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The Common True Katydid, Pterophylla camellifolia, is a large, stout, long-horned member of the family Tettigoniidae. Adults are about 45 to 55 mm long, not counting the legs or the threadlike antennae, which are often longer than the body. The broad, strongly veined forewings cup over the back like a leaf and form a hump over the abdomen. In life the insect is leaf green; dried specimens may stay green or fade toward olive or tan. The pronotum has two shallow grooves running from side to side. Females have a short, curved, blade-like ovipositor used to place eggs in bark; males do not.
This species lives in the canopy of deciduous woods across much of the eastern and central United States, from the East Coast west to Iowa and Texas. It is often heard and seldom seen, because adults stay high in the trees. After cool fall weather they sometimes drop lower or onto the ground. Our specimen was collected on a homestead in Phelps County, Missouri.
On warm summer and fall nights both sexes call from the treetops, rubbing their wings together in the familiar “katy-did, katy-didn’t” song. The song is loud and carries a long way, and its rhythm varies from place to place. They feed on the leaves of deciduous trees and shrubs, including oak. They walk slowly and jump mainly when startled. The wings are not used for strong flight; they mostly slow a fall as the insect glides to a lower branch.
There is one generation per year. In late summer or fall the female inserts eggs into loose bark or young stems. The eggs pass the winter and hatch in spring. Nymphs climb and feed in the trees, molting several times before the final molt into winged adults. Adults are found from midsummer until frost.
Common True Katydids do not bite or sting in any medically important way, though a large one can pinch with its jaws if handled roughly. They are not significant pests. They are useful for teaching leaf mimicry, Orthoptera identification, and the source of the classic katydid song.
Check it out on BugGuide! https://bugguide.net/node/view/7075/bgimage
The Common True Katydid, Pterophylla camellifolia, is a large, stout, long-horned member of the family Tettigoniidae. Adults are about 45 to 55 mm long, not counting the legs or the threadlike antennae, which are often longer than the body. The broad, strongly veined forewings cup over the back like a leaf and form a hump over the abdomen. In life the insect is leaf green; dried specimens may stay green or fade toward olive or tan. The pronotum has two shallow grooves running from side to side. Females have a short, curved, blade-like ovipositor used to place eggs in bark; males do not.
This species lives in the canopy of deciduous woods across much of the eastern and central United States, from the East Coast west to Iowa and Texas. It is often heard and seldom seen, because adults stay high in the trees. After cool fall weather they sometimes drop lower or onto the ground. Our specimen was collected on a homestead in Phelps County, Missouri.
On warm summer and fall nights both sexes call from the treetops, rubbing their wings together in the familiar “katy-did, katy-didn’t” song. The song is loud and carries a long way, and its rhythm varies from place to place. They feed on the leaves of deciduous trees and shrubs, including oak. They walk slowly and jump mainly when startled. The wings are not used for strong flight; they mostly slow a fall as the insect glides to a lower branch.
There is one generation per year. In late summer or fall the female inserts eggs into loose bark or young stems. The eggs pass the winter and hatch in spring. Nymphs climb and feed in the trees, molting several times before the final molt into winged adults. Adults are found from midsummer until frost.
Common True Katydids do not bite or sting in any medically important way, though a large one can pinch with its jaws if handled roughly. They are not significant pests. They are useful for teaching leaf mimicry, Orthoptera identification, and the source of the classic katydid song.
Check it out on BugGuide! https://bugguide.net/node/view/7075/bgimage
