Orthoptera of North Carolina
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View Tettigoniidae Members: NC Records

Conocephalus allardi (Caudell, 1910) - Allard's Meadow Katydid

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Taxonomy
Family: Tettigoniidae Subfamily: Conocephalinae Tribe: Conocephalini
Comments: One of nineteen species in this large worldwide genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (SINA, 2018; Cigliano et al., 2018); ten have been recorded in North Carolina
Species Status: Placed in Subgenus Dicellura by Rehn and Hebard (1915), based on the unique struture of the subgenital plate in the males.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: BugGuide, Google Images,  iNaturalist, GBIFTechnical Description, Adults/Nymphs: Rehn and Hebard (1915); Blatchley (1920)SINA 220a.htm                                                                                  
Comments: A small, green and brown, short-winged Lesser Meadow Katydid. The face, sides of the thorax, and legs are green, as are the tegmina in the females; in males, the tegmina are brownish-green (Blatchley, 1920). A dark brown stripe runs dorsally from the top of the head onto the pronotum. The dorsal surface of the abdomen is reddish-brown. Conocephalus brevipennis and other short-winged members of this genus are similar in size, color, and pattern but can be easily distinguished -- in the males at least -- by differences in the subgenital plate (see Strucural Features below).
Total Length [body plus wings; excludes ovipositor]: 12 mm, males; 15 mm, females (Blatchley, 1920)
Structural Features: The subgenital plate of the male (visible from the side and below - photographs should include this feature for accurate identification) has a unique median projection that is slightly concave at the end, with two long, spine-like extensions on either side of the concavity; the short, pointed styli found in other species in this genus are missing in this species (Rehn and Hebard, 1915; see also illustrations in Blatchley, 1920, and SINA, 2018). The cerci are comparatively stout, with a strong, broad, and flattened tooth located at the midpoint. The ovipositor is longer than the hind fermora, straight, and abruptly tapering in the apical fourth (Blatchley, 1920).
Distribution in North Carolina
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Adult Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

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Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Allard (as described by Blatchley, 1920) found this species at an elevation above 4,000 in northern Georgia, where it occurred in sunny, grassy spots in the woods.
Diet:
Observation Methods:
Abundance/Frequency:
Adult Phenology:
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: [W3]
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: [GNR] [SH]
State Protection:
Comments: We have only a single, historic record for this species, which appears to occupy a fairly narrow geographic range in the Southern Appalachians and adjoining areas to the west (see map in SINA). Surveys need to be conducted to determine the current status of this species as a resident member of our fauna. Information is also needed on its overall distribution within the state and its habitat associations before an accurate assessment can be made of its conservation needs.