Page Content
A large, extremely slender katydid that is new to science and mimics scrubby desert vegetation. It feeds on flowers and leaves of sclerophyllous bushes.
The males produce loud, trailing songs at night. It is named after Dr. Eugene Marais, a prominent Namibian biologist.
Scientific name
Pseudosaga maraisi
Where
The insect was found only in the high desert of the Brandberg Massif in Namibia, southern Africa.
When
Discovered during a CI-sponsored expedition to Brandberg in 2003.
Field Notes
Known from a single population on top of Brandberg, but the remoteness and virtual inaccessibility of this high elevation place (1730 m/5676 ft a.s.l.) indicates that there are currently no immediate threats to its survival.
Finder
Piotr Naskrecki (Conservation International).