This katydid gets its name from the shape of the male cerci
This photo was taken just outside my house in Indiana. The bright green color of the katydid caught my attention, and I had to lean in to take a photo. It was a somewhat cooperative photo subject, but it was moving around slowly the entire time that I was trying to frame the shot. I have about 15 different angles of this long-spurred meadow katydid, so it must have felt like a celebrity.
The scientific name for the long-spurred meadow katydid is Orchelimum silvaticum. It belongs to the family Tettigoniidae and is found in the central part of North America. It has a bright green body with orangish red eyes. It has two long antennae that are nearly as long as its body. They grow to be about an inch long. Close in appearance to the long-spurred meadow katydid is the common meadow katydid, which is also similar in size. This katydid gets its name from the shape of the male cerci. Its cerci are much longer than other meadow katydids. The eponymous cerci can’t be seen in this photo because this is a female. What is noticeable, is the long ovipositor that this insect has. Interested in learning more about ovipositors? Check our Matt’s article about Dusky Birch Sawfly.
The insects of the Tettigoniidae family that the long-spurred meadow katydid belongs to is commonly referred to as katydids or bush crickets. There are more than 8,000 known species within this family. Members of this family of insects range in size from as small as 1/5th of an inch to as big as 5 inches in length. Smaller species typically live in drier or more stressful environments. The insects in this family dwell in trees. They are most commonly heard at night during the summer and early fall.
Members of the Tettigoniidae family are found on every continent except Antarctica. The majority of the species live in the tropical regions of the world. There are still katydid species in the temperate regions of the world. There are more than 250 species in North America. Katydids tend to eat leaves flowers, bark, and seeds. Some species, however, are predatory. They will feed on other insects, snails, or even small vertebrates such as snakes or lizards. Many katydids will rest in such a way that they are quite camouflaged. Predators will think that they are either dead or a leaf on a plant.
There are more than 8,000 known species within this family
Did you know?
- There are more than 2,000 species of katydids in the Amazon based rain forest!
- There are 19 subfamilies within the katydid family of insects.
- The name katydid is onomatopoeic, and comes from the three-pulsed song that the true katydid species sings.
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