Up Close with Nature: Orthopterans of Malaysia

My Orthoptera collection. All from Peninsula Malaysia, and East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak in the Borneo Island)

Up close with a Dragon Head Katydid. A male Lesina sp.. (IDed with the help of Ming Kai Tan) Selangor, Malaysia.

Dragon-head katydid Lesina sp. IMG_3109 copy

Face to face

Profile shot

Full body shot.

Lichen mimic katydid, Olcinia sp.

Lichen mimic katydid, Olcinia sp IMG_6977 copy

Check out other amazing examples of camouflage in nature here.

Lichen mimic katydid Olcinia sp. IMG_6988 copy

Unidentified katydid. Krabi, Thailand.

Leaf mimic katydid, Leptoderes ornatipennis.

Beautiful, cryptic katydid (Pseudophyllinae ). I thought it was a dead leaf at first

Molting in progress

Another molting katydid.

A well camouflaged Pseudophyllinae.

Camouflaged Pseudophyllinae IMG_2682 copy

Molting in progress. Do not disturb. A male Conehead Katydid (Macroxiphus sumatranus), Selangor, Malaysia.

Molting Macroxiphus sumatranus IMG_3190 copy

A newly molted katydid eating its own exoskeleton

newly molted katydid eating its own exoskeleton IMG_5372 copy

Chorotypus gallinaceus leaf mimic grasshopper

Yes, darling, hold my ovipositor tight. Cricket porn. Pahang, Malaysia.

Beautiful Orthopteran we came across at night. Leaf-rolling cricket, Larnaca (Larnaca) cf. fasciata - ID credit: Tan Ming Kai. Selangor, Malaysia.

I thought I was photographing a chirping male cricket. I realized there was another cricket (female) when I post processed the images on my laptop! I think the male was playing a courting song and the female was on top of the male. Night find, Selangor, Malaysia.

Info from Nancy Oecanthinancy: The male raises his wings to sing and to expose the metanotal gland. The female sips from the gland to get her in position for the male to transfer a spermatophore. He then keeps the gland exposed so she will continue to sip from it - and thus prevent her from removing the spermatophore too early.

Cricket ovipositing on a tree trunk. Night find, Selangor, Malaysia. Gryllacrididae (Raspy crickets).

A katydid in threat pose, signalling me not to get any closer . Night find, Selangor, Malaysia. Probably Capnogryllacris fruhstorferi - ID credit: Tan Ming Kai.

Beautiful monkey grasshopper. Erucius sp.- ID credit: Tan Ming Kai. Banjaran Bintang montane forest, Perak, Malaysia.

Huntsman Spider (Sparassidae) with a female Raspy Cricket (Family: Gryllacrididae). prey. Night find, Selangor, Malaysia

A huntsman spider eating a cricket

IMG_0780 copy huntsman spider eating a cricket

Crabonidae wasp with cricket prey

Sometimes, they get eaten by lizard

Mouthful..........IMG_0368 copy lizard eating grasshopper

Check out more tropical lizards and other herps here.

Forest Leaf Grasshopper, Systella rafflesii

IMG_6299 merged copy Systella rafflesii dead leaf grasshopper

Face to face

IMG_6303 copy dead leaf grashopper, Systella rafflesii

Green version of Systella rafflesii

Leaf-mimic grasshopper, Systella rafflesii. Night find, montane forest, Banjaran Bintang, Perak, Malaysia.

This grasshopper resembles the Forest Leaf Grasshopper (Systella sp.) above, except it's vertically challenged, and longer. Trigonopteryx sp. - ID credit: Arthur Anker. Selangor, Malaysia.