Subject: Listroscelis or Arachnoscelis?
Geographic location of the bug: La Cangreja National Park, Puriscal, San José, Costa Rica
Date: 01/09/2018
Time: 06:13 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Months ago I found this weird looking katydid. I know it is from subfamily Listroscelidinae, but I’m confused about its genus. I think is a Listroscelis or an Arachnoscelis but can’t find out which the difference between them. Hope you can help me.
How you want your letter signed: Dariel Sanabria
Dear Dariel,
Immature insects are often more difficult to identify than adults for several reasons. First, they often look very different from adults, and secondly, adults are frequently more well documented than are immature stages. We will send your image to Katydid expert Piotr Naskrecki to see if he can provide a conclusive identification for you.
Piotr Naskrecki provides a correction and identification.
Hi Daniel,
This is indeed Arachnoscelis, an adult male. Hard to say which species without seeing a closeup of the abdominal apex.
Cheers,
Piotr Naskrecki, Ph. D.
Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University