*The Great Plains and western North America host 21 additional genera of shield-backed katydids. The key above is of no help with those genera. Rentz and Birchim (1968) provided a key to all North American genera of "Decticinae", their name for the taxon that includes all species here placed in Tettigoniinae, except for Hubbellia marginifera and two species of Neobarrettia, which they placed in Tettigoniinae and Listroscelinae.

If you are unsure that the katydid you wish to identify is a shieldback, go to the key to families and subfamilies.