Department of Biological Sciences

Permanent link for this collection

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1

An abdominal stridulation organ in Cyphoderris (Prophalangopsidae) and concerning the systematic classification of the Ensifera (Saltatoria)
(2021-01-11) Ander, Kjell; Sander, Barbara; Judge, Kevin; translated.com
Ensiferan insects (crickets, katydids, grigs and allies) are well known for rubbing parts of their cuticle together to produce sound: a process called stridulation. In this article Swedish entomologist Kjell Ander describes a novel (at the time) stridulatory apparatus in the great grig, Cyphoderris monstrosa (Prophalangopsidae), a relict ensiferan found in the mountainous regions of western North America. Ander used preserved specimens to predict the sound-producing function of a pair of abdominal file-scraper apparatuses, although he was never able to directly test his proposed mechanism nor did he speculate as to the adaptive significance of the structures. The article concludes with a review of the systematic placement of various higher level taxa within the order Orthoptera, of which Ensifera is one suborder.