20th Annual Student Research Conference
Science
A Survey of the Katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) of the Maya Mountain Region in the Cayo and Toledo Districts of Belize, Central America
Roberta R. Rader♦
Dr. Jonathan C. Gering, Faculty Mentor
The Maya Mountains of Belize compose one of the oldest terrestrial ecosystems on Earth. Areas within the region are currently clearcut for crops and cities, used in agroforestry, or left as undisturbed rainforest. I collected katydids from areas used in agriculture (May-June 2006), areas of primary rainforest (December 2006), and urban areas (January 2007). I caught a total of 264 katydids representing 27 putative species and four subfamilies by using active visual and aural searching in conjunction with blacklighting and sweep netting techniques. Each katydid has been identified to the genus or species level. Morphological descriptions and digital images showing distinctive details of each species have been compiled. I also used scanning electron microscopy techniques to photograph the stridulatory file of representative males from each species. Range expansions have been made for five species I collected. My research enhances our understanding of katydid diversity in Neotropical lowland forests in Belize.
Keywords: katydid, Belize, Tettigoniidae, Orthoptera, survey, agroforestry
Topic(s):Biology
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 11-4
Location: VH 1408
Time: 9:00 am