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Cooloola (insect)

Genus of cricket-like animals

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The Cooloola Monster – Cooloola propator is an unusual, primitive, cricket-like insect of the order Orthoptera, discovered in Cooloola National Park, Queensland circa 1980. The genus was considered di
E. Zillmann, CSIRO · CC BY 3.0

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Through Endemism and Australia

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Four species are known from this family, all endemic to Queensland, Australia. The name originated from the discovery of the best-known member of the family, the Cooloola monster (Cooloola propator), in the Cooloola National Park.

Little is known about their life histories as they lead an almost entirely subterranean existence, but they are believed to prey on other soil-dwelling invertebrates. Cooloola monsters are unusual in comparison with other members of the primitive superfamily Stenopelmatoidea in that the cooloolids' antennae are considerably shorter than their body lengths.

Classification

While often treated as a family, molecular evidence suggests that cooloolids are in fact aberrant members of the family Anostostomatidae, and the genus Cooloola might not be monophyletic.

Species include:

  • Cooloola dingo Rentz, 1986 – dingo monster
  • Cooloola pearsoni Rentz, 1999 – Pearson's monster
  • Cooloola propator Rentz, 1980 – Cooloola monster
  • Cooloola ziljan Rentz, 1986 – sugarcane monster

More in Animals

Monotypic taxonTaxonomic group with only one subordinate taxonSpecies descriptionFormal description of a discovered speciesParaphylyType of taxonomic groupIUCN Red ListInventory of the global conservation status of biological speciesSubtropicsGeographic and climate zoneCommon nameName generally used for a taxon, group of taxa or organism(s)