Page 25 - Black Range Naturalist, Vol. 3, No. 1
P. 25

   Harlequin or Rainbow Grasshopper (photo by David Lightfoot)
Creosotebush Katydids are among the most difficult to see among the leaves of their shrub. These insects are most visible during breeding when males stridulate (make noise) to attract females. Male Creosotebush Grasshoppers are territorial and defend their home shrub against intruders. During the late summer-early autumn breeding season, these insects may be detected because of their movement
A Creosotebush Grasshopper on a creosotebush stem (Photo by David Lightfoot)
within a shrub. The Creosotebush Grasshopper and Creosotebush Katydid are unique in that these Orthopterans eat only leaves of creosotebush. Most species of grasshoppers and katydids feed on a large number of plants. Dietary specialization is unusual among such insects.
Not all grasshoppers that take refuge in creosotebushes are as cryptic as the Creosotebush Grasshopper. The Olive- green Grasshopper has a color pattern that provides some camouflage when the insect is in a creosotebush but not to the same degree as the Creosotebush Grasshopper.
Grasshoppers that mimic the color patterns of the grasses in which they live are among the most difficult large insects to see. These grasshoppers are characterized by thin,
elongated bodies and slant faces. They are frequently called slant-face grasshoppers.
There are many other arthropods of the Black Range region that are hidden below ground most of the time or hidden under rocks and debris. Some of the most abundant arthropods in the desert are species that hide during the day under rocks and debris. Common crickets and camel crickets are seldom seen except at night but are abundant arthropods and an important prey base for nocturnal predators.
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An adult Tarantula Hawk Wasp feeding on nectar and pollen. (photo by David Lightfoot)

























































































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