Wednesday, August 03, 2005


BIG GREEN BUG Posted by Picasa

WHAT IS THIS BIG GREEN BUG? It is very large and bright green and looks like a leaf and blends in well with plant material.

With the help of Cade and his handy little field guide to North American Insects and Spiders, we have identified it as the True Katydid (Pterophylla camellifolia)

Alternate name: Northern Katydid

Family: Tettigoniidae, Long-horned Grasshoppers and Katydids

Description 1 3/4-2 1/8" (45-55 mm). Leaf-green. Fore wings convex, oval, crossed by many conspicuous veins between front margin and longitudinal vein. Head pointed at front in midline above. Side plates of prothorax about as long as high.

Food Foliage of deciduous trees.

Sound Both sexes make sounds. The most common call is the loud two-part katy-DID; less often is the three-part katy-DIDN'T.

Life Cycle Eggs are laid on bark and young stems in fall, overwinter, and hatch in spring. 1 generation a year.

Habitat Woodlands and forests.

Range Massachusetts to Florida, west to Texas and Kansas, northeast to Ontario.

Nymphs are seldom seen near the ground, but adults perch on low shrubs, sometimes along roadways and forest margins. This katydid is known as the True Katydid because it was the first species to have its call transcribed. It can be heard easily when chirping from treetops to ground level.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Looks like Microcentrum to me.

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