This highly unusual katydid is a fast, skillful hunter that chases and devours insects, such as treehoppers and small moths. Its reproductive biology is nothing like any other katydid – instead of laying eggs in the soil or tree the way all other katydids do, females of this species produce seed-shaped eggs that drop to the ground from trees. Their highly specialized shape indicates that they are then collected by ants and hatch in their nests.
Scientific Name
Amyttosa insectivora
Where
Found in the highland rainforest of the Atewa Range and surrounding areas, Ghana, West Africa
When
Discovered during a RAP expedition in June 2006
Field Notes
Several large populations in southeast Ghana, no immediate threat to survival
Finder
Piotr Naskrecki (Conservation International)