Katydids, also called bush crickets, are primarily nocturnal insects that belong to the family Tettigoniidae. Most species resemble leaves in appearance and carry long, thread-like antennae that often match or even exceed the length of their bodies.
Male katydids have specialized sound-producing organs on their forewings. By rubbing these wings together, they create rhythmic, raspy chirps that resemble the phrase “ka-ty-did”, and hence their name. Each species has its own distinctive song, which plays a crucial role in attracting mates.
Their body length typically ranges from around 0.2 in (5 mm) in smaller species to 5 in (130 mm) in larger species. The largest species of katydid, the giant Malaysian katydid (Arachnacris corporalis), measures around 6 in (152 mm), while one of the smallest, the short-winged meadow katydid (Conocephalus brevipennis), is only about 0.5 in (12.7 mm) long.
Katydids share the typical insect body plan, having three distinct regions: the head, thorax, and abdomen.
The head comprises a pair of compound eyes, chewing-type mouthparts with strong mandibles, and a pair of extremely long antennae for sensing the surroundings. In fact, katydids are distinguished from grasshoppers by the length of their antennae, as grasshoppers typically have short antennae.
The thoracic region is subdivided into pro-, meso, and metathorax, with each subsegment bearing a pair of legs. In some species, such as Copiphora gorgonensis, the forelegs are equipped with tympanal organs (ears).[1]
The mesothorax bears a pair of leathery forewings that protect the underlying hindwings. In males, these wings possess a stridulatory organ that operates on a file-and-scraper mechanism. One forewing bears a series of microscopic teeth or ridges (the file), while the other has a hardened edge (the scraper). When the scraper is rubbed across the file, it produces sound.
The metathorax bears a pair of membranous hindwings, which are used for flight. At rest, the hindwings remain folded under the forewings.
The abdominal region bears 10 to 11 visible segments, which are covered dorsally by tergites and ventrally by sternites. The first eight segments bear the respiratory openings or spiracles. In females, the abdomen typically terminates in a distinctive, long ovipositor used for laying eggs.
Both male and female katydids bear a pair of sensory appendages (cerci) at the tip of the abdomen.
Over 8,000 species are classified into 19 extant families.
These insects are found worldwide, except in Antarctica. Over 1,800 species are found in the Neotropical realm, which includes the tropical terrestrial regions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone.[2]
They live among trees, bushes, and grasses, camouflaged cryptically against the vegetation. A few species, such as Nubimystrix consuelo and Nubimystrix amarui, have been found at elevations ranging from 2,500 to 3,200 m on the eastern Andean cordillera of southern Ecuador.[3]
Some katydids are also found in agricultural fields, as well as in artificial settings such as parks and lawns.
Most katydids are primarily herbivorous, feeding on plant parts, including leaves, flowers, stems, and fruits. However, predatory katydids (subfamily Saginae) are specialist carnivores that consume other insects, such as grasshoppers, crickets, beetles (and their larvae), as well as caterpillars.[4]
Most katydids live for about a year.
During late summer, the male katydids stridulate by rubbing their forewings together and try to attract potential mates. Once the female selects her partner, the male transfers a nuptial gift, the spermatophylax, to her reproductive tract. The spermatophylax is a nutritive package attached to the spermatophore (packet of sperm). Males are highly competitive to increase their chances of paternity.
Katydids exhibit a polygynandrous mating system in which females typically mate with multiple males across their lifetime. In many species, the first male has higher chances of paternity, as his sperm is transferred earlier and has more time to reach the female’s sperm-storing organ, the spermathecae.
After fertilization, the female uses her ovipositor to lay up to 600 eggs, usually in batches of 5 to 10. These eggs are deposited in soil, leaves, stems, or inside plant tissue, depending on the shape of their ovipositor. For instance, the ones with sickle-shaped ovipositors typically lay eggs in dead or living plant matter, whereas those with uniform, long ovipositors lay their eggs in grass stems.
In 6 to 10 months, during spring, the eggs hatch into wingless nymphs. Although the nymphs of most species resemble miniature adults, those of a few species may not look like their adult forms at all. For instance, nymphs of the genus Macroxiphus closely resemble ants in appearance to avoid predation.[6]
The nymphs undergo 5 to 7 molts through 2 to 3 months, growing in size and developing wing buds. During the final molt, the nymph sheds its exoskeleton, inflates its wings, and emerges as an adult.
They are typically preyed upon by birds (including nightjars, shrikes, and thrushes), bats, orb-weaving spiders, mantises, and lizards. The nymphs are particularly prone to being eaten by frogs.
Some parasitic wasps and flies lay their eggs on or in katydids, and the newly hatched larvae eventually consume the katydid from within.
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