3/14/2023 0 Comments Coppice in the bahamas![]() Individuals remain well-hidden during the day so where they occur is unknown. Most specimens collected at the Levy Preserve have been males, and were only found by ear from tracking the acoustic mate attraction call of a singing male to its source. Like most nocturnal katydids, blue-faced katydids hide themselves well in the vegetation, but they also tend to be situated high up, >2 m (6 ft 7 in), on palm trees out of easy reach. Few observations have been made of individuals in their natural habitat thus far. Little is known about the natural history and behaviour of E. Accordingly, these were subsequently identified as a new species – E. levyi, it was determined that several specimens were in fact morphologically distinct from the E. gundlachi which has since been found occurring in the Dominican Republic on the island of Hispaniola. The only species in the genus until 2016 was E. The genus Erechthis is originally described from specimens collected on Cuba. Whether this represents a preferred plant host requires further determination. levyi have only been observed occurring on palm trees. There are also several species of palm, such as buccaneer ( Pseudophoenix sargentii), coconut ( Cocos nucifera), sabal ( Sabal palmetto), silver top ( Coccothrinax argentata) and thatch ( Thrinax morrisii). levyi is forest coppice, with the most common plants being poisonwood ( Metopium toxiferum), pigeon plum ( Coccoloba diversifolia) and gum elemi ( Bursera simaruba). levyi is tentatively considered an endemic species to The Bahamas. levyi are recorded from Cuba or Hispaniola, nor have its congeners been found in The Bahamas. The other two species in this genus are described from specimens found only on Cuba and Hispaniola. Additional sampling in the future will enable a more thorough determination of its complete range throughout the Bahamian archipelago. Individuals were first observed in 2013 at the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve, a national park managed by the Bahamas National Trust. Distribution and habitat Įrechthis levyi is presently described from specimens collected on Eleuthera in The Bahamas. ![]() levyi is more robust in overall body shape, and females bear a much longer ovipositor, about 22 mm (0.87 in), compared to those of either of the female congeners, 14–17 mm (0.55–0.67 in). ![]() Compared to the other two species in the genus ( E. Adults measure between 46–51 mm (1.8–2.0 in) in body length, with females about 5 mm (0.20 in) longer than males. The blue coloration disappears in preserved specimens. The face is turquoise-blue in color as are the distal tips of the legs. Erechthis levyi is light-brown in color with a prominent dark brown stripe running dorsally along the midline from the thorax to the tips of the wings.
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