The Katydid is named for its song which is made by the rubbing of its wings.

Story Highlights

Disguised in the Leaves

Also called the “northern katydid,” the true katydid is in the family of long-horned grasshoppers, though it is more closely related to crickets. The species is leaf green and grows to one and a half to two inches in length. The fore wings are convex and oval, crossed by “veins” that closely resemble the veins of leaves, helping to disguise the insect. Found from Ontario south to Florida, west to Texas and Kansas, the true katydid primarily inhabits the crowns of deciduous trees in forests, parks and yards. Because it only inhabits deciduous trees and is mostly flightless, populations are discontinuous.

The katydid is named for its song, which has been described as “Katy-did, she-did.” The longer “Katy-didn’t” is rarer. Scientific literature makes no mention of what exactly it is that Katy did or did not do. The exact song made by the rubbing of wings is distinct between populations across the insect’s range.

The female lays eggs in crevices in bark and on stems. The eggs overwinter and then hatch in the spring. The young feed on surrounding foliage, as do adults, and most likely never leave the tree on which they are born. They begin calling around July, then die in the frosts of October or November.

The Nature Conservancy is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax identification number 53-0242652) under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Sign up for Nature eNews!

Sign Up for Nature e-News

Get our e-newsletter filled with eco-tips and info on the places you care about most.

Thank you for joining our online community!

We’ll be in touch soon with more Nature Conservancy news, updates and exciting stories.

First

Last

Email

State

Spam Control Text: Please leave this field empty

We respect your privacy. The Nature Conservancy will not sell, rent or exchange your e-mail address. Read our full privacy policy for more information. By submitting this form, you agree to the Nature.org terms of use.