Armoured Ground Cricket vs Giant Lacewing
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Armoured Ground Cricket | Giant Lacewing |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Acanthoplus longipes | Polystoechotes punctata |
| Order | Orthoptera | Neuroptera |
| Family | Tettigoniidae | Ithonidae |
| Size | 45-60 mm | 40-75 mm wingspan |
| Habitat | Deserts & Drylands | Rivers & Streams |
| Diet | Omnivores | Omnivores |
| Regions | Southern Africa | North America |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Endangered |
Armoured Ground Cricket
A robust flightless katydid covered in sharp spines across its thorax and legs. It is an omnivorous insect found in arid bushveld.
Did You Know?
They are cannibalistic and will devour injured members of their own species during mass marching events.
Giant Lacewing
Once widespread across North America, it vanished from the eastern US by the 1950s. A single specimen was rediscovered in Walmart parking lot in Arkansas in 2012 after 50 years.
Did You Know?
This giant lacewing was thought extinct in eastern North America for 50 years — until a single specimen was collected at a Walmart parking lot in Fayetteville, Arkansas in 2012.