Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Tettigoniidae Genus Antaxius | Subphylum Hexapoda Order Orthoptera Phylum Arthropoda Rank Species | |
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Similar Antaxius, Anonconotus alpinus, Anonconotus, Yersinella raymondi, Pholidoptera fallax | ||
Antaxius pedestris is a species of 'katydids crickets' belonging to the family Tettigoniidae. It was originally described by Fabricius under the scientific name of Locusta pedestris.
Contents
Subspecies
Description
Antaxius pedestris can reach a length of about 15–23 millimetres (0.59–0.91 in). Ovipositor, in the females, is slightly shorter than the body, it reaches about 13–18 millimetres (0.51–0.71 in). The basic color of the body is dark brown, gray-brown or dark gray with light whitish or yellow to light gray drawings. Pronotum is tinged with white on the lateral margins. Abdomen is long, thick and strong. Wings are very short in the females, while in males they protrude 3–4 mm out from under the pronotum. Cerci of the males are unusual. They are whitish, flattened and internally toothed. All pairs of the powerful legs bear small spines on the lower part. Adults can be found from August to October. They feed on plants and insects, mainly small locusts. Eggs are laid in the ground.
Distribution
This species is present in Pyrenees of Spain and in the western and southern Alps of Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland.
Habitat
It prefers warm habitats in mountainous and semi mountainous areas with high vegetation and low bushes, at an elevation up to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level.