SHIELD-BACKED KATYDID

any orthopteran of the insect subfamily Decticinae, within the long-horned grasshopper (or katydid) family Tettigoniidae. They are cricketlike in appearance, are more than 2.5 cm (1 inch) long, and are brown or black in colour. They have a pronotum (dorsal surface of the prothorax) that extends back to the abdomen. Most species have short wings, and some species are wingless. One species of shield-backed katydid, the Mormon cricket (Anabrus simplex), is a serious pest in the Great Plains of North America. In 1848 at Salt Lake City, Deseret (later Utah), the arrival of a flock of sea gulls saved the Mormons' crops from complete destruction by this insect. When present in sufficient numbers, the coulee cricket (Peranabrus scabricollis) is a destructive pest in the Pacific Northwest. Both species are wingless, and metal or wood barriers serve as effective control devices, as does poison bait.