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Genus Metrioptera

Roesel's Katydid - Metrioptera roeselii - female Roesel’s Katydid - Metrioptera roeselii - female Small Grasshopper - Metrioptera roeselii - male Green stripes - Metrioptera sphagnorum - female Roesel’s Katydid - Metrioptera roeselii - female Shield-backed Katydid - Metrioptera roeselii Metrioptera roeselii? nymph - Metrioptera roeselii - male shield-backed katydid - Metrioptera roeselii - female
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Orthoptera (Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids)
Suborder Ensifera (Long-horned Orthoptera)
Infraorder Tettigoniidea (Katydids, Camel Crickets, and relatives)
Family Tettigoniidae (Katydids)
Subfamily Tettigoniinae (Shield-backed Katydids)
Genus Metrioptera
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Decticus subgenus Metrioptera Wesmaël, 1838. Type species: Gryllus brachypterus Linnaeus
Metrioptera (Wesmaël) W.F. Kirby, 1890
Sphagniana Zeuner, 1941. Type species: Decticus sphagnorum F. Walker
Bicolorana Zeuner, 1941. Type species: Locusta bicolor Philippi
Roeseliana Zeuner, 1941. Type species: Locusta roeselii Hagenbach
Zeuneriana Ramme, 1951. Type species: Platycleis marmorata Fieber
Metrioptera subgenus Bicolorana (Zeuner) Harz, 1969
Metrioptera subgenus Roeseliana (Zeuner) Harz, 1969
Metrioptera subgenus Sphagniana (Zeuner) D.C.F. Rentz, 1990
Metrioptera subgenus Zeuneriana (Zeuner) D.C.F. Rentz, 1990
Bicolorana subgenus Roeseliana Storozhenko, 2004
Explanation of Names
Metrioptera Wesmaël, 1838
The names listed above are considered by most authors as subgenera or synonyms under the single genus Metrioptera. However, some authors prefer to rank each as a distinct genus, which would make our species members of Roeseliana and Sphagniana.
Numbers
2 spp. in our area (one introduced), 29 total(1)(2)
Note: Our only native sp., M. sphagnorum, is listed in OSF as Sphagniana sphagnorum, while the species. M. roeselii is listed in OSF as Roeseliana roeselii. If so treated, the more restricted genus Metrioptera would be not be found in North America, and would include only 12 Old World species(1)
Range
M. sphagnorum so. Canada (w. ON to e. BC)(3)
M. roeselii (introduced) ne. US & adjacent Canada(3)
the remaining spp. in Eurasia
Works Cited
1.Orthoptera Species File Online
2.Singing Insects of North America
3.Field Guide To Grasshoppers, Katydids, And Crickets Of The United States
John L. Capinera, Ralph D. Scott, Thomas J. Walker. 2004. Cornell University Press.