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Devil's Slide Katydid (Porongorup) (Hemisaga lucifer)

The Devil's Slide katydid is an Australian katydid in the family Tettigoniidae. DBCA identifies it in the South Coast region of Western Australia, but its precise distribution, habitat and ecology are not documented. Its poorly known occurrence makes precautionary survey and clearing procedures important on development sites.

Conservation status

Western Australia, WA Threatened and Priority Fauna List: Priority 2.

Seasonal planning

No species-specific activity, breeding or movement months have been documented. The following is a year-round planning window only, not evidence of year-round activity.

Species activity: Seasonal information has not been documented.

Planning approach: Maintain survey and disturbance precautions throughout the year unless current species-specific advice indicates otherwise.

Breeding, young, movement and inactivity periods cannot be assigned.

  • Precautionary survey and works planning: Planning window only. Species-specific activity and seasonal detectability information are unavailable.

Identification: Appearance and size

Field identification information for this species is limited.

Hemisaga lucifer is an insect in the katydid family Tettigoniidae. Its colour, markings, body form and size have not been documented.

Identification: Similar species

Field characters that distinguish this species from other katydids, including other Hemisaga species, have not been documented. Identification from appearance alone may therefore be uncertain.

Identification: Field signs

Species-specific calls, eggs, feeding signs, tracks and other field signs have not been documented. A general katydid sign does not confirm this species.

Distribution: Known range

Records indicate a broad region, not a precise map of occurrence.

DBCA identifies the South Coast region of Western Australia and describes the species as known from few locations. No specific occurrence locations or public WA coordinates are available. Atlas of Living Australia records show no public WA coordinates.

Distribution: Regional context

The common name includes Porongorup, but no precise locality or record there is established. Hemisaga lucifer is endemic to Australia; its full range within Australia has not been established.

Distribution: Status

The species is Priority 2 on the DBCA Threatened and Priority Fauna List dated 1 July 2025. This is a DBCA priority category, not a listing under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. No national listing is recorded.

Habitat: Recorded habitat

Habitat preferences have not been documented.

No vegetation type, landform, soil, moisture regime or other habitat association has been documented for this species.

Habitat: Site interpretation

Do not assume a site is unsuitable because it does not match an assumed habitat profile. Treat potentially suitable terrestrial areas in the South Coast region as requiring assessment where project information or DBCA advice indicates a possibility of occurrence.

Foraging habitat: Diet

The species' diet and feeding locations have not been documented.

No food items or feeding behaviour have been documented for Hemisaga lucifer.

Foraging habitat: Survey implications

Do not target a particular food plant or feeding substrate on the assumption that the species uses it. During general terrestrial invertebrate checks, record observable insects and the vegetation or substrate where they are found, without treating these observations as established feeding associations.

Breeding habitat: Breeding information

Breeding biology and breeding habitat are poorly known.

Information on mating, egg laying, egg sites, development and breeding season has not been documented for this species.

Breeding habitat: Precaution

Do not assume any month or part of a site is free of breeding activity. If an individual or suspected breeding sign is found, pause work in the immediate area and seek advice from the project ecologist before proceeding.

Sheltering habitat: Shelter information

Shelter sites and resting behaviour have not been documented.

It is not known whether this species shelters in vegetation, on the ground, in litter or in another substrate.

Sheltering habitat: General search practice

As general katydid survey practice, inspect vegetation and accessible ground-layer features carefully, using methods suited to the site and without damaging habitat. These are general search locations, not confirmed shelter sites for Hemisaga lucifer.

Threats: Known pressures

Species-specific threats have not been identified.

Population trends and causes of decline have not been documented. The species is poorly known and recorded from few locations, some of which are on conservation lands.

Threats: Works risks

The species' response to clearing or other disturbance is not known. As a precaution, avoid unnecessary vegetation and ground disturbance in areas being assessed for potential occurrence, and apply the project's fauna management procedures if an individual is found.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

No species-specific survey method or detectability information is available. Design surveys cautiously and document their limitations.

Check current DBCA advice, project records and available occurrence information before fieldwork. The South Coast region is identified, but no public WA coordinates or precise localities are available.

Survey methodology: 2. Field searches

As general practice for terrestrial katydids, use careful visual searches of vegetation and accessible ground-layer features within the assessment area. Record search locations, conditions, effort and any candidate observations. A preferred time of day, season or search technique has not been established for this species.

Survey methodology: 3. Identification and reporting

Photograph candidate individuals where practicable and obtain identification from a suitably qualified person. Do not claim a confirmed record from an uncertain observation. Report survey effort and limitations, including the absence of a species-specific method and the possibility that the species was not detected.

Vegetation associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific vegetation association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Ecosystem associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific ecosystem association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Soil and substrate associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific soil association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Water and wetland associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific water association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Fauna records and mapped habitat: Not yet analysed

Record locations can be overlaid with mapping, but record frequency alone does not measure habitat preference. No species is excluded from desktop assessments by this analysis.

No quality-controlled record-to-map analysis has been completed for this species. The existing generalised distribution dots and indicative range polygons have not been treated as precise occurrence coordinates.

A defensible run needs dated, independently attributable records, coordinate uncertainty, duplicate and captive-record checks, layer versions and regional scope. Preference and absence require additional survey-effort and detection evidence.

Habitat limitations and contrary evidence: No supported exclusion recorded

Not recorded is not the same as cannot occur. Low suitability, resident habitat, breeding habitat and occasional movement are different conclusions.

This library has not established a vegetation, ecosystem or soil-type exclusion for this species. This does not mean all habitat is suitable; the evidence needed to justify an exclusion has not been assembled.

Habitat limitations and contrary evidence: Before using a negative association

  • Confirm the taxon, geographic region, life stage and habitat function covered by the evidence.
  • Check survey methods, season, repeated effort and detectability before interpreting non-detection.
  • Investigate credible contradictory records and microhabitats absent from broad mapping.
  • Do not convert a missing map class, low record count or failed data request into species absence.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Confirm requirements

Plan checks early because the species is poorly known and its habitat requirements are undocumented.

Consult the project ecologist and seek current DBCA advice on survey, permits and fauna handling requirements. Review the proposed footprint and available records, noting that no precise occurrence coordinates are available.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Assess the work area

Where project information or advice indicates potential occurrence, arrange a suitably timed and documented terrestrial invertebrate assessment before clearing. Do not rely on an assumed habitat description or an undocumented seasonal window.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Brief the crew

Explain the species' priority status, the uncertainty of identification, and the stop-work and reporting process. Keep disturbance within approved limits and identify who will make decisions if a candidate animal is found.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Check before clearing

Use a cautious response to any suspected individual because species-specific escape behaviour is not known.

Have the nominated fauna spotter catcher or ecologist inspect the active work area using the approved project procedure. Avoid unplanned searches that damage vegetation or ground features.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Pause and assess

If a suspected Hemisaga lucifer is found, pause work in the immediate area, prevent handling by unqualified personnel and contact the project ecologist. Confirm identification as far as practicable before deciding on further action.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Record and follow advice

Record the observation location, photographs where possible, surrounding conditions and action taken. Any capture or relocation should occur only under applicable approvals and the project's fauna handling procedure.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Check the affected area

Document outcomes and respond to any new records through the project ecologist.

After work, inspect the affected area for further observations where this can be done safely and without causing additional disturbance. No species-specific post-clearing search method has been established.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Report records

Provide observation details, identification confidence, survey effort and management actions to the project ecologist. Follow the ecologist's direction on any notification to DBCA or other relevant reporting channel.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Review controls

Review whether work boundaries, briefing and fauna procedures were followed. Update site controls if a candidate or confirmed record changes the assessment of potential occurrence.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore disturbed areas

No species-specific rehabilitation requirements have been documented.

Rehabilitate disturbed areas in line with approved project plans and ecological advice. The species' habitat requirements are undocumented, so no particular planting mix or substrate treatment is established as species-specific.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitor outcomes

Where the project ecologist identifies a need, monitor rehabilitation and document vegetation recovery, disturbance and any katydid observations. Treat observations as site records and avoid inferring habitat preference from a single finding.

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