Guwahati, Aug. 24 -- A recent study has provided new insights into the biodiversity of Meghalaya's Nokrek rainforest, documenting five distinct acoustic call types of Mecopoda katydids (bush crickets) found in the same forest areas.

Katydids, relatives of grasshoppers, are known for their leaf-like camouflage and wing-rubbing sounds. Typically, a single species of katydid produces one type of call throughout its life.

However, researchers from Ashoka University discovered an exception in Nokrek, where five species of bush crickets, visually similar in appearance, produce different calls, each corresponding to a separate evolutionary lineage.

Published in Bioacoustics, the study identifies the following call types: "Simple Chirper," "Fa...