Family TETTIGONIIDAE Krauss, 1902

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Introduction

The katydids are characterised by having an advanced stridulatory mechanism. In all but a single subfamily, the Phyllophorinae, the stridulatory mechanism is located on a homologus vein of the tegmen. Males of the majority of species are winged, either fully winged or with reduced wings. A small number are wingless and females of many species are wingless. Most are phytophagous but a full range of feeding types is ilustrated in the group.

Many subfamilies are recognised and several have been elevated to familial status. The Australian component is important, contributing at least 1200 species to the approximately 6000 species known. Several subfamilies are endemic to Australia. These are the Microtettigoniinae, the Zaprochilinae, Austrosaginae and Phasmodinae.

Braun (2015) discussed various recent proposals for rearrangment of the higher classification within Tettigonioidea. However, rejecting proposals for recognition of multiple families, he advocated maintenance of stability by retaining the single family Tettigoniidae until "… large-scale phylogenetic study on Tettigoniidae with thorough taxon and character sampling …" is conducted.

Excluded Taxa

Misidentifications

TETTIGONIIDAE: Agraecia Serville, 1825 — Rentz, D.C.F. 2009. Nomenclatural Changes in Australian Tettigoniidae. Zootaxa 2221: 67–68 [67]

TETTIGONIIDAE: Anelytra Redtenbacher, 1891 — Rentz, D.C.F. 2009. Nomenclatural Changes in Australian Tettigoniidae. Zootaxa 2221: 67–68

TETTIGONIIDAE: Dicranocercus Redtenbacher, 1891 — Rentz, D.C.F. 2009. Nomenclatural Changes in Australian Tettigoniidae. Zootaxa 2221: 67–68

General References

Braun, H. 2015. On the family-group ranks of katydids (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae). Zootaxa 3956(1): 149–150

Rentz, D.C.F. 2009. Nomenclatural Changes in Australian Tettigoniidae. Zootaxa 2221: 67–68

History of changes