Common Cone-head vs Spur-throated Locust

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Common Cone-head Spur-throated Locust
Scientific Name Conocephalus fuscus Austracris guttulosa
Order Orthoptera Orthoptera
Family Tettigoniidae Acrididae
Size 12-18mm 50-75 mm
Habitat Wetlands Farmland
Diet Seed Feeders Omnivores
Regions Europe, Asia Australia, Oceania
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Common Cone-head

A small slender katydid with a pointed head and brown body. It lives low in tall grasses near wetlands. Its song is a faint high-pitched buzz often inaudible to older adults.

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Did You Know?

Its ultrasonic song is so high-pitched that most adults over 40 cannot hear it at all.

Spur-throated Locust

A large Australian locust named for the distinctive spur on its throat. It is a major agricultural pest in northern and eastern Australia, particularly damaging to sorghum and other grain crops.

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Did You Know?

Unlike the plague locust, spur-throated locusts are primarily solitary but can form dense bands when conditions are favourable.