Chlorobalius leucoviridis was first described by the Prussian/Australian botanist and entomologistJohann Gottlieb Otto Tepper in 1896. It forms part of the family Tettigoniidae, the subfamily Listroscelidinae and the tribe Terpendrini, the gum-leaf katyatids.[2]
Description
The adult Chlorobalius leucoviridis is a large, cryptically-coloured, long-horned grasshopper. The body, wings and legs are barred and spotted in green and white. The legs bear short spines and both males and females have stridulatory organs,[1] the male has a file-and-scraper structure on the tegmen (fore-wing) while the female has pegs on the hind wing which rub against certain veins on the fore-wing.[2]
Chlorobalius leucoviridis is native to arid, inland regions of Australia. It is typically found high in a large bush or small tree.[1]
Behaviour
Chlorobalius leucoviridis is nocturnal and occurs in small groups which move from one location to another.[2] It feeds by catching other insects such as flies, grasshoppers and other katydids, grasping the prey with its fore-legs or first two pairs of legs, and immobilising it by biting it under the throat. The spines on the legs seem to play a part in controlling larger prey items.[1] The male makes loud, trilling songs to lead females of its own species towards its location.[1]
The male attracts male cicadas on which to feed by mimicry, luring them to its vicinity by deception. This is accomplished both acoustically, by audible wing-clicking in a pattern similar to that used by sexually-receptive female cicadas, and visually by the use of synchronised body movements similar to those exhibited by the females.[3] Remarkably, the katydid has the ability to mimic the sounds and movements of a number of different prey species, even some species with which it has never had direct contact.[3]
