Diet

• Cyrtoxipha is a genus of small sword-tail crickets in the subfamily Trigonidiinae.

• Members are generally omnivorous, feeding on plant material, small organic particles and other food resources encountered among vegetation.

Range

• Cyrtoxipha is primarily a tropical and subtropical New World genus, with species occurring from the southern United States through Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean and into parts of South America.

• Cyrtoxipha occurs in Mexico, and its broader Neotropical distribution includes habitats comparable to those around the Pacific coast of Mexico.

• It is likely present in the Zihuatanejo region, particularly in warm, vegetated habitats.

Habitat

• Cyrtoxipha species are generally associated with vegetation and humid terrestrial habitats.

• They may occur among grasses, shrubs, herbaceous vegetation and low-growing plants, where their small size and green colour provide effective camouflage.

• Some species are associated with particularly moist habitats; North American species, for example, include forms occurring in coastal and mangrove environments.

• In Zihuatanejo, suitable habitat includes tropical dry forest, forest edges, dense grasses, shrubs, gardens and moist vegetation near streams and other water sources.

• Adults are most active during the evening and night, when males produce species-specific calling songs.

Description

• Cyrtoxipha species are very small, delicate crickets, commonly green or pale green in colour.

• The body is slender, with long thread-like antennae and relatively long hind legs.

• The wings are usually well developed, with the forewings adapted for producing the male's calling song.

• Males have specialized stridulatory structures on the forewings, and the songs are important for distinguishing closely related species.

• The name “sword-tail crickets” refers to the elongate female ovipositor, which is relatively prominent in this group.

• Their pale green colour and small size make them difficult to detect among leaves and grasses, where they can blend closely with surrounding vegetation.