March, 2018

Broad-tipped Conehead

While we have several kinds of katydids in our area, only the broad-tipped conehead (Neoconocephalus triops) is active early in the year. On warm nights beginning in March, the long, trilling call of the males can be heard, usually on vegetation close to the ground. This is a large insect, reaching a length of about 2 inches. Although the formidable jaws are usually used for chewing on grass seeds (and occasionally other insects), a captured individual will not hesitate to bite, and they can do so quite effectively. The specimen shown above is a male; even though the rear of the abdomen (which would have a long ovipositor if it were female) is not visible in the photo, the color is enough to know the sex. Every green conehead I've seen in Austin has been female, while every male has been brown.