Phymonotus jacintotopos, or San Jacinto shieldback, is a rare species of shieldback katydid endemic to the San Jacinto Mountains of southern California.[1] It has a distinct red-and-black coloration not found in similar katydids.

San Jacinto shieldback
A male Phymonotus jacintotopos near Wellman Divide in the San Jacinto Mountains
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Suborder: Ensifera
Family: Tettigoniidae
Subfamily: Tettigoniinae
Tribe: Nedubini
Genus: Phymonotus
Lightfoot, Weissman & Ueshima, 2011
Species:
P. jacintotopos
Binomial name
Phymonotus jacintotopos
Lightfoot, Weissman & Ueshima, 2011

Distribution and habitat edit

Phymonotus jacintotopos is endemic to the San Jacinto Mountains of southern California, the highest section of the Baja California Peninsular Ranges extending to the south. It inhabits high elevation mixed conifer forests consisting mainly of Jeffrey pine, Ponderosa pine, White fir, and California incense cedar,[1] occurring above 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) elevation[1] up to at least 3,000 metres (9,800 ft).[2] It is reported as especially common near the community of Fern Valley on the western slopes of the mountain range.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Lightfoot, David C.; Weissman, David B.; Ueshima, Norihiro (2011). "Phymonotus jacintotopos: A new genus and species of shield-backed katydid (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Tettigoniinae: Nedubini) from the San Jacinto Mountains of California, USA" (PDF). Zootaxa. 2937 (1): 49–65. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2937.1.4. S2CID 88246116.
  2. ^ "Occurrence Detail 3067689689". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2023-08-15.