Arachnacris corporalis, the giant Malaysian katydid, giant long-legged katydid or giant katydid (not to be confused with Stilpnochlora couloniana, a species native to the United States), is a large species of bush cricket or katydid that is native to Malaysia.[1] It is the largest species of katydid in the world.[2]
| Arachnacris corporalis | |
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| At Kuala Lumpur Butterfly Park (above); specimen with spread wings (below) | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Orthoptera |
| Suborder: | Ensifera |
| Family: | Tettigoniidae |
| Genus: | Arachnacris |
| Species: | A. corporalis
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| Binomial name | |
| Arachnacris corporalis (Karny, 1924)
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| Synonyms | |
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Description
editThe giant Malaysian katydid is a large green insect that is, on average, about 6 inches long.[3] They have long, thin legs, like most katydids, with the hind legs being longer than the front two pairs of legs. They have long, leaf-like wings that help them stay camouflaged from predators, as they typically reside in trees and don't move very much. As they age, their coloration mimics a leaf, and the tips of their wings become brown to resemble the way that leaves rot.[4] The amount of brown on their wings can be used as a method to determine the age of the katydid, with more brown meaning an older age.
Like all katydids, they make a loud chirping sound by scraping a toothed stridulatory file found near the base of one wing against a scraper located on the opposite wing.[5] They use this sound as a defense mechanism and to attract mates.
Sexual dimorphism
editAdult males and females of the species are easily distinguished, as females have a green pronotum and males have a brown pronotum, which is the triangular segment at the dorsal base of their wings.[4]
Life cycle and reproduction
editFemales have an ovipositor, which they use to lay their eggs in moss or rotting wood.[4] When they reach their adult stage, they start out bright green and, as they get older, the tips of their wings turn brown, leading to a larger brown patch the older the katydid is. They live for about 6 months in their adult stage.[4]
Predator defense
editTheir primary defense is camouflage due to their leaf-like coloration. To prevent being tracked down by scent, they throw their feces as far away from them as possible, usually to a neighboring bush or tree.[4] They can also use their loud chirping to scare away predators, as the volume is amplified due to their size.
References
edit- ^ (in German) Karny (1924) Beiträge zur Malayischen Orthopterenfauna IV-XI, Treubia 5(1-3):1-234, Pl. I, II
- ^ "Giant Malaysian Katydid". Audubon Nature Institute.
- ^ "The World's Weirdest Bugs". DUKE TIP NAVIGATOR. November 14, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e ShawTVSSM (Sep 8, 2015). "Entomica - BugOut - The Giant Malaysian Katydid". YouTube.
- ^ Lewis, Riccie (Apr 17, 2022). "🇲🇾 Malaysian Giant Katydid, the largest species in the world". YouTube.
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