Least Shieldback (Atlanticus monticola)
Song of a Least Shieldback (scroll down for explanation and additional recordings!).
The Least Shieldback is a striking and robust katydid of weedy fields and brushy forest understory. Its pinkish brown coloration makes it one of the most attractive of the genus. It can sometimes be found walking on the trunks of trees at night, probably hunting for prey (shieldbacks are carnivorous and feed upon small invertebrates, including other insects). The Least Shieldback has well-developed forewings, but no true hindwings. The forewings extend only a short distance down the abdomen. The abdomen is large and bulging — a fall from a height of a few feet can actually cause fatal injury if the abdominal wall ruptures. If disturbed, the Least shieldback may suddenly jump away with the aid of its powerful hind legs.
Song: A long series of brief swishy rattles, given at a rate of about two per second, or else at uneven intervals. Sings at dusk and into the night. The rattles are very high pitched and have a broad frequency spectrum, peaking at 15 kHz, which is near the upper limits of human hearing. For this reason, many people cannot hear their songs. Adults begin singing in late June in the southern parts of the range and may be heard until the first hard frost.
Sonogram of a Least Shieldback. © Wil Hershberger.
Least Shieldback
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FAMILY DESCRIPTION
Saltmarsh Meadow Katydid
Short-winged Meadow Katydid
Slender Meadow Katydid
Woodland Meadow Katydid
Black-sided Meadow Katydid
Long-tailed Meadow Katydid
Straight-lanced Meadow Katydid
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Dusky-faced Meadow Katydid
Stripe-faced Meadow Katydid
Nimble Meadow Katydid
Black-legged Meadow Katydid
Common Meadow Katydid
Gladiator Meadow Katydid
Handsome Meadow Katydid
Lesser Pine Meadow Katydid
Long-spurred Meadow Katydid
Red-headed Meadow Katydid
Coneheads (Copiphorinae):
FAMILY DESCRIPTION
Round-tipped Conehead
Nebraska Conehead
Robust Conehead
Slightly Musical Conehead
Sword-bearing Conehead
False Robust Conehead
Marsh Conehead
Black-nosed Conehead
True Katydids (Pseudophyllinae):
FAMILY DESCRIPTION
Common True Katydid
False Katydids (Phaneropterinae):
FAMILY DESCRIPTION
Clicker Round-winged Katydid
Common Virtuoso Katydid
Rattler Round-winged Katydid
Oblong-winged Katydid
Great Angle-wing
Lesser Angle-wing
Broad-winged Bush Katydid
Curved-tailed Bush Katydid
Fork-tailed Bush Katydid
Northern Bush Katydid
Texas Bush Katydid
Treetop Bush Katydid
Modest Katydid
Shield-backed Katydids (Tettigoniinae):
FAMILY DESCRIPTION
American Shieldback
Least Shieldback
Protean Shieldback
Robust Shieldback
Roesel’s Katydid
Band-winged Grasshoppers (Oedipodinae):
Boll’s & Carolina Grasshoppers
Marsh Meadow Grasshopper