Springers and Singers: The Art and Science of Observing Orthoptera

Widespread, plentiful, and in some cases really loud, Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids) get surprisingly little attention from naturalists. But these insects are everywhere, if often extremely well camouflaged, and anyone can learn to find them and ID them by sight or sound. In this webinar, Matt Pelikan introduces the basics of Orthoptera biology and ecology, discuss their diversity in eastern Massachusetts, and presents a range of tips and tricks for finding and recognizing these interesting insects. Matt also gives a brief explanation of how to use iNaturalist and BugGuide in identifying Orthoptera.

Matt Pelikan, the Director of the Martha’s Vineyard Atlas of Life project at BiodiversityWorks in Vineyard Haven.MA, is a lifelong naturalist who has conducted a decade-long survey of the Orthoptera of Martha’s Vineyard, documenting more than 50 species on the island. Matt’s other interests include bees (his current obsession), butterflies (he compiled and maintains a detailed checklist for the Vineyard) and birds (he’s a former editor of the Massachusetts journal Bird Observer). A Lexington native, he has lived on Martha’s Vineyard since 1997.

If you have questions, Matt Pelikan can be reached at [email protected]. BiodiversityWorks, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is located at 455 State Rd., PMB#179
Vineyard Haven, MA 02568 and can be contacted at (800) 690-0993 or
[email protected].

Some Useful Resources:

Singing Insects of North America: orthsoc.org/sina
BugGuide: bugguide.net
iNaturalist: inaturalist.org
Capinera, Scott, and Walker: "Field Guide to Grasshoppers, Katydids, and Crickets of the United States."
Himmelman and DiGiorgio: "Guide to Night-Singing Insects of the Northeast."
Daniel Otte: North America Grasshoppers (vols. I and II). (A third volume, covering spur-throated grasshoppers, is expected soon.)
Martha's Vineyard Atlas of Life: mval.biodiversityworksmv.org

This webinar was originally presented on October 18, 2023 as part of the Newton Conservators Fall 2023 Webinar Series hosted by Beth Wilkinson. Barbara Bates provided technical support and Ted Kuklinski was responsible for this video production.

INDEX

0:00:00 Webinar Introduction
0:01:42 Presentation by Matt Pelikan
0:02-42 Goals
0:04:02 Amateur Wildlife Survey Projects
0:06:22 Orthoptera
0:08:55 Characteristics of Orthoptera
0:09:52 Challenges of Studying Orthoptera
0:12:31 Orthoptera of Martha's Vineyard
0:13:47 Examples
0:46:12 Resources
0:47:04 iNaturalist
0:51:55 BugGuide
0:54:34 Question and Answer
1:15:04 Closing and Credits
1:16:23 End