Spiny Leaf Katydid vs Saharan Sand Grasshopper

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Spiny Leaf Katydid Saharan Sand Grasshopper
Scientific Name Panacanthus cuspidatus Sphingonotus octofasciatus
Order Orthoptera Orthoptera
Family Tettigoniidae Acrididae
Size 50-70 mm 22-32 mm
Habitat Mountains Deserts & Drylands
Diet Fruit Feeders Omnivores
Regions Ecuador, Colombia Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Spiny Leaf Katydid

A brightly colored Ecuadorian katydid covered in sharp spines for defense. Its green body with orange and black spines makes it conspicuous as a warning.

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Did You Know?

It can squirt a foul-smelling defensive spray from glands on its thorax when grabbed.

Saharan Sand Grasshopper

A pale sandy grasshopper well adapted to life on Saharan sand dunes. It has elongated hind legs for powerful jumps across loose sand.

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Did You Know?

Its color matches the local sand so precisely that different populations on different colored dunes look visibly different.