Protean Shieldback
Atlanticus testaceus (S.H. Scudder) J.A.G. Rehn & Hebard, 1916
Protean Shieldback: https://marylandbiodiversity.org/species/8108
Synonyms
Engoniaspis testacea  Short-legged Shield-bearer 
Tags

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29 Records

GAALWAFRCLMOHOBABCHACEPGAACVCHSMKEQACNTADOWISOWO

Relationships

"Predator and scavenger of other insects, but will also feed on live vegetation" (BugGuide).

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Source: Wikipedia

Atlanticus testaceus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Suborder: Ensifera
Family: Tettigoniidae
Tribe: Drymadusini
Genus: Atlanticus
Species:
A. testaceus
Binomial name
Atlanticus testaceus
Scudder, 1901

Atlanticus testaceus, known generally as the protean shieldback or short-legged shield-bearer, is a species of shield-backed katydid in the family Tettigoniidae. It is found in North America.[1][2][3][4]

Identification

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The males' tegmina are around 1/2 the length of the pronotum.[5]

Distribution

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This species can be found from the Great Lakes, New York and southern Ontario southward to Kentucky and Virginia. Further south, it is replaced by Atlanticus pachymerus.

Behavior

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This species is mostly active in the evening, but will still be active in the daytime, especially in cloudy conditions. They spend the daytime hiding under dried leaves, and in the evening, they climb the vegetation, and males begin stridulating intensively while females move from plant to plant, searching for mates and prey items. They descend from the vegetation around 2–4 AM, and they stop stridulating.[6][7]

Diet

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Young nymphs eat mostly green plant tissues. Adult females are mostly carnivorous, while adult males eat mostly dried leaves and sand. They also will eat their own species.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Atlanticus testaceus Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  2. ^ "Atlanticus testaceus". GBIF. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  3. ^ Otte, Daniel; Cigliano, Maria Marta; Braun, Holger; Eades, David C. (2019). "species Atlanticus testaceus Scudder, 1901". Orthoptera species file online, Version 5.0. Retrieved 2019-07-02.
  4. ^ "Species Atlanticus testaceus – Protean Shieldback". bugguide.net. Retrieved 2025-02-24.
  5. ^ Gangwere, S. (2017-06-16). "The Behavior of Atlanticus Testaceus (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) on the E.S. George Reserve, Michigan". The Great Lakes Entomologist. 1 (3). doi:10.22543/0090-0222.1038. ISSN 0090-0222.
  6. ^ Manley, Gary (2017-07-07). "Notes on Feeding Behavior of Atlanticus Testaceus (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae)". The Great Lakes Entomologist. 4 (2). doi:10.22543/0090-0222.1147. ISSN 0090-0222.
  7. ^ Manley, Gary (2017-07-07). "Notes on Feeding Behavior of Atlanticus Testaceus (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae)". The Great Lakes Entomologist. 4 (2). doi:10.22543/0090-0222.1147. ISSN 0090-0222.

https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol1/iss3/5/

https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol4/iss2/8/

https://academic.oup.com/aesa/article-abstract/60/1/74/82628?redirectedFrom=PDF

https://bugguide.net/node/view/96645


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