Katydid Steiroxys sp. subgenital plate 1

Dan L. Johnson, University of Lethbridge, has studied and photographed S. trilineata in several populations. A figure he produced includes a photo of the subgenital plate, just ventral to the base of the long ovipositor. (See three-lined shieldback)

The shape of the subgenital plate, especially the square notch seen in these specimens, may be important in identification or may show variation among populations.

This page shows the subgenital plate of an adult female, collected 09 10 2009. This characteristic subgenital plate shape can be tracked from the youngest nymphs I’ve collected.

 

1: subgenital plate adult ventral view

2: subgenital plate adult side view

3: individual in 1 and 2, alive in the field

4 and 5: individual alive in the field

6: photo 2 labelled

 

I used Helicon Focus software to make stacked images for 1, 2, 3 and 6. I made photographs for the stacks with a Nikon dissecting microscope and a Nikon Coolpix 995. For field photos, I use a Nikon Coolpix S10.