How are grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids related within Orthoptera?

Within the order Orthoptera, grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids are related as members of the same insect group, though they belong to distinct evolutionary lineages that likely separated as early as the Carboniferous period.1

The order is divided into two primary suborders based on their evolutionary and morphological differences:21

• Suborder Ensifera: This group includes katydids and crickets. They are generally characterized by longer antennae and, in the case of crickets, tympanal organs (ears) located on their forelegs.23
• Suborder Caelifera: This group includes grasshoppers and locusts. They typically possess shorter antennae and have their tympanal organs located on the abdomen near the thorax.23

While they share common traits such as mandibulate mouthparts adapted for chewing, the ability to jump using enlarged hindlegs, and the production of sound for communication, these insects are considered somewhat distant cousins within the order. Their classification is supported by comparative studies of their anatomy, behavior, and fossil records.431