Cooloolidae
Encyclopedia
Cooloola is a genus
of ensifera
n orthoptera
ns. It is the only genus in the family Cooloolidae of the superfamily
Gryllacridoidea.
Four species are known from this family, all endemic to Queensland
, Australia
. The name originated from the discovery of the most well-known member of the family, the Cooloola monster
(Cooloola propator), in the Cooloola National Park.
Little is known about their life histories, as they lead an almost entirely subterranean existence, but it is believed that they are predaceous towards other soil-dwelling invertebrates.
The Cooloolidae are unusual in the primitive superfamily Gryllacridoidea in that members' antennae are considerably shorter than their body length.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of ensifera
Ensifera
Ensifera is a suborder of the order Orthoptera, comprising insects commonly known as crickets, katydids and bush crickets. "Ensifer" means "sword bearer" in Latin, and refers to the typically elongated and blade-like ovipositor of the females...
n orthoptera
Orthoptera
Orthoptera is an order of insects with paurometabolous or incomplete metamorphosis, including the grasshoppers, crickets and locusts.Many insects in this order produce sound by rubbing their wings against each other or their legs, the wings or legs containing rows of corrugated bumps...
ns. It is the only genus in the family Cooloolidae of the superfamily
Taxonomic rank
In biological classification, rank is the level in a taxonomic hierarchy. Examples of taxonomic ranks are species, genus, family, and class. Each rank subsumes under it a number of less general categories...
Gryllacridoidea.
Four species are known from this family, all endemic to Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The name originated from the discovery of the most well-known member of the family, the Cooloola monster
Cooloola monster
The Cooloola monster is a large burrowing orthopteran of the family Cooloolidae. It was discovered in the Cooloola National Park in 1980 by David C. Rentz....
(Cooloola propator), in the Cooloola National Park.
Little is known about their life histories, as they lead an almost entirely subterranean existence, but it is believed that they are predaceous towards other soil-dwelling invertebrates.
The Cooloolidae are unusual in the primitive superfamily Gryllacridoidea in that members' antennae are considerably shorter than their body length.
Further reading
- Grasshopper Country: The Abundant Orthopteroid Insects of Australia, by David C. Rentz. 1995. ISBN 0-86840-063-7
External links
- Species synopses by the Australian Department of the Environment and Heritage
- Orthoptera Species File Online