Recent Travels: Singing Insects

July 4, 2016 at 11:09 am (singing insects)
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by Carl Strang

Though my main research focus is singing insects, I don’t end up photographing them much, as I am listening for them rather than looking for them. Sulfur-winged grasshoppers continued to be an early-season focus.

Though I added several more county records for the species, there was not additional range in their color variation. This female was at Cook County’s Bluff Spring Fen.

Though I added several more county records for the species, there was not additional range in their color variation. This female was at Cook County’s Bluff Spring Fen.

Here is a typical dark male, Illinois Beach State Park.

Here is a typical dark male, Illinois Beach State Park.

Not much different, this male was around the corner of Lake Michigan at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

Not much different, this male was around the corner of Lake Michigan at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

Only 8 species of singing insects could be found at Goose Pond. There will be many more there later in the season.

Green-striped grasshoppers still were displaying, but their days are numbered.

Green-striped grasshoppers still were displaying, but their days are numbered.

Spring field crickets seldom come into view. This female was a challenge to photograph as she crawled among the grasses.

Spring field crickets seldom come into view. This female was a challenge to photograph as she crawled among the grasses.

This katydid nymph climbed up onto the sheet illuminated by the UV light. I am reluctant to say which conehead species she might be.

This katydid nymph climbed up onto the sheet illuminated by the UV light. I am reluctant to say which conehead species she might be.

The season seems barely begun, but already I am closing the book on two species.

The Vermont Cemetery Prairie Preserve in Will County reportedly is one of the few places in the Chicago region which still harbors prairie cicadas. They were done, however, by the time I got there on June 26.

The Vermont Cemetery Prairie Preserve in Will County reportedly is one of the few places in the Chicago region which still harbors prairie cicadas. They were done, however, by the time I got there on June 26.

I have just 3 sites to check next year as good candidates for persisting prairie cicada populations. Protean shieldbacks also apparently are done. I added only 3 county records for them in their brief 2016 season. This was a wakeup call, and I will need to get on my horse right away when they start next year.

 

Leave a Comment

Coneheads

October 21, 2009 at 6:10 am (singing insects)
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

by Carl Strang

The singing insect season is drawing to a close, and I have not mentioned one group to which I devoted some attention this season. The coneheaded katydids are a fairly diverse group of relatively large katydids characterized by cone-shaped structures that rise from the tops of their heads.

Nebraska conehead b

This is a Nebraska conehead. Its song consists of loud, shrill buzzes about 1.5 seconds long, with 1-second pauses between. It sings starting at dusk, in habitat that in my experience always has bushes and usually trees. The only location I have found so far with more than 3 or so singing individuals is Parson’s Grove at Danada Forest Preserve. The scattered bushes against the savanna edge seem to be ideal for this species.

There are two common, widely distributed coneheads in DuPage County’s meadows and prairies. The first to start singing, in the second half of July, is the sword-bearing conehead.

Sword-bearing 2b

Its rapidly ticking song has been compared to the sounds of a distant steam engine or a sewing machine. The other common meadow species is the round-tipped conehead.

Round-tipped conehead 3b

As you can see, these katydids look much alike. The round-tipped has a relatively short cone with a small black area at the tip (compare to the longer cone with a nearly all black surface on the Nebraska conehead, above).

Round-tipped conehead 5b

This one is more of a late season species, starting up in the second half of August and continuing through October. Its song to my ear is much like that of the Nebraska conehead, except that it has very long continuous buzzes rather than interrupted ones.

The possibility that I need to clear up is whether the robust conehead also is present. Its song is continuous, like that of the round-tipped, but reportedly is much louder and at a lower pitch. Its similar cone typically lacks the black tip, and body size is larger. I may have heard some of these at night while driving in past years, but so few in 2009 that I will have to hold this possibility for investigation until next year.

Leave a Comment