Hooded Leaf Katydid vs Southern Mole Cricket

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Hooded Leaf Katydid Southern Mole Cricket
Scientific Name Phyllophorella queenslandica Neoscapteriscus borellii
Order Orthoptera Orthoptera
Family Tettigoniidae Gryllotalpidae
Size 30-45 mm 25-35 mm
Habitat Forests Deserts & Drylands
Diet Herbivores Root Feeders
Regions Queensland, Australia South America (native), Southern United States (invasive), Australia (invasive)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Hooded Leaf Katydid

An Australian katydid with a dramatically expanded pronotum that covers its head like a hood. The entire body mimics a curled or overlapping set of leaves.

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Did You Know?

Its oversized hood-shaped pronotum is one of the most extreme examples of leaf mimicry in katydids.

Southern Mole Cricket

A South American mole cricket that has become an invasive turf pest in the southern United States and Australia. It tunnels through soil near the surface, severing grass roots and leaving raised trails.

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Did You Know?

It can fly strongly at night and is attracted to lights, which is how it colonized new areas after its accidental introduction.