shield-backed katydid

▪ insect

      any of a group of insects in the family Tettigoniidae (order Orthoptera) that are cricketlike in appearance, more than 2.5 cm (1 inch) long, and brown or black in colour. Their pronotum (dorsal surface of the prothorax) extends back to the abdomen. Most species have short wings, although some species are wingless.

      One species of shield-backed katydid, the Mormon cricket (Anabrus simplex), can be a serious pest in the Great Plains of North America. In 1848 at Salt Lake City, Deseret (later Utah), the arrival of a flock of sea gulls saved the Mormons' crops from complete destruction by this insect. When present in sufficient numbers, the coulee cricket (Peranabrus scabricollis) is a destructive pest in the Pacific Northwest. Both species are wingless, and metal or wood barriers serve as effective control devices, as do insecticidal baits.

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