The Wonder of the Katydid - Nature's Invisible Songbird

The katydid belongs to the family Tettigoniidae, and is closely related to crickets. There are roughly four thousand species of the katydid in the world with about half of those living in the Amazonian rain forests. The katydid is certainly one of the most fascinating insects on the planet. Here are some unusual facts about the katydid that you may not know.

The katydid is also known in Britain as a bush cricket. Some regions also refer to the katydid as a long-horned grasshopper. Ironically, the katydid is much closer to a cricket than a grasshopper. Grasshoppers have very short antennae, whereas crickets and katydids have extra long antennae. Sometimes katydids will have antennae longer than their bodies.

The katydid becomes active at night and finds its way around by using these very long antennae as feelers. The antennae are loaded with sensory receptors that help the katydid locate prey and food.

Some species of the katydid eat fruit, leaves, and plants, while other species eat other insects, and even in some cases small snakes and lizards. Generally, each species does one or the other.

The katydid is so named because of the sound that it makes while rubbing its wings together and utilizing sound-producing organs located there. The male is generally the one making all the noise, but some katydid females are capable of this as well. The noise that is emitted sound much like the name of the katydid, and so it is named.

Some katydids are sometimes decimated by farmers due to their voracious appetite. Crop damage is a concern in areas where there is a large population of katydids.

The katydid has many weapons of deception in its arsenal. Some pretend to be other insects, while others can appear to be a simple leaf hanging on a plant or tree. The katydid is a special treat to a passing bird, snake, or even a bat. It has evolved these talents to help it survive the threats around it.