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Species Phyllopalpus pulchellus - Handsome Trig
Classification Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Orthoptera (Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids)
Suborder Ensifera (Long-horned Orthoptera)
Infraorder Gryllidea (Crickets)
Family Trigonidiidae
Genus Phyllopalpus
Species pulchellus (Handsome Trig)
Other Common Names Red-headed Bush Cricket Synonyms and other taxonomic changes Phyllopalpus pulchellus Uhler, 1864 Explanation of Names pulchellus-pretty or beautiful Numbers 1 species in this genus in the U.S. Identification Distinctive appearance. Red head/throrax, pale legs, dark bluish-black forewings. Last segment of palp is black and oval flattened shape. Female forewings are convex similar to beetles. (1) Song (of male) is a "rattling, broken trill" (2), given both day and night.
Left wing of male is clear (2), apparently modified for stridulation.
Range Southeast U.S. north to Massachusetts, excluding South Florida. (3)Habitat Found in vegetation near streams and marshes, about a meter above the ground. (1)Season Single generation; adults begin to appear in July/early August. (1)Remarks Speculation (P. Coin/Cotinis)
Perhaps Batesian mimics of Bombardier Beetles, Brachinus, and relatives:
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The color scheme is a match, broadly, and the dark basal antenna segments contribute to the appearance of beetle mandibles. The enlarged tips of the palps, when held up, resemble the dark eyes of the beetle. Folded forewings of female are convex, "beetle-like" (1), and striated.
Another hypothesis, not mutually exclusive, is that the prominent, and mobile, palps represent mimicry of jumping spiders, Salticidae (Naskrecki, 2012). See Also Capinera remarks that there are no similar species in the U.S. (1). Print References Capinera, pp. 202-203 & plate 44 (1)
Elliott and Hershberger, pp. 90-91, CD track 24 (2)
Helfer, pp. 331-332, fig. 529 (4)
Rannels et al., CD track 39 (5)Internet References Singing Insects of North America-- handsome trig
MacRae, Ted (2014). Beetles in the Bush-- My, what busy palps you have!
Nasrecki, Piotr (2012). The Smaller Majority-- Red-headed Bush Cricket, part 2Works Cited | 1. | Field Guide To Grasshoppers, Katydids, And Crickets Of The United States
John L. Capinera, Ralph D. Scott, Thomas J. Walker. 2004. Cornell University Press. |  |
| 2. | The Songs of Insects
Lang Elliott, Wil Hershberger. 2007. Houghton Mifflin. | |
| 5. | Songs of Crickets and Katydids of the Mid-Atlantic States
Steve Rannels, Wil Hershberger and Joseph Dillon. 1998. (authors). | |
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