadow katydids, including relatively short wings and an elongated ovipositor in females.
Conocephalus strictus
Straight-lanced Meadow Katydid
Conocephalus strictus, the straight-lanced meadow katydid, is a North American katydid notable for the female's exceptionally long, straight ovipositor that exceeds body length. The species exhibits wing dimorphism with short-winged (13–22 mm) and long-winged (21–30 mm) forms. Adults appear in late summer and occur year-round in dry grasslands, old fields, and pastures where they form dense aggregations. Males produce a faint, pulsating purr at 10–20 kHz.
Conotrachelus posticatus
Oak Curculio
Conotrachelus posticatus is a small weevil (3.7–5 mm) commonly known as the Oak Curculio, native to North America with a range extending from Canada to Panama. The species is a specialist on oak acorns, using them for both larval development and adult feeding. Females oviposit in acorn seeds, and larvae complete development inside the nut, passing through five instars over 10–30 days depending on host species. Adults emerge in late spring and early summer, with a second winter spent hibernating under leaf litter. The species possesses a stridulatory mechanism for sound production and has been identified as a potential threat to the avocado industry, though its primary ecological role involves oak seed predation with complex implications for forest regeneration.
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.
Corixidae
Water Boatmen, Lesser Water Boatmen
Corixidae is a family of aquatic true bugs in the order Hemiptera, commonly known as water boatmen or lesser water boatmen. The family comprises approximately 500 species across 33-55 genera distributed worldwide in freshwater habitats, with a few species inhabiting saline waters. Members are distinguished from similar aquatic bugs by their right-side-up swimming posture, flattened body shape, and modified front legs adapted for feeding. The family exhibits diverse feeding strategies including herbivory, carnivory, detritivory, and omnivory.
Cryptorhynchinae
hidden-snout weevils
Cryptorhynchinae is a large subfamily of weevils (Curculionidae) comprising approximately 6,000 species. The subfamily is distinguished by a rostrum that folds backward between the fore coxae in repose, fitting within a protective channel on the mesoventrite. Molecular evidence supports its monophyly as an independent subfamily rather than inclusion within Molytinae. The group is most diverse in the Neotropics, Australia, and Oceania, with an evolutionary origin in the Late Cretaceous of South America.
Cybister
Giant Diving Beetles
Cybister is a genus of large predaceous diving beetles (Dytiscidae) distributed across all continents except Antarctica. Adults range up to 43 mm in length, with some species among the largest diving beetles. The genus comprises approximately 98 species organized into four subgenera. Both adults and larvae are aquatic predators, with larvae of some species known to prey on vertebrates including tadpoles and small fish.
Dasymutilla arenivaga
Desert Velvet Ant
Dasymutilla arenivaga is a species of velvet ant in the family Mutillidae, first described by Mickel in 1928. Like all mutillids, it is a solitary wasp with wingless females and winged males, exhibiting the pronounced sexual dimorphism characteristic of this group. The species inhabits arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.
Dasymutilla bioculata
velvet ant
Dasymutilla bioculata is a species of velvet ant (family Mutillidae), a group of solitary parasitic wasps in which only males possess wings. This species was taxonomically consolidated in 2010, when molecular and morphological analysis demonstrated that 21 previously recognized species and subspecies were actually conspecific. The species exhibits strong sexual dimorphism: females are wingless and run rapidly across the ground searching for host nests, while males fly and visit flowers. Females possess a potent sting used for defense. The species is a parasitoid of ground-nesting sand wasps in the genera Bembix and Microbembex.
Dasymutilla foxi
velvet ant
Dasymutilla foxi is a velvet ant species in the family Mutillidae, found in Mexico and the southwestern United States. The species exhibits highly variable setal coloration, with body segments ranging from whitish to reddish; eastern populations in Colorado, Kansas, and Texas typically display a black setal patch on the mesosoma. First described by Theodore D. A. Cockerell and named for William J. Fox, this species has been subject to taxonomic revision with Dasymutilla phoenix and Dasymutilla dugesii synonymized under it. Females are wingless and possess a potent sting, while males are winged.
Dendroctonus adjunctus
roundheaded pine beetle
Dendroctonus adjunctus, commonly known as the roundheaded pine beetle, is a bark beetle native to North America that infests and kills pine trees. Adults are 5–6 mm long with shiny, dark brown to black exoskeletons covered in hairs. The species has a one-year life cycle, with adults colonizing weakened pine trees in autumn, constructing extensive egg galleries in the cambium and phloem. Outbreaks can be devastating, killing up to 50% of pines in pure stands. The beetle is distributed across the southwestern United States and Mexico, and is considered a serious pest of commercial and wild pine stocks.
Diguetia
Desertshrub Spiders, Coneweb Spiders
Diguetia is a genus of haplogyne spiders in the family Diguetidae, first described by Eugène Simon in 1895. These six-eyed spiders are endemic to arid regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico, with one species extending into Argentina. They construct distinctive tent-like conewebs with tubular retreats, often camouflaged with plant debris and insect remains. The genus comprises eleven recognized species, seven of which occur north of Mexico.
Euscepes postfasciatus
West Indian sweetpotato weevil, hidden snout weevil, scarabee
Euscepes postfasciatus is a weevil species in the family Curculionidae that is a significant agricultural pest of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) across tropical and subtropical regions. The species has been extensively studied for its reproductive biology, including male-produced chemical signals that induce female post-mating unreceptivity and stridulatory communication during courtship. It is a target of sterile insect technique (SIT) eradication programs, particularly in Japan's Okinawa Prefecture, due to its economic impact on sweet potato cultivation.
Geotrupidae
Earth-boring beetles, Earth-boring dung beetles, Dor beetles
Geotrupidae is a family of beetles in the order Coleoptera, commonly called earth-boring dung beetles or dor beetles. Adults excavate burrows in soil to lay eggs, typically provisioning nests with leaf litter (often moldy) rather than dung, though some species are coprophagous. The family contains over 600 species in about 30 genera across two subfamilies: Geotrupinae and Taurocerastinae. Formerly classified as a subfamily of Scarabaeidae, Geotrupidae was elevated to family status based on phylogenetic evidence. Some species communicate via stridulation, and burrows can exceed 2 meters in depth.
Gomphocerinae
slant-faced grasshoppers
Gomphocerinae is a large subfamily of grasshoppers comprising at least 192 genera and 1,274 species distributed across every continent except Antarctica and Australia. Members are commonly known as slant-faced grasshoppers due to their characteristic head morphology. The subfamily is distinguished by a uniform femoral stridulatory mechanism used for acoustic communication, and exhibits remarkable diversity in calling songs and courtship behaviors. Many species inhabit grasslands and serve as important components of terrestrial food webs, though some are significant agricultural pests.
Gryllidae
True crickets
Gryllidae, commonly known as true crickets, is a family of insects in the order Orthoptera, suborder Ensifera. Members are characterized by long, thread-like antennae, cylindrical bodies, enlarged hind femora adapted for jumping, and forewings modified for sound production. The family has undergone significant taxonomic revision, with many former subfamilies (including tree crickets, ground crickets, and sword-tail crickets) elevated to family status. True crickets exhibit worldwide distribution except Antarctica and are known for their acoustic communication, with males producing species-specific calling songs to attract females.
Gryllidea
crickets
Gryllidea is an infraorder within the suborder Ensifera comprising crickets and their relatives. The group contains two superfamilies—Grylloidea (true crickets, tree crickets, scaly crickets, and allies) and Gryllotalpoidea (mole crickets and ant crickets)—encompassing more than 6,000 described species globally. Members are characterized by acoustic communication through stridulation, with males producing species-specific songs to attract mates. The infraorder originated in the Triassic period approximately 250–200 million years ago and represents the third most diverse group within Orthoptera.
cricketsOrthopteraEnsiferaacoustic-communicationstridulationmole-cricketsant-cricketsmyrmecophilybioacousticsedible-insectsagricultural-pesthousehold-pestTriassic-originhemimetabolous-developmentkleptoparasitismchemical-mimicryautotomythigmotaxisinvasive-speciesDiestrammena-asynamoraAcheta-domesticusGryllodes-sigillatusGryllus-firmusParagordius-variushost-parasite-interactionsmitochondrial-genomicspositive-selectioncox1Nearctic-faunaYunnan-biodiversityurban-ecologysoil-ecosystem-engineeringdecomposerfood-securityalternative-proteinGryllinae
Field Crickets
Gryllinae, commonly known as field crickets, is a subfamily of true crickets in the family Gryllidae. These insects are characterized by their ability to produce sound through stridulation of the forewings, with males generating species-specific calling songs to attract females. Field crickets exhibit hemimetabolous development, with nymphs undergoing multiple molts before reaching adulthood. The subfamily includes numerous genera distributed worldwide, with many species serving as important model organisms in studies of behavioral ecology, neurophysiology, and evolutionary biology.
Gryllotalpa
mole crickets
Gryllotalpa is a genus of mole crickets in the family Gryllotalpidae, characterized by highly modified fossorial front legs adapted for digging. The genus contains numerous species distributed across Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas, with several cryptic species complexes distinguished primarily by song patterns. Species within this genus are found in diverse habitats ranging from steppe zones and wet grasslands to gardens and agricultural fields. Some species, particularly Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa, are of conservation concern in parts of Europe while also being agricultural pests in other regions.
Gryllotalpa major
prairie mole cricket
Gryllotalpa major, the prairie mole cricket, is the largest cricket species in North America, endemic to the tallgrass prairie ecosystems of the south-central United States. Males exhibit a classical lekking mating system, constructing specialized acoustic burrows that amplify their calling songs to attract flying females from distances up to 400 meters. The species is threatened by habitat loss due to prairie conversion, with current populations restricted to fragmented sites in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Arkansas. Research has documented unique acoustic behaviors, including harmonic chirps rather than trills, and vibrational communication between neighboring males through the soil.
Gryllus
field cricket
Gryllus is a widespread genus of field crickets in the family Gryllidae, with members found across Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Adults typically measure 15–31 mm and are darkly colored. Species in this genus are often difficult to distinguish from related genera based on external morphology alone; male genitalia, particularly the structure of the epithallus, provide more reliable identification characters. The genus has been extensively studied for its acoustic communication, with male calling songs used for mate attraction and territorial defense.
Gryllus fultoni
Southern Wood Cricket
Gryllus fultoni, the southern wood cricket, is a field cricket species found in the southeastern United States. It overwinters as a juvenile and matures in spring, inhabiting forested environments. The species produces a distinctive calling song consisting of fast-pulsed chirps. In areas of sympatry with Gryllus vernalis, G. fultoni exhibits reproductive character displacement, with divergence in calling song characters and mirror area that enhances reproductive isolation.
Gryllus personatus
Badlands Cricket, Badlands Field Cricket
Gryllus personatus, commonly known as the badlands cricket or badlands field cricket, is a species of field cricket in the family Gryllidae. It inhabits arid and semi-arid regions of southwestern North America, including desert and dry grassland environments. The species is named for its association with badlands terrain. Like other field crickets in the genus Gryllus, it produces characteristic chirping sounds through stridulation of specialized wing structures.
Hapithus brevipennis
Short-winged Bush Cricket, Short-winged Meadow Katydid
Hapithus brevipennis is a small bush cricket species in the family Gryllidae, native to the southeastern United States. Adults are distinguished by their abbreviated wings, which give the species its common name. Males produce a distinctive song consisting of buzzes and ticks interspersed with pauses to attract females. The species is active in late summer and autumn, with females using a prominent ovipositor to deposit eggs in protected locations.