Katydids rub their front wings together to make a loud ka-ty-did song that gives them their name. They are usually considered gentle insects that aren’t harmful to humans. Katydids primarily eat leaves and grass. They may damage young plants but generally won’t cause serious damage to your garden. Some tropical katydids eat smaller insects and may help deter other critters. The vast majority of katydid species live in the tropical regions. However, katydids are found in the cool, dry temperate regions, as well, with about 255 species in North America.
Although katydids are often referred to as grasshoppers, there are differences. Katydids have long antennae and sword-like ovipositors while grasshoppers have short antennae and blunt ovipositors. Katydids are more closely related to crickets than to any grasshopper.
Katydids have incomplete metamorphosis. The nymph looks a lot like an adult, except for the wings. As they grow, katydids shed their exoskeletons. In their last molt, they get wings and become adults.
The males also use their wings to make noise, but not as much as the females. The vast majority of katydids turn into winged adults, capable of flight.
Katydids are often thought to be pests, but there are benefits to having them around! Males in a given area synchronize into two groups alternating their song.
Katydids are often large, with body lengths ranging from about 1 to more than 6 cm.
The nymph looks a lot like an adult but without the wings. During their final molt, they gain their wings and become adults.
What is special about katydids?
Katydids are medium-sized to large insects. The adults of some katydid species can fly. All katydids are camouflaged to blend with the leaves they feed on. In all species the front wings have special structures that can be rubbed together to make sounds.
Katydids primarily eat leaves and grass. Along with crickets and grasshoppers, they may be attracted to the plants in your garden or any tall grass on your property.
Pink katydids are a color morph of the green katydid and were first discovered in 1887. They are relatively uncommon. Only one of about 500 has this pink pigmentation, also known as erythrism.
Those in the genus Pterophylla are the true katydids of eastern North America. Autotomy severs branches of the leg nerve but damages no muscles since none span the autotomy plane.
Katydids are an important food of many birds, including the black-headed trogon in Costa Rica. Like other Orthoptera, katydids have chewing mouthparts, and most are herbaceous but rarely cause significant plant damage to crops or ornamental plants.
Some animal names have been created through imitation of the sounds the animals make. The name katydid is an example of this process. These insects were given this name because the noise they make was thought to sound like “Katy-did, Katy-didn’t” repeated over and over.
Are katydids and cicadas the same thing?
Cicadas are not katydids or locusts. Katydids look similar to crickets. They have strident mating calls, but not as loud as cicadas. Katydids live on every continent except Antarctica. The Amazon rainforest has the most katydid species. North America has over 250 species. Katydids generally prefer tropical areas but also live in cool and temperate climates worldwide.
People often confuse cicadas, locusts and katydids. They are typically the same insect. The bug making the sound is usually a locust.
In spring when katydid eggs hatch, small nymphs emerge. Katydids spend three to four months as nymphs before becoming adults.
The male katydid makes noise by rubbing its wings to attract a mate. In some katydid species, including angular-winged katydids, the female responds with its own noise.
Cicadas have a rattling sound that gets louder and faster. Sound comes from abdominal membranes. Katydids make a more staccato sound.
Cicadas call in daylight and go quiet at night. Katydids can make noise at night.
Katydids have oval wings with veins. They have long antennae and large hind legs for jumping.
Cicadas and katydids both make distinct sounds for communication, mainly when mating. The katydid’s song is a high-pitched, raspy, halting sound. The cicada makes a prolonged “ch-ch-ch” noise.
Cicadas and katydids are different insects. Katydids have more than one pair of wings, cicadas only one. Katydids are more slender. Their antennae are more delicate. Their sounds are noticeably different.
Are katydids garden pests?
Katydids are not pests. They don’t cause real damage to plants or fruit’s flesh. If you’ve seen a rather large green insect on your plants at night, you might have seen a katydid. Katydids are not pests. They don’t cause real damage. They eat plants and fruits, especially citrus rinds, but don’t harm plants or edible fruit flesh.
Katydids can benefit gardens. They’re often confused with crickets. Know what’s in your garden to know benefits, damage, and control. However, they become pests when they defoliate young citrus trees by eating peel of young oranges, leaving blemished “katydid damage”. This damage can also be caused by grasshoppers or crickets.
Wait out katydid pests. Control is difficult. If finding many katydid nymphs in citrus trees with small fruit, apply spinosad.
Katydids resemble longhorned grasshoppers with long antennae. Many are green like leaves. They live in grasslands and woods. They eat destructive insects and eggs, helping control pests without insecticides. They keep feet clean for adhesive pads to work.
You don’t need to rid katydids. They nibble leaves but don’t do serious damage. You’ll need more facts to determine control.
Katydids look like grasshoppers with long antennas and green bodies. Leaf eating, they live in garden shrubs and trees. Nibbling leaves, they don’t do serious damage.