Ensifera is a suborder of insects that includes the various types of crickets and their allies including: true crickets, camel crickets, bush crickets or katydids, grigs, weta and Cooloola monsters. This and the suborder Caelifera (grasshoppers and their allies) make up the order Orthoptera. Ensifera is believed to be a more ancient group than Caelifera, with its origins in the Carboniferous period, the split having occurred at the end of the Permian period. Unlike the Caelifera, the Ensifera contain numerous members that are partially carnivorous, feeding on other insects, as well as plants. Ensifer is Latin for "sword bearer", and refers to the typically elongated and blade-like ovipositor of the females. Characteristics Characteristics shared by the two orthopteran suborders, Caelifera and Ensifera, are the mouthparts adapted for biting and chewing, the modified prothorax, the hind legs modified for jumping, the wing shape and venation, and the sound-producing stridulatory organs. Ensiferans are distinguished from Caeliferans by their elongated, threadlike antennae, which are often longer than the length of their bodies and have over 30 segments (except in the subterranean Cooloolidae family). For this reason, they are sometimes referred to as "long-horned orthopterans". In the families in which the males sing, the fore wings have modifications that include toothed veins and scrapers for making the noise, and the surrounding membranous areas amplify the sound. In these groups, the sound-detecting tympanal organs are located on the tibiae of the front legs. The tarsi have three segments and the ovipositor is blade-like or needle-like. The male attaches the spermatophore externally to the female's gonopore. The spermatophore is often surrounded by a proteinaceous spermatophylax, the function of which is to provide a nutritional nuptial gift to the female. Taxonomy The Orthoptera Species File database lists the following superfamilies and families. Infraorder †Elcanidea Superfamily †Elcanoidea Family †Elcanidae (Late Triassic - Paleocene) Family †Permelcanidae (Early Permian - Late Triassic) Superfamily †Permoraphidioidea Family †Permoraphidiidae (Permian) Family †Pseudelcanidae (Early Permian) Family †Thueringoedischiidae (Early Permian) Family incertae sedis Genus †Acridiites Infraorder Gryllidea Superfamily Grylloidea Family †Baissogryllidae Family Gryllidae - true crickets Family Mogoplistidae - scaly crickets Family Phalangopsidae Family †Protogryllidae Family Trigonidiidae Superfamily Gryllotalpoidea Family Gryllotalpidae – mole crickets Family Myrmecophilidae - ant crickets Infraorder †Oedischiidea Superfamily †Oedischioidea Family †Anelcanidae Family †Bintoniellidae Family †Mesoedischiidae Family †Oedischiidae Family †Proparagryllacrididae Family †Pruvostitidae Family incertae sedis Genus †Crinoedischia Genus †Loxoedischia Superfamily †Triassomantoidea Family †Adumbratomorphidae Family †Triassomantidae Superfamily †Xenopteroidea Family †Xenopteridae Superfamily incertae sedis