User:MadelineNorman/sandbox

= Scudderia texensis =

Scudderia texensis is a Katydid commonly known as the Texas Bush Katydid.

Distribution and habitat
Scudderia texensis occurs throughout the eastern United States. It also occurs in adjacent Canada west to the western edge of the Great Plains. S. texensis inhabits areas of grasslands, deciduous forests, and shrublands. Of all species within the genus Scudderia, S. texensis are the most abundant through the majority of their range. Adults are most abundant from late spring or summer into autumn often surviving until the first hard freezes. S. texensis are abundant in weedy old fields and roadsides.

Identification
The average length of Scuderria texensis ranges between 40-56 mm. Much of the size variation is dependent on the geography. The female Texas bush katydids can be identified by the right angle between their basal and terminal portions of the ovipositor. In males, the sub-genital plate has an upcurved ventral process that meets a dorsal extension of the supra-anal plate. In the Texas bush katydid, the dorsal process ends with a pair of curved indentations that define a small central tooth.

Ecology
In the south, two different generations of S. texensis are produced annually. The first matures in late spring, while the second generation matures in early fall. Furthermore, in the north, there is a single generation of S. texensis that matures in late summer. The size variation is dependent on geography, but also varies based on the number of generations and the length of the growing season. The two generation portion of the range, being from Florida to North Carolina, the Scudderia texensis average size is 44 mm in length. The southern extreme for one generation is Virginia, and the individual's average size is about 52 mm. The northern extreme, being Michigan, has an average size of about 44 mm in length. Studies show that the size of adults is correlated with how fast the individuals must mature in order to fully use the growing season all while producing the maximum number of generations.