North American Katydids

Pseudophyllinae true katydids	Phaneropterinae false katydids	Conocephalinae meadow katydids	Copiphorinae coneheaded katydids
Tettigoniinae shield-backed katydids	Prophalangopsidae hump-winged grigs	Meconematinae quiet-calling katydids	Saginae stick katydids

Katydid classifications

Taxonomists have many schemes for classifying katydids (Tettigonioidea). The one used here is to put all except the "hump-winged grigs" (Haglidae) into the family Tettigoniidae and to divide the North American species of Tettigoniidae among seven subfamilies. Two of the seven, Conocephalinae (meadow katydids) and Copiphorinae (coneheads), are often merged into a more broadly defined Conocephalinae. On the other hand, the katydids that are here placed in the subfamily Tettigoniinae (shieldbacks and allies) are sometimes divided among three subfamilies. As with the crickets, taxonomists agree on the natural groupings of North American species, but they disagree on how the groups should be ranked in the hierarchy of taxonomic categories.

References

Bailey WJ, Rentz DCF, editors.1990. The Tettigoniidae: biology, systematics and evolution. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. 395 p.

Blatchley WS. 1920. Orthoptera of northeastern America. Indianapolis, IN: Nature Publishing. 784 p. Pages 453-458 (introduction to katydids and keys to subfamilies). PDF files of Blatchley's treatments of the katydid subfamiles that he recognized are accessible on these SINA pages: Phaneropterinae, Pseudophyllinae, Copiphorinae, Conocephalinae, Tettigoniinae. (The introductory pages to Blatchley's book are accessible on SINA's references page.)

Fulton BB. 1933. Stridulating organs of female Tettigoniidae (Orthoptera). Entomol. News 44: 270-275.

Gwynne DT. 2001. Katydids and bush-crickets, reproductive behavior and evolution of the Tettigoniidae. Ithaca, NY: Cornell Univerisity Press. 317 p.

Hebard M. 1939. Studies in Orthoptera which occur in North America north of the Mexican boundary. X. New and critical notes on previously known Tettigoniidae. Trans Amer Entomol Soc 65:161-83, 3 pl.

Isely FB. 1941. Researches concerning Texas Tettigoniidae. Ecological Monographs 11: 457-475.

Otte D. 1997. Orthoptera species file 7. Tettigonioidea. Philadelphia: Orthopterists' Soc and Acad Nat Sci Phila. 373 p. (A web version of this, by D. Otte, D. C. Eades, and P. Naskrecki, is continually updated.)