Phaneroptera nana, common name southern sickle bush-cricket, is a species in the family Tettigoniidae and subfamily Phaneropterinae. It has become an invasive species in California where it may be called the Mediterranean katydid.
This bush cricket is native to mainland Europe, the Near East and North Africa. The Indo-Malayan species Phaneropera subcarinata, described by Bolívar, is morphologically similar to P. nana, and was classified under the P. nana name by Carl Brunner von Wattenwyl. As an invasive species, it has spread to the San Francisco Bay Area and may be widespread in the Los Angeles Basin, with records of its presence in California dating from at least 1952. In addition, it has been recorded in South America and hypothesized in the Annals of Carnegie Museum to have spread via shipping.
It mainly inhabits sunny and dry habitats, especially shrubs and low branches of trees.
The Mediterranean katydid (Phaneroptera nana) female sings in response to the male, prompting the male to move towards the female. This is unique to the species, because in other species of katydids, it is usually the female moving towards the male in response to hearing their chirps. However, because the females stay static while the males move to locate them, the females are at less risk of encountering threats and predators. However, the males will not decide to interact with a female unless they illicit a response within 60 milliseconds, ensuring that the female is close enough to them.
The females are selective of the males they respond to, and generally they prefer longer chirps. At least two chirps from the males are needed for the female to entertain the males and reply to them. However, more chirps than that from the males do not make the females more likely to duet with the males.
The female Mediterranean katydids lay their eggs in the lamina of plants. the female does this by bending her abdomen and chewing on the lamina to create an opening. The eggs she lays around 3mm in size on average. Those eggs usually hatch in summertime but that can vary. The timing means that P. nana is usually easily encountered through the summer and fall seasons.
The Mediterranean Katydid (Phaneroptera nana) is a bright-green bush-cricket found across Southern Europe, North Africa, and the Near East. It is known for its delicate build, vibrant orange eyes, and unique courtship behavior in which females sing back to males to guide them closer.
Key facts about the Mediterranean Katydid include:
Appearance: They are light green with small black spots, growing to 13-18 mm in length. They feature long, slender hind legs and wings that extend beyond the abdomen. Females have a distinct sickle-shaped ovipositor (egg-laying tube).
Nocturnal Nature: They are strictly nocturnal, resting during the day in shaded shrubs, trees, or greenery, and emerging at night to forage and mate.
Unique Duetting: Unlike most katydid species, where males must locate moving females, the female P. nana remains still and answers the male's chirp with a ticking sound. Males will only move toward the female if she responds within 60 milliseconds.
Diet: Primarily herbivorous, they graze on tender leaves, flowers, and vines, but occasionally eat small insects like aphids. They pose no danger to humans.
Lifespan & Breeding: They have a lifespan of less than a year. Females use their jaws to create openings in plant leaves to lay eggs, which then hatch in the summer.
Habitat & Range: They thrive in dry, sunny, and warm environments. While native to the Mediterranean basin, they have spread globally and are an established, invasive species in urban and agricultural regions of California and the Northeastern United States.
