Other Common Names
Short-legged Shield-back Katydid (A. testacea), Eastern Shieldbacks. See
SINA for a list of species and common names.
Explanation of Names
Author of genus is
Scudder, 1894.
Atlanticus refers to the Atlas Mountains in North Africa (
Dictionary of Botanical Epithets). In this case, perhaps it refers to the Atlantic Ocean, given the distribution of this genus in eastern North America, adjacent to the Atlantic.
Numbers
Arnett, p. 163, lists 13 spp.
(1) as does
nearctica.com.
Size
Circa 25-35 mm body length. Length to 50 mm for females, including the
ovipositor.
Identification
Males have front wings (
tegmina) shorter than
pronotum. Female wings vestigial and covered by pronotum. Female has long, sword-like
ovipositor. Both male and female of all species are flightless.
Identification of species is challenging. For starters, refer to these illustrations from Rehn and Hebard (1916):
Note that the taxonomy used in that reference is not completely up-to-date.
Range
Eastern North America. Apparently the only widespread genus of shield-backs in east.
Habitat
Dry deciduous and mixed woodlands: on ground and in low vegetation
Season
June-October (adults, northern United States). May-November (A. gibbosus, Florida).
Brimley, p. 20
(2), lists several species for North Carolina, and gives phenology:
A. americanus--Piedmont, Sandhills, June-July; Mountains July-Sept.
A. gibbosus: Mountains?
A. monticola--Mountains, July-Sept.
A. pachymerus--Piedmont, Coastal Plain, June-August
(Note that the taxonomy used by Brimley above may not be up-to-date.)
Food
Omnivorous, eat other insects (living and dead), fruits, leaves, flowers of a variety of vegetation.
Life Cycle
Eggs overwinter in plant tissue or soil, one generation per year. Males sing.
(3)Remarks
Said to be strong biters.
Print References
Arnett, p. 163, fig. 11.20--A. americanus
(1)
Brimley, p. 20, lists several species.
(2)
Milne, p. 430, fig. 255--A. testaceus
(3)
Helfer illustrates some species on p. 293, shows key for some based on shield.
(4)
Bland, pp. 170-171, illustrates two species from Michigan.
(5)
Capinera, pp. 184-186, plate 41
(6)
Rehn JAG, Hebard M. 1916. Studies in American Tettigoniidae (Orthoptera). VII. A revision of the species of the genus Atlanticus (Decticinae). Trans. Am. Entomol. Soc. 42: 33-99. pl. 6-8. Available as a
PDF file from Singing Insects of North America [4995 KB]
Internet References
SINA--several species accounts with photos, maps, songs
