9707776 OTTE Katydids are one of the most conspicuous groups of insects world-wide. In the 200 years since Linnaeus, 1193 genera and 7188 species of Tettigoniidae (katydids) have been described. Numerous new species are being described each year; many more species are deposited in museums and await description. A large number of species remain to be collected. But the underlying classification is outdated, inadequate, and often wrong. Existing classifications of Tettigoniidae are based largely on 19th and early 20th century works. No cladistic methodology has been applied to studies on their relationships. Because the vast majority of world species remain to be discovered or described, it is appropriate now to improve the taxonomic framework and prepare for the future. In this work by Daniel Otte and Piotr Naskrecki, a new katydid classification, based primarily on morphological characters of the insects and based on sound phylogenetic principles, will be produced. The results will be distributed both in traditional printed form and as an interactive, searchable catalog and phylogenetic tree available on the Internet and CD ROM. This work will provide the first solid phylogenetic framework and a reference base for future research on Tettigoniidae.
