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ABSTRACT
Long-horned bushcrickets (Tettigoniidae) have been studied intensively in Israel for four decades. Forty-two species belonging to twenty-two genera have been recorded. This article reviews their biology and analyzes the geographical distribution and the species associations with plant communities of the five phytogeographical provinces represented in Israel. The majority of the species are associated with the Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian flora, with a few species each associated with the Tragacant, Saharo-Sindian, and Ethiopian flora. A high proportion (about 50%) of endemism, associated with a high proportion of brachypterous species, was found in the first three groups but not in the last two groups. Despite a general association with specific plant communities, no distinct relation between species distribution and precipitation levels was found. However, within the Mediterranean and Irano—Turanian groups, there is a distinct segregation of species with similar morphology between bush-forest and shrub-grassland habitats. It is suggested that “apparent competition” (reciprocal negative interactions between species due to shared predators) may serve as the mechanism that drives this habitat segregation.