Insect Identification

*** Note: KnowYourInsects.org does its best to include correct identifications of insect photos. It’s always possible that we made a mistake, however, so if you see a misidentification, please contact us and we will correct it. Thanks!

Order Orthoptera: grasshoppers, katydids and crickets — Examples

Now on TWO pages

Families represented below:

Page 1 (current page):

Page 2:

Gryllacrididae, the raspy crickets

Striped Raspy Cricket (Paragryllacris combusta)

Striped raspy cricket, female, Paragryllacris combusta, subfamily Hyperbaeninae, family Gryllacrididae.
□ Striped raspy crickets, sometimes simply called tree crickets in their home country of Australia, stay out of sight during the day, and become active at night (see the comment below). The song is a series of raspy, high-pitched, short buzzes.
Photographed and identified to order by: Carolyn Noake. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Moruya, southeast coast, New South Wales, Australia. Date 11 March, 2021.
Caroline says, “There must be rather a lot of them as they are drowning out the frogs croaking at night. You’ve got to love nature, mind you we are working very hard to create, but also allow, natural habitats to develop on our property here.”

A raspy cricket, female, in the genus Pareremus, family Gryllacrididae.
□ Raspy crickets in this genus (Pareremus) are wingless, burrow-living insects. This raspy cricket has a long and stiff ovipositor (egg-laying structure).
Photographed and identified to order by: Hayley Jordison. Location: Whyalla, South Australia. Date: 27 February, 2019.
Hayley says, “We almost thought it was a wasp or hornet until (with) a closer look, we realised it was an ovipositor.”

Raspy cricket in the genus Eugryllacris (Gryllacrididae)

A raspy cricket, probably in the genus Eugryllacris, subfamily Gryllacridinae, family Gryllacrididae.
□ Photographed in Indonesia, this raspy cricket appears to be one of the species in the genus Eugryllacris. This one is taking an aggressive stance, and did more than look tough — see the photographer’s comment below.
Photographed by Muhammad Rival Abizar. Identified to family by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Java, Indonesia. Date: 10 July, 2017.
Muhammad says, “I would like to know what (this) insect is, because it bit me hard, and I’ve never seen one like that.”

A raspy cricket in the family Gryllacrididae.
□ Raspy crickets walk, but they do not jump. The photographer described this one as being “as long as a man’s hand.”
Photographed by: Anonymous. Identified to family by: entomologist and taxonomist Christopher Taylor. Thank you, Christopher! Location: Queensland, Australia. Date: 4 May, 2020.
The photographer found it in his shed.

Gryllidae, the true crickets

Two-spotted tree cricket (Neoxabea bipunctata)

Two-spotted tree cricket, female Neoxabea bipunctata, subfamily Oecanthinae, family Gryllidae.
□ As shown in this photo, female two-spotted tree crickets usually have two dark spots in the middle of the back. Males lack the dark spots.
Photographed and identified by: Charles Drummond. Nicely done, Charles! Location: Plymouth, Michigan, USA. Date: 18 September, 2015.

Two-spotted tree cricket, female, Neoxabea bipunctata, subfamily Oecanthinae, family Gryllidae.
□ Two-spotted tree crickets usually stay hidden in thick vegetation, often well up in the trees, so most people never see them ... but they do hear the males singing! The song of the male sounds rather like a distant police whistle. To hear the song, click here (SongsOfInsects.com).
Photographed and identified by: Andrea Frohm. Nice job on the ID, Andrea! Location: Burtchville, Michigan, USA. Date: 4 September, 2020.
Andrea says, “We have never seen one of these before!”

Two-spotted tree cricket, male, Neoxabea bipunctata, subfamily Oecanthinae, family Gryllidae.
□ The male two-spotted tree cricket has round, knob-like structures running down the abdomen, and they are visible beneath the see-through tegmina (forewings) on this specimen. The photographer says this tree cricket was about 2 inches (5 cm) long. See the photographer’s comment below.
Photographed by Wanda Vanderveer. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Woodbury, New York, USA. Date: 16 August, 2018.
Wanda spotted this while working a part-time job on the New York State Thruway. She says, “My station has beautiful natural scenery around it, and that picture is taken of the window ledge of a toll booth.”

Two-spotted tree cricket, female, Neoxabea bipunctata, subfamily Oecanthinae, family Gryllidae.
□ During mating, the male two-spotted tree cricket provides a “gift” to the female (the female is shown here). The gift is in the form of a tasty secretion from a gland, called the metanotal gland (sometimes known as Hancock’s gland), that is located near the rear of his thorax. This is part of a rather complex mating ritual that is common to this and other tree cricket species.
□ Click on the photo to zoom in and see the detail.
Photographed by: Michelle Von Sutphen. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Albany, New York, USA. Date: 10 October, 2020.

Two-spotted tree cricket, female, Neoxabea bipunctata, subfamily Oecanthinae, family Gryllidae.
□ This photo of a female two-spotted tree cricket gives a nice view of her extremely long antennae — the right antenna reaches all the way to the right upper corner of the photo.
□ This individual was found in eastern New York, which is about the northern extent of its geographical range.
Photographed and identified as a tree cricket by: Jo W. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Catskills, New York, USA. Date: 7 September, 2022.
Jo found this tree cricket “on a rainy day on a brick ledge on my house.”

The male two-spotted tree cricket makes a bandshell for his singing: he sticks his head through a chewed-out hole in a leaf, positions his tegmina (forewings) against the sides of the hole, and starts rubbing his wings together to make the sound. The leaf amplifies the sound.

Fast-calling tree cricket, Oecanthus celerinictus, subfamily Oecanthinae, family Gryllidae.
□ Several species of tree crickets look quite similar, such as the broad-winged tree cricket (Oecanthus latipennis) that has a touch of brown or red on the top of its head, and the four-spotted tree cricket (Oecanthus quadripunctatus) that has small black markings on the underside of its antennae. This is tentatively described as fast-calling tree cricket, and to hear its fast call, click here (The Orthopterists’ Society).
Photographed by: Amber Swably. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Indiana, USA. Date: 23 September, 2017.

Snowy tree cricket, Oecanthus fultoni, subfamily Oecanthinae, family Gryllidae.
□ The snowy tree cricket is sometimes called a thermometer cricket, because its chirp rate slows as the temperature cools, and speeds up as the temperature rises. To estimate outdoor temperature in degrees Fahrenheit, count the number of chirps in 15 seconds and add 40. (To convert Fahrenheit to Celsius, subtract 32 and multiply by 5/9). Photographed by Amy Williams. Identified by KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Polson, Montana, USA. Date: 7 September, 2016.
Ms. Williams teaches at Polson Middle School in Montana, and took this photo during 7th period in the school garden. She says, “It is funny that just a few days before we spotted this fabulous creature, we were talking about how some crickets can tell you the temperature if you learn the formula, but we couldn’t find any crickets to test this theory.”

Tree cricket, possibly a narrow-winged tree cricket, Oecanthus niveus, osubfamily Oecanthinae, family Gryllidae.
□ Tree crickets in the Oecanthus genus are often distinguished by the small markings at the base of the antennae. The narrow-winged tree cricket has two markings: one at the base that has a bit of a hook so it looks like a “J” and a second short, straight mark above it.
□ Another way to tell tree crickets apart is by their songs. To hear the long trill of a narrow-winged tree cricket click here (SongsOfInsects.com)
Photographed by: Rachel Scown. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Granville, Ohio, USA. Date: 5 November, 2020.

Most species of crickets in the Gryllidae family are ground dwellers, or terrestrial. Some, however, are tree-living, or arboreal, species. Arboreal species include the appropriately named tree crickets that are grouped together under their own subfamily: Oecanthinae.

Tree cricket in the genus Oecanthus, subfamily Oecanthinae, family Gryllidae.
□ Tree crickets in this subfamily typically have colors that camouflage them well against the trees where they usually live.
Photographed by Abhiroop Singh Gill. Identified by KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Amritsar, India. Date: 18 December, 2016.

Juvenile tree cricket, possibly a tamarack tree cricket, Oecanthus laricis, or a pine tree cricket, Oecanthus pini, subfamily Oecanthinae, family Gryllidae.
□ Tree cricket juveniles have wings that are shorter than the adult — not just the tegmina (forewings) that can be seen in this photo, but also the hindwings hidden beneath. When a juvenile becomes an adult, both pairs of wings will be fully developed and the hindwings, also called flight wings, will be ready for use.
Photographed by: Paula Spolarich. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Brady’s Run Park in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, USA. Date: 24 September, 2016.

Tree cricket in the genus Oecanthus, subfamily Oecanthinae, family Gryllidae.
□ To distinguish the species of tree crickets, capture one, put it in a jar in the refrigerator until the cricket slows down enough to carefully handle, access a good key, and give the cricket a close look. For a very good key to the tree crickets in the United States, click here (The Orthopterists’s Society).
Photographed and identified to orderby: Maggie Merriman. Identified to genus by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Georgia, USA. Date: 28 August, 2020.
Maggie says, “Haven’t seen this kind before and I have lived in rural Georgia for 58 years!”

A tree cricket in the genus Oecanthus, nymph (immature), subfamily Sterrhinae, family Geometridae.
□ Nymphs of tree crickets are very difficult to tell apart without a closeup of the underside of the base of the antennae — no kidding! To see photos comparing that feature, along with a link to a identification key, click here (Bugguide.net).
Photographed and identified by: Melissa Wood. Location: Broomfield, Colorado, USA. Date: 4 August, 2024.
Melissa says, “Pretty excited &mash; I love insects!!!”

Lusitanian Spade Cricket (Sciobia lusitanica)

Lusitanian spade cricket, sometimes called a visor cricket or helmet cricket, Sciobia lusitanica, subfamily Gryllinae, family Gryllidae.
□ The Lusitanian spade cricket has two long cerci (the “tails”), and most notably, a wide flap, called a cephalic extension, on its head. The adult male, seen in the two photos at right, has a large cephalic extension that is curved downward; a black body with short, white tegmina (the small forewings); and long antennae. The female and immature male (the photos at left are an immature male) are brown; have a smaller cephalic extension (see the photographer’s comment below); and have smaller tegmina that may not even be visible. To tell the female from the immature male, look for a third “tail”, which is actually the ovipositor she uses to lay eggs.
□ Lusitanian spade crickets are nocturnal, and are usually only found during the day when a rock is flipped over. The overall length of the crickets is 1.5-2.5 cm (0.6-1 inch) long.
Photographed and identified by: Melanie Pritchard. Great ID, Melanie! Location: Lousã, Portugal. Date (immature male): 3 April, 2021. Date (adult male): 24 May, 2021.
Melanie says this species is endemic to Portugal. She adds, “It has an odd cephalic extension, the purpose of which appears to be unknown!” KnowYourInsects.org says, “This is a species that needs some research!”

Two-Spotted Cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus)

Two-spotted cricket, sometimes called an African field cricket or a Mediterranean field cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus, subfamily Gryllinae, family Gryllidae.
□ The two-spotted cricket’s species name of bimaculatus translates to “two spots” and refers to the two tan spots behind the head. Its populations numbers can get quite high sometimes (see the photographer’s comment below).
Photographed by: Deborah Wilson. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Kuwait. Date: 6 June, 2019.
Deborah says, “There are lots of them around in Kuwait at the moment.”

Field cricket in the genus Gryllus, possibly the Jamaican field cricket (Gryllus assimilis), subfamily Gryllinae, family Gryllidae.
□ One possible identity of this field cricket is the Jamaican field cricket, which came under the spotlight in 2017, when U.S. diplomats visiting Cuba suffered concussion-like symptoms. The symptoms were originally blamed on some type of electronic attack, and then on the chirping sound of the Jamaican field cricket — listen here (The Orthopterists’ Society). Ultimately, however, the sound was attributed to the chirping of yet another species of cricket. To read about it, click here (The Society for Integrative& Comparative Biology).
Photographed by: Tyler Oberding. Identified to genus and tentative species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Las Tunas, Cuba. Date: 19 March, 2021.
Tyler says, “This bug fell on me.”

Field cricket in the genus Gryllus, possibly the southeastern field cricket (Gryllus rubens), subfamily Gryllinae, family Gryllidae.
□ Several similar-looking field crickets occur where this one was photographed (in the southeastern United States). To learn how to distinguish them, click here (University of Florida “Featured Creatures” website).
Photographed and identified to family by: Marv Goldberg. Identified to genus and tentative species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Tamarac, Florida, USA. Date: 31 May, 2019.

Field cricket, female, in the genus Gryllus, possibly a sand field cricket (Gryllus firmus), subfamily Gryllinae, family Gryllidae.
□ Sand field crickets live in areas with sandy soils. This species is known to hybridize with a closely related species known as the fall field cricket (Gryllus pennsylvanicus) in areas where the two species overlap, so their young may have parents of two different species. The sand field cricket lives mainly in the southeastern U.S., but extends up along the Atlantic coast to about New Jersey. The fall field cricket lives in the U.S. and southern Canada, but mainly outside of the range of the sand field cricket, but it does reach into New Jersey, which is where this photo was taken.
Photographed by: Ahuva Over. Identified to genus and tentative species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Clifton, New Jersey, USA. Date: 2020.

Field cricket, male, quite possibly a variable field cricket, Gryllus lineaticeps, subfamily Gryllinae, family Gryllidae.
□ This cricket may be the species known as a variable field cricket. The male, shown here, has more robust femurs than the female. His song is a regularly spaced series of chirps, which can be heard by clicking here (The Orthopterists’ Society). Only some individuals are able to fly, and that is partly due the variable wing length.
Photographed and identified as a cricket by: Thomas Langhans. Identified to tentative species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: San Bruno, county of San Mateo, California, USA. Date: 24 August, 2023.
Thomas notes that the white on the antennae is a play of light (rather than color banding).

Black field cricket, female, in the genus Gryllus, subfamily Gryllinae, family Gryllidae.
□ This black field cricket is a female, as seen by the presence of the long, stick-like ovipositor protruding from the end of her abdomen. The two other smaller structures on either side of the ovipositor are cerci. Male crickets have the two cerci, but not the ovipositor.
Photographed by: Judy Wilson. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Unknown. Date: 14 September, 2019.
Judy says, “Around 2 p.m. I found him on my carpet in the living room moving into the bright sunlight coming into the patio window.”

In many cultures, crickets are considered to be good luck. People in China once kept them in tiny cages as pets, and in some cases, for cricket-cricket fighting! To learn more, click here (San Antonio Museum of Art).

A field cricket in the genus Teleogryllus, male, subfamily Gryllinae, family Gryllidae.
□ Field crickets are often separated by their calls rather than their appearance, because they look so much alike. This one appears to be one in the genus Teleogryllus. The photographer estimated it at about an inch (2.5 cm) in body length. See his comment below.
Photographed by: Robert Armour. Identified to genus by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Uganda. Date: 24 December, 2024.
Robert says, “His fear response was to stand still, so I could get close up long enough to get sharp photos.”

Giant Burrowing Cricket (Brachytrupes spp.)

Giant burrowing cricket in the genus Brachytrupes, subfamily Gryllinae, family Gryllidae.
□ Giant burrowing crickets can reach 2 inches (5 cm) long. Using their strong jaws and forelegs, they dig tunnels that can be identified by a pile of dirt at the entrance. To learn more, click here (American-Eurasian Journal of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences).
Photographed and identified to family by: Samuel Otebolaku. Identified to genus by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Ogun State, Nigeria. Date: 19 October, 2021.
Samuel found this cricket one night.

Gryllid cricket (Tarbinskiellus terrificus)

Tarbinskiellus terrificus (no specific common name), subfamily Gryllinae, family Gryllidae.
□ With the wonderful orange and red coloration of this Tarbinskiellus terrificus, the species name of terrificus is well-suited!
Photographed and identified by: Dr. Kailash Chandra and Sunil Kumar Gupta, Zoological Survey of India. Thank you both for the ID! Location: Udanti Wildlife Sanctuary, Gariyaband district, Chhattisgarh, India. Date: 28 June, 2014.

Robust Ground Cricket (Allonemobius spp.)

Robust ground cricket in the genus Allonemobius, possibly the southern ground cricket (Allonemobius socius), female, subfamily Nemobiinae, family Gryllidae.
□ The southern ground cricket has a high-pitched, short, repetitive trilling song. To hear his song, click here (SongsOfInsects.com). This species is a dead ringer for the striped ground cricket (Allonemobius fasciatus), but the latter is not found in Florida, where this photo was taken.
Photographed by: Marv Goldberg. Location: Tamarac, Florida, USA. Date: 2 June, 2023.
Marv says, “They were all over the place for about a week.”

Handsome trig, nymph, Phyllopalpus pulchellus, subfamily Trigonidiinae, family Gryllidae.
□ The greenish-yellow hind legs are helpful clues in identifying this nymph of a handsome trig. When it becomes an adult, it will have rounded tegmina (forewings). The adult male makes a high chirping sound by holding those wings upright and rubbing them together. To hear his “song”, click here (SongsOfInsects.com).
Photographed and identified to family by: Tori Thompson. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Wayne, Michigan, USA. Date: 2 August, 2020.

Handsome trig, female nymph, Phyllopalpus pulchellus, subfamily Trigonidiinae, family Gryllidae.
□ When this handsome trig becomes an adult, it is known as a red-headed bush cricket instead.
Photographed and identified to family by: Tammy Henery. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: central Ohio, USA. Date: 22 July, 2020.

Handsome trig, nymph, Phyllopalpus pulchellus, subfamily Trigonidiinae, family Gryllidae.
□ Besides its very green legs, this handsome trig shows just a tinge of red on its head and thorax. When it becomes an adult, that red will be much deeper in color, and it will also have dark-brown tegmina (forewings). To see the adult, click here (BugGuide).
Photographed and identified by: Lara Pursley. Nicely done, Lara! Location: Spring City, Tennessee, USA. Date: 11 July, 2022.

Sword-tailed cricket, female, Nanixipha nahoa, subfamily Trigonidiinae, family Gryllidae.
□ Decked out in pinstripes, this sword-tailed cricket is quite a handsome insect. Its species name of Nanixipha nahoa combines Hawaiian and Latin words: nani and nahoa are Hawaiian for beautiful and bold, respectively; and xipha is Latin for sword-shaped, so the species name translates to beautiful and bold sword-tailed cricket.
Photographed and identified to family by: Christian Moratin. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: botanical garden in Kaneohe, Hawaii, USA. Date: 23 March, 2021.
Christian says, “I never knew that we gave names to insects with Hawaiian and Latin vocabulary. It certainly is a fine-looking insect — especially with the stripes complementing the size and length of its legs. Really cool!”

A cricket in the family Gryllidae.
□ KnowYourInsects.org is unable to identify the species of cricket from this photograph.
Photographed by: Senrita Raksam Marak. Location: William Nagar, Meghalaya, India. Date: 25 June, 2019.

Gryllotalpidae, the mole crickets

European mole cricket, Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa, subfamily Gryllotalpinae, family Gryllotalpidae.
□ The European mole cricket has a fairly distinctive wing-vein pattern: Notice how the veins follow the outer curve of the tegmina (wings), running across the “shoulder” and then down the center of the back. Other species look similar, however.
Photographed by: Dexter "Alex" Ponomarenko (Александр Пономаренко). Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Makarov, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine. Date: 15 April, 2014.

European mole cricket, Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa, subfamily Gryllotalpinae, family Gryllotalpidae.
□ Like other members of this family, the European mole cricket has powerful forelegs, perfect for digging. Notice also the heavy armored and rather bulbous thorax, giving this mole cricket the look of a crayfish. The photographer estimated ths one at 6-7 cm long (2.3-2.7 inches).
Photographed by: Kimberly Gustavson. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Rafelcofer, Spain. Date: 31 March, 2022.
Kimberley guesses it made an appearance outside her house after the area had experienced “three weeks of heavy rains.”

Mole Cricket (tent. Gryllotalpa stepposa)

A mole cricket, possibly Gryllotalpa stepposa (no specific common name), subfamily Gryllotalpinae, family Gryllotalpidae.
□ This mole cricket was photographed in Turkey, where several species of this family live.
Photographed by: Abidin Ada. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Ankara, Turkey. Date: 6 June, 2020.
Abidin says, “I couldn’t get close shot because of the fact I was scared of it.” KnowYourInsects.org says, “They are odd-looking creatures!”

African mole cricket, Gryllotalpa africana, subfamily Gryllotalpinae, family Gryllotalpidae.
□ The African mole cricket is a tunneling insect that is usually seen near lights at night. It is brown dorsally (sometimes almost yellowish-brown) and paler yellow ventrally; and has dark veins on its otherwise light-colored tegmina (forewings). To read more about this robust insect, click here (Interactive Agricultural Ecological Atlas of Russia and Neighboring Countries).
Photographed and identified by: Els Hondius. Excellent ID, Els! Location: Kibaha, Tanzania. Date: 19 June, 2022.

African mole cricket, Gryllotalpa africana, subfamily Gryllotalpinae, family Gryllotalpidae.
□ Beneath the short tegmina (forewings) that are visible behind the head on this African mole cricket is tucked a set of large, membranous flight wings. Although the mole cricket spends most of its time underground, it will fly to find a new territory or a partner during the mating season.
Photographed by: Robert Armour. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Uganda. Date: 27 September, 2024.

A mole cricket in the genus Gryllotalpa, subfamily Gryllotalpinae, family Gryllotalpidae.
□ According to mole cricket expert Roy Kleukers of the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, Netherlands, “It is very difficult to identify Gryllotalpa species from Italy. Several species have been described based on the number of chromosomes, without clear morphological characters.”
Photographed by: Umberto Prisco. Identified to genus by: Roy Kleukers. Location: Napoli, Italy. Date: 28 January, 2018.

A mole cricket in the genus Gryllotalpa, subfamily Gryllotalpinae, family Gryllotalpidae.
□ The photographer found this mole cricket under a rock in the Sierra Nevada mountains at a altitude of 1,200 meters (nearly 4,000 feet).
Photographed by: Angela Blickle. Identified to genus by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Sierra Nevada mountains, Spain. Date: circa 2008.

A mole cricket in the genus Gryllotalpa, subfamily Gryllotalpinae, family Gryllotalpidae.
Photographed by: Amit Sheth. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Pune, Maharashtra, India. Date: 14 November, 2020.

A mole cricket in the genus Gryllotalpa, subfamily Gryllotalpinae, family Gryllotalpidae.
Photographed by: Justin Landrum. Identified to genus by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Indiana, USA. Date: 17 July, 2018. Justin says, “Never seen this bug around in 40 years.” He added, “creepy-looking insect”!

Northern mole cricket, Neocurtilla hexadactyla, subfamily Gryllotalpinae, family Gryllotalpidae.
□ To listen to the song of the northern mole cricket, click here (SongsOfInsects.com).
Photographed by Scott Quintilliano. Identified by KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Muskegon County, Michigan, USA. Date: 30 May, 2017.
Scott says, “It is about 2–2.5 inches (5-6.3 cm) long and about a half-inch (1.3 cm) wide.”

Northern mole cricket, Neocurtilla hexadactyla, subfamily Gryllotalpinae, family Gryllotalpidae.
□ Northern mole crickets and other mole cricket species typically live in underground tunnels during the daylight hours, so few people see them.
Photographed by Pete Wildman. Identified by KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA. Date: 9 June, 2017.
Pete says, “What is this bug?? The stubby front legs made them seem mole-like. Any ideas?! I’m dying to know!” KnowYourInsects.org says, “We love Pete’s enthusiasm! And ‘mole’ is a perfect description.”

Short-winged mole cricket, Neoscapteriscus abbreviatus, subfamily Scapteriscinae, family Gryllotalpidae.
□ This short-winged mole cricket measures about 1.5 inches long (3.8 cm).
Photographed by: Casey Brechtel. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Galveston Island, Texas, USA. Date: 25 August, 2017.
Casey says, “These came out (just showed up) right before (hurricane) Harvey hit. I have never seen any before and lived in Galveston for 20 years. Pic is on my jacket sleeve.”

A mole cricket, possibly tawny mole cricket, Neoscapteriscus vicinus, subfamily Scapteriscinae, family Gryllotalpidae.
□ This is one of three species of mole crickets that were inadvertantly introduced to Florida (where this photo was taken) back at the turn of the last century (1900). To read more information about the three species, click here (University of Florida).
Photographed and identified by: Stacey Hamlin. Nicely done, Stacey! Location: Jacksonville, Florida, USA. Date: 21 April, 2020.

A mole cricket, possibly a tawny mole cricket, Neoscapteriscus vicinus, subfamily Scapteriscinae, family Gryllotalpidae.
Photographed by Anita Willman. Identified by KnowYourInsects.org. Location: north of Houston, Texas, USA. Date: 6 Feburary, 2017.
After seeing the other mole crickets posted on this page, Anita says, “Was actually cool to see different kinds of mole crickets. Mine is the prettiest!” KnowYourInsects.org says, “Spoken like a true insect-lover!”

A mole cricket, possibly a tawny mole cricket, Neoscapteriscus vicinus, subfamily Scapteriscinae, family Gryllotalpidae.
□ North American mole crickets are difficult to distinguish from one another. For a nice explanation of the differences, click here (University of Florida “Featured Creatures” website).
Photographed by: Sheldon L. Boyd. Identified by: Audrey Maran. Thank you, Audrey! Location: The Villages, Florida, USA. Date: 1 March, 2017.

Most people never see a mole cricket because these insects usually remain underground, beneath rocks, or in other hidden-from-sight locations.

A mole cricket, family Gryllotalpidae.
Photographed by: Dr. Modikwe Aleck Raphala. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Spruitview in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng South Africa. Date: 11 October, 2016.
Dr. Raphala says, “I was sitting in my TV room watching TV when saw this funny and scary insect crawling on the floor.”

Prophalangopsidae, the hump-winged crickets

Great Grig or Monster Haglid (Cyphoderris monstrosa)

Great grig, also known as a monster haglid, female, Cyphoderris monstrosa, family Prophalangopsidae.
□ The great grig is rarely seen. With its gray to blue-steel-gray color, this inch-long (2.5 cm) insect looks as if it is encased in armor. The close-up of the thorax provides a look at the very small wing buds (small white flaps) in the female of the species. The male’s wings are larger. Both the male and female have cerci, which are the tiny, white, stick-like structures poking from the rear end of the insect. The male also has a separate curved structure between the cerci. To see it, click here (BugGuide).
Photographed by: Angie Merges. Submitted by: Ryan King. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, USA. Date: 13 August, 2019.
Ryan says, “I’ve spent a good amount of time trying to identify it. The best I can guess is that it is some sort of shield-backed katydid, looks similar to a Mormon cricket.” KnowYourInsects.org says, “Excellent eye, Ryan! Great grigs are rare, so it is no surprise it was difficult to identify!”

This primitive family of insects — Prophalangopsidae — was formerly known as Haglidae, which partially explains this species’ alternate common name: monster haglid.

Click a photo to open it on a separate page

Rhaphidophoridae, the camel crickets, cave weta, cave crickets, and spider crickets

A camel cricket, female, in the genus Ceuthophilus, subfamily Ceuthophilinae, family Rhaphidophoridae.
□ Camel crickets are wingless and have large hind legs and very long antennae, along with a noticeably humped-back posture. They prefer damp locations. Females (like this one) have a spear-like ovipositor extending from the rear of the abdomen. She uses the ovipositor to lay eggs.
Photographed by: Daisy Rulz. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Mayville, Michigan, USA. Date: 23 September, 2017.

A camel cricket in the genus Ceuthophilus, possibly a California camel cricket, Ceuthophilus californianus, subfamily Ceuthophilinae, family Rhaphidophoridae.
□ The California camel cricket overlaps in its distribution with the San Diego camel cricket (Ceuthophilus hesperus) in southern California, and the two are nearly indistinguishable. This one was photographed in central California, so it is likely a California camel cricket. Photographed and identified as a camel cricket by: Thomas Langhans. See his full-size images here and here. Identified to genus by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: San Bruno, county of San Mateo, California, USA. Date: 6 August, 2019.

Camel Cricket in the genus Ceuthophilus, subfamily Ceuthophilinae, family Rhaphidophoridae.
□ The photographer provided an excellent description of this camel cricket: “The body has light tan, tiny spots located within bands which transverse the body. The body also appears to be striped transversally (black and brown). The body is 3/4 inch (1.9 cm) long. This is the third one found in my basement.”
Photographed and identified to order by: Anonymous. Identified to genus by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Minnesota, USA. Date: 22 April, 2019.

Greenhouse camel cricket, Diestrammena asynamora, subfamily Aemodogryllinae, family Rhaphidophoridae.
□ Native to Asia, the greenhouse camel cricket arrived in North America more than a century ago. It eats a variety of living and non-living things, ranging from clothing to both outdoor and greenhouse plants.
Photographed by: V.J. Carnes. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Date: 22 April, 2019.
V.J. says, “The cat was chasing this across the floor tonight.”

Greenhouse camel crickets, Diestrammena asynamora, subfamily Aemodogryllinae, family Rhaphidophoridae.
□ This is a pair of greenhouse camel crickets: female on the left (with the curved ovipositor at her rear end) and male on the right. They have thin, almost hair-like, and stupendously long antennae, as can be seen in the female: one of her antenna extends all the way to the bottom of the photo, about seven times the length of her body!
Photographed and identified to order by: Jose Chinea. Identified to genus by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Ridgefield New Jersey, USA. Date: 19 July, 2019.
Jose says, “I found these in a sprinkler pump room.” KnowYourInsects.org says, “These insects do indeed like dark, damp places.”

Camel cricket in the genus Diestrammena, subfamily Aemodogryllinae, family Rhaphidophoridae.
□ This looks like either a Japanese camel cricket (Diestrammena japanica), or the closely related and nearly identical species called a greenhouse camel cricket (Diestrammena asynamora). The latter has fewer dark markings on the thorax (the hunchback portion), so a dorsal view would help determine that.
□ Both are native to Japan, and were introduced to the northeastern United States, where this photo was taken.
Photographed by: Koty Paisley. Identified to genus by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, USA. Date: 11 July, 2023.

Arboreal Camel Cricket (Gammarotettix bilobatus)

Arboreal camel cricket, male, Gammarotettix bilobatus, subfamily Gammarotettiginae, family Rhaphidophoridae.
□ The arboreal camel cricket is wingless and has long antennae as do other camel crickets in this family. Its hind legs, however, are shorter than most other camel cricket species.
Photographed and identified as a cricket by: Nora Schwab. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Fair Oaks California, USA. Date: 27 April, 2023.
Nora says, “I was planting some lantana in my front yard when this very green cricket hopped right onto my knee. Within a nanosecond it had jumped off my knee into the dirt as I was reaching for my iPhone. It’s very well camouflaged.”

Camel crickets usually stay out of sight, so a great way to see one is to set a pitfall trap. This can be a coffee can or some other tub buried so its lip is even with the surface of the ground. The cricket walks or hops along, and falls into the tub. Add a rock or stick to the tub so it has a place to rest (in case it rains) until you release it.

Stenopelmatidae, the Jerusalem crickets

Jerusalem cricket, Stenopelmatus fuscus, family Stenopelmatidae.
□ This photo of the underside of a Jerusalem cricket shows its strong jaws, which are perfect for chewing roots (and are also good for defending themselves from human fingers). They also have spiny legs (as shown) that help them dig into the soil.
□ The photographer notes that this species is very common in southern California.
Photographed and identified by: Bill Mertz.
Location: Bellflower, California, USA.
Bill notes that this species is also known as niño de la tierra, which means “child of the earth,” and adds, “Apparently, the large head (and an active imagination) gives the impression of a child. I’ve also heard people call them ‘potato bugs.’ But from my experience, most people call them... ‘eeeeek!’”

Jerusalem cricket, Stenopelmatus fuscus, family Stenopelmatidae.
□ Jerusalem crickets are tunneling insects. Most people see them when turning soil in a vegetable garden, or when the crickets exit their tunnels after a heavy rainfall.
Photographed by: Daphne Marchant. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: just north of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Date: 22 August, 2016.
Her friend Chris says, “(She) took the picture of this insect on a trail in the foothills just north of Salt Lake City, near the University of Utah.”

Jerusalem cricket, Stenopelmatus fuscus, family Stenopelmatidae.
□ Jerusalem crickets are large, flightless insects can grow to be 2 inches (5 cm) long!
Photographed and identified by: Ramona DeLaCruz. Great ID, Ramona! Location: American Falls, Idaho, USA. Date: 22 October, 2019.
Ramona spotted this one in her driveway.

Jerusalem crickets are so odd-looking overall that few people notice the pair of stout cerci sticking straight up at the rear of the insect. Males also have a pair of tiny hooks next to the cerci: He uses the hooks to hang onto the female during mating.

Jerusalem cricket, Stenopelmatus fuscus, family Stenopelmatidae.
□ How did the Jerusalem cricket get its name? One story is that is came from an epithet Americans used back in the 1800s. Instead of “yikes,” or “holy cow,” they would say “jerusalem,” with a heavy emphasis on the first syllable: “JEEEE-ru-sa-lem!” As the story goes, someone yelled it out when they saw this cricket, and the name stuck.
Photographed and identified by: Thomas Langhans. Nicely done, Thomas! See Thomas’ full-size image here. Location: San Bruno, county of San Mateo, California, USA. Date: 11 September, 2022.
Thomas says, “About 12 mm long. It was in the middle of a flagstone on a hot day and not very active. (I) moved it into the shade.”

Jerusalem cricket, Stenopelmatus fuscus, family Stenopelmatidae.
□ Because of the odd appearance of the Jerusalem crickets, many falsehoods surround them. One is that they are venomous: They are not venomous. They do, however, have strong jaws and will defend themselves by biting.
Photographed by: Ammon Wolfert. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: West Richland, Washington, USA. Date: 20 June, 2020.

Jerusalem cricket in the genus Stenopelmatus, family Stenopelmatidae.
□ Although Jerusalem crickets usually stay underground during the day, the photographer found this one in broad daylight (see the comment below).
Photographed by: Stan Jones. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: eastern Washington state, USA.
Date: 22 August, 2016.
Stan says, “It was in the middle of a dirt path, in a very dry region on a 95 degree day, out mid-day. It didn’t move when we approached and let me get my phone about 2 feet (0.6 meters) away for a picture.”

Jerusalem cricket in the genus Stenopelmatus, family Stenopelmatidae.
□ This Jerusalem cricket, which was found in the water (see the photographer’s comment below), may be the victim of parasitic, mind-controlling horsehair worms (in the genus Gordius). Specifically, a worm infestation causes the cricket to leave its terrestrial habitat, head for water and drown themselves. To learn more about this bizarre interaction between worms and crickets, click here (Wired magazine).
Photographed by: Justin Gilles. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Palm Springs, California, USA. Date: 20 January, 2018.
Justin says, “This was in a swimming pool.”

Tettigoniidae, the katydids and bush-crickets

Glandular bush-cricket (Bradyporus latipes)

Glandular bush-cricket, female, Bradyporus latipes, subfamily Bradyporinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The photographer found this unusual-looking glandular bush-cricket while in the mountains in an area with grass and green wheat. It is a wingless species. The ovipositor of this female is shown in the close-up at right.
□ Note: This species was formerly listed under the genus Callimenus.
Photographed and identified to order by: Amir Ramezani. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Shah Safi Valley, Dehaghan, Isfahan Province, Iran. Date: 23 May, 2020.
Amir says, “It had milky color head and legs, green collar, black abdomen and biting tail. The legs were razor sharp.”

Lichen katydid, female, Markia hystrix, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This lichen katydid has so many interesting details: an intricate pattern on its body that really helps it blend into its leafy surroundings, horns on its head and pronotum (the shield covering the thorax), striped eyes, and spiny legs. The right photo also shows the curved ovipositor (the egg-laying structure at the rear) on this female.
□ Note: Phaneropterinae is sometimes elevated to family level: Phaneropteridae.
Photographed by: Charles D. Location: Panama. Date: 25 November, 2016.
Charles found this specimen at about 4,500-foot elevation. He says, “I saw it in the grass, took it inside to my table to get these snapshots.”

Common garden katydid, Caedicia simplex, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The beautiful common garden katydid has the ability to change its color a bit to match its surroundings, and this one does a great job of picking up both the greens and pinks of this evergreen called Grevillea.
Photographed by: Carolyn Noake. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Moruya, New South Wales, Australia. Date: 13 June, 2019.

Creosote bush katydid, Insara covilleae, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The colorful and boldly patterned creosote bush katydid is found in arid regions where creosote bushes (Larrea tridentata) grow. They are often seen nibbling on the creosote leaves, which are its only food.
□ It is quite similar in appearance to the elegant bush katydid (Insara elegans), but the latter has white bands on its wings instead of white spots. To see the elegant bush katydid, click here (BugGuide).
Photographed and identified to genus by: Felicity Butterfield. Nicely done, Felicity! Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Buckeye, Arizona, USA. Date: 21 September, 2022.
Felicity says, “Found it in my pool skimmer on a float this morning.”

Mountain katydid, female, Acripeza reticulata, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The mountain katydid is nearly invisible against the gray backgound when it is at rest (see photo at right). When it feels threatened, however, it lifts its gray-brown, camouflage-providing wings to display its red- and blue-banded abdomen (seen at right). The sudden appearance of the abdomen is enough to scare off many predators.
□ This female has wings, as seen above, but they are only about half as long as the male’s wings. She is flightless, and he can fly. The male has a body length that can reach 5 cm (2 inches), while the female can reach about 3 cm (1.2 inches) long. To see the male, click here (Wikipedia).
Photographed by: Nunette Marks. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: on the walking trails of Mount Coot-Tha near Brookfield, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Date: 2 May, 2020.
Nunette says, “We saw this beautiful bug on our walk this morning.”

A katydid nymph in the genus Harroweria, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ With the red-and-white striped legs, circle around the eye and nearly matching marking at the end of its abdomen, and bumpy green body, this is quite a stunning katydid nymph! Although not shown here, it has extremely long antennae, extending about four times its body length.
Photographed by: David Foster. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Venecia, Antioquia, Colombia. Date: 25 March, 2019.

Mediterranean katydid (Dysphania numana)

Mediterranean katydid, female, Phaneroptera nana, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This adult Mediterranean katydid has black speckles on its pronotum, abdomen and legs, and partially red eyes. Another characteristic feature is the difference in the length of the forewings vs. hindwings: The hindwings extend another 30 percent beyond the forewings. The right photo shows the female laying eggs — a great shot! Click on the photos to get a close-up view of the female’s robust ovipositor (seen in the center photo).
Photographed and identified to subfamily by: Thomas Langhans. See his full-size images here, here and here. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: city of San Bruno, county of San Mateo, California, USA. Date: 9 September, 2023.

Mediterranean Katydid (Phaneroptera nana)

Mediterranean katydid, also known as a four-spot bush katydid, male nymph, Phaneroptera nana, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The Mediterranean katydid is a small katydid even as an adult. Older nymphs, like this one, are mainly green. Younger nymphs, however, are orange and black, as shown elsewhere on this page. A native to Europe, the Mediterranean katydid was introduced to North America perhaps as early as a century ago.
Photographed and identified to order by: Amy Brezovec. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Manhattan Beach, California, USA. Date: 21 August, 2019.
Amy says she spotted this one at 2 a.m. in a bedroom.

Outside the U.S., katydids species often are called bush-crickets instead. Some have names that combine the two and are called bush katydids.

Mediterranean katydid, also known as a four-spot bush katydid, female nymph, Phaneroptera nana, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This older nymph of a Mediterranean katydid is green with a body covered in tiny black speckles.
Photographed and identified to family by: Thomas Langhans. See his full-size images here and here. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: San Bruno, county of San Mateo, California. Date: 20 August, 2022.
Thomas says, “On a tomato plant. Never knew there were katydids until www.knowyourinsects.org.” KnowYourInsects.org says, “That is so nice to hear!”

Mediterranean katydid, also known as a four-spot bush katydid, male nymph, Phaneroptera nana, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This early-stage nymph of a Mediterranean katydid has black spots and bands on an orange background, and characteristic black and white banding at the base of its long antennae. As shown elsewhere on this page, it becomes green as it grows older.
Photographed and identified to family by: Johannes Russek. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: New Jersey, USA. Date: 18 June, 2021.

A katydid in the genus Phaneroptera, possibly a sickle-bearing bush cricket, Phaneroptera falcata, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Sickle-bearing bush crickets had a more southerly distribution until 2012 when this species was found in Latvia, where this photo was taken. For more on the range expansion, click here (journal article in Latvijas Entomologs). The female of this species has a curved or sickle-shaped “tail” called an ovipositor that she uses to lay eggs.
Photographed and identified as a katydid by: Diana. Identified to tentative species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Zemgale region, Latvia. Date: 14 July, 2021.

Rattler Round-winged Katydid (Amblycorypha)

Rattler round-winged katydid, female, in the genus Amblycorypha, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The rattler round-winged katydid was once listed as Amblycorypha rotundifolia, but research (Annals of the Entomological Society of America) separated that species into three: A. rotundifolia, A. bartrami, and A. alexanderi. Although the three look alike, they can be distinguished because A. bartrami lives in the driest habitats, and A. rotundifolia has the busiest song.
Photographed and identified as a katydid by: Cindy and Ray Green. Identified to genus by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Rose Township, Michigan, USA. Data: 14 August, 2018.

Round-headed katydid (Amblycorypha spp.)

Katydid, male, possibly a round-headed katydid in the genus Amblycorypha, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This may be a round-headed katydid, which has hindwings that extend farther than the tegmina (the forewings). The hindwings are peeking out behind the tegmina in this photo. Males also have a somewhat heart-shaped brown “saddle” behind the head, as seen here.
Photographed and identified as a katydid by: Jeffrey. Identified to tentative genus by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Wayzata, Minnesota, USA Date: 10 August, 2023.

Long-Legged Bush Cricket (Acrometopa spp.)

A long-legged bush cricket, female, in the genus Acrometopa, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This female long-legged bush cricket has exceptionally long hind legs, and the hind-leg femur is unusually thin for a bush cricket/katydid. It could be one of three very similar species — Acrometopa servillea, Acrometopa macropoda or Acrometopa italica.
Photographed by: Yanni Petropoulos. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: southern Greece. Data: 13 June, 2020.

Short-wing katydid, female, in the genus Dichopetala, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Short-wing katydids cannot fly. The males have short tegmina (the forewings), but the female (shown here) doesn’t have tegmina at all — just a pair of little scales.
Photographed and identified by: Kris DelMonte. Nicely done, Kris! Location: National Butterfly Center, Mission, Texas, USA. Date: 24 December, 2018.
Kris says, “I was looking for butterflies to photograph and all of a sudden this Common Short-wing Katydid showed up in my viewfinder.”

Speckled Bush-Cricket (Leptophyes punctatissima)

Speckled bush-cricket, adult male and female, Leptophyes punctatissima, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The speckled bush-cricket is a flightless species, and neither the adult male (left) nor the adult female (right) has hindwings. The male has tiny tegmina (forewings), and the female’s tegmina are even more reduced. She also has a long, curved, egg-laying structure (the ovipositor) at her rear.
□ This is a small species, with a body that only grows to about 1.5 cm (about 0.6 inches) long.
Photographed and identified to order by: Andrea Bromfield. Location: Birchgrove, Swansea, England, UK. Date: 1 September, 2019.
Andrea says, “There are potatoes in the pot, and these were on the flowers.”

Speckled bush-cricket, male, Leptophyes punctatissima, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This photo of a male speckled bush-cricket provides a nice close-up of the short, wrinkled, brown tegmina on its back.
Photographed by: Matthew Ridgeon. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Caerphilly, UK . Date: 30 September, 2022.
Matthew says, “Did you notice the marking on its back? When I zoomed in it had an image similar to a orangutan or gorilla. Very fascinating thing.”

Speckled bush-cricket, young nymph, Leptophyes punctatissima, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This speckled bush-cricket nymph is only about 5–6 mm (less than 1/4 inch) in length, according to the photographer. See the adult (both male and female) in the previous photos.
Photographed and identified by: Bryan Wenham-Baker. Well done on the ID, Bryan! Location: Ivybridge, South Hams, South Devon, England, UK. Date: 30 July, 2018.

Katydid/bush cricket (Himertula kinneari)

Himertula kinneari (no specific common name), female, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Click on the top photo to zoom in and see the length of the antennae in Himertula kinneari. The bottom photo reveals the detail of the body coloration.
Photographed and identified to family by: Axay Chauhan. Identified to species by: entomologist Dr. S.M. Gaikwad, of the Department of Zoology at Shivaji University, Kolhapur, in Maharashtra, India. Thank you Dr. Gaikwad! Location: Girnar, Gujarat, India. Date: 1 October, 2017.
Dr. Gaikwad notes that the distribution of this species is India (Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal), Bhutan and Nepal.

Himertula kinneari (no specific common name), female, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Himertula kinneari has an interesting so-called disruptive pattern — the brown and green “disrupt” the outline of the insect, making it more difficult for predators to home in on it. Another often-described animal with a disruptive pattern is the zebra — its stripes serve to help break up its outline and confuse predators just enough for the zebra to sometimes escape a deadly attack.
□ This Himertula kinneari is a female, evidenced by the curved structure (the ovipositor) at the rear of the abdomen.
Photographed and identified by: Maharshi Nilesh Patel. Excellent ID, Maharshi! Location: Gavier Lake, near Surat Airport, Surat, Gujarat, India. Date: 18 and 25 August, 2019.
Maharshi said he identified this katydid through this website. We at KnowYourInsects.org are so happy we could help!

Spoon-tailed short-wing katydid, Obolopteryx catinata, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The spoon-tailed short-wing katydid has antennae about 5 inches (12.7 cm) long, about twice the length of its body. The female has a chunky, upswept ovipositor (egg-laying structure at the rear of the katydid), like the one seen above. Click on the photo for a closer view. For an even more detailed view of the ovipositor, click here (BugGuide.net)
Photographed by: Robert Carpenter. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Mt. Home, Texas, USA. Date: 30 May, 2023.
Robert saw this katydid on the branch of an evergreen tree called ashe juniper (Juniperus ashei). He adds, “Difficult to photograph. Constantly moving ... and very skiddish.”

Phaneropterin Katydid (Barbitistes spp.)

A saw bush-cricket, female, in the genus Barbitistes, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This saw bush-cricket was photographed in Italy, and may be the endemic species Barbitistes vicetinus, which was only discovered and named in 1993. It remained rare until climate change pushed summer temperatures higher, spurring a major population increase. It is now a serious forest and crop pest — to read more, click here (the journal Insect Science.)
Photographed and identified to family by: Richard J. B. Wharram. Identified to genus by: orthopterist Roy Kleukers of the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, Netherlands. Thank you, Dr. Kleukers! Location: Monte Palanzone in the Triangolo Lariano of the Prealpi Lombarde, Italy. Date: 16 July, 2018.

Greater angle-winged katydid, Microcentrum rhombifolium, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The greater angle-winged katydid male makes its tick-tick-tick song by rubbing parts of its tegmina (forewings) together, specifically a “file” (a series of little teeth) on one wing, and a hard “scraper” on the other.
□ The greater angle-winged katydid is almost identical in appearance to the lesser angle-winged katydid (shown elsewhere on this page), but it is a bit larger overall and is found in eastern and southwestern United States. The lesser angle-winged is only found in the eastern U.S.
Photographed by: Meghan Ann Mace. Identified by: Roger Bland, entomologist, professor emeritus, Central Michigan University. Thank you, Dr. Bland! Location: Macomb Township, Macomb County, Michigan, USA. Date: 6 August, 2012.

Lesser angle-winged katydid, Microcentrum retinerve, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The male lesser angle-winged katydid often calls from the tips of high tree branches in a quickly repeated series of ch-ch-ch sounds. To hear the call, click here (SongsOfInsects.com).
Photographed and identified by: Hollie Husband. Great ID, Hollie! Location: Pennsylvania, USA. Date: 14 October, 2020.

Lesser angle-winged katydid, nymph, Microcentrum retinerve, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This nymph of a lesser angle-winged katydid has a surprisingly red/pink coloration.
□ The adult of the lesser angle-winged katydid and the greater angle-winged katydid (as seen elsewhere on this page) are nearly identical. One slight difference between the two is shape of the front of the pronotum (the shield covering the thorax): it goes straight across in the lesser angle-winged katydid, but has a tiny central, forward-facing hitch in the greater angle-winged katydid.
Photographed and identified to order by: Joelle Friend. Identified to species by: Steve Hall. Thank you, Steve! Location: Concord, North Carolina, USA. Date: July, 2019.

Katydid, nymph, possibly California angle-winged katydid, Microcentrum californicum, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ As the nymph of the California angle-winged katydid goes through its stages of development (called instars), its little wing buds will increase in size. As an adult, it will have fully formed wings and be capable of flight.
Photographed by: Margaret Minor. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Balboa Park, San Diego, California, USA. Date: 10 July, 2019.
Margaret says, “At first I thought it was a grasshopper, but didn’t see any wings. Then I saw on a website that crickets and katydids have long antennae.” KnowYourInsects.org says,“Good eye, Margaret!”

California angle-winged katydid, nymph, Microcentrum californicum, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Adult California angle-winged katydids are found in California and Arizona. This photo is a nymph of a California angle-winged katydid. To see an adult, click here.
Discovered by: William Robinson (age 8). Photographed and identified to genus by: Jonathon Robinson. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: San Pedro, California, USA. Date: 24 June, 2019.

Katydids are sometimes called bush-crickets, and some do make nighttime noises in bushes (as crickets also do).

Bush cricket, male, quite possibly a fork-tailed bush katydid, Scudderia furcata, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The male fork-tailed bush katydid has a U-shaped structure at the end of his abdomen. That structure contributes to the common name of fork-tailed bush katydid. For a close-up of the “fork-tail,” click here (BugGuide).
Photographed and identified to genus by: Tuleen Harrigan. Nicely done, Tuleen! Location: Aubrey, Texas, USA. Date: 29 June, 2022.
Tulleen spotted this on a lily.

Bush Katydid, possibly a fork-tailed bush katydid (Scudderia furcata)

Bush katydid, female, likely a fork-tailed bush katydid, Scudderia furcata, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Female fork-tailed bush katydids have a C-shaped ovipositor at the end of the abdomen, as seen above. In many similar-looking katydids, the ovipositor is green, but the female fork-tailed bush katydid usually has a brown or purplish-brown ovipositor, which is well-shown in this photo.
□ Like other katydids in the genus Scudderia, the fork-tailed bush katydid lives less than a year; only the female’s eggs survive the winter, and a new generation hatches in the spring.
Photographed and identified to family by: Lauren K. Identified to tentative species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Connecticut, USA. Date: summer/fall 2019.

Bush Katydid, possibly Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (Scudderia furcata)

Bush katydid, female, in the genus Scudderia, likely a fork-tailed bush katydid, Scudderia furcata, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The United States is home to a number of species of green katydids, and those in the genus Scudderia look much alike. Many, including the fork-tailed bush katydid, look so much like leaves, that they can hide in plain sight just by remaining still.
Photographed by: Barbara Johnson. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: North Reading, Massachusetts, USA. Date: 24 September, 2019.

A bush katydid, female, nymph, possibly a fork-tailed bush katydid, Scudderia furcata, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This is a nymph of bush katydid, quite possibly a fork-tailed katydid. The adult males of this species produce a gentle and slow stt … stt … stt call. To hear it, click here (The Orthopterists’ Society).
Photographed by: Lisa Lavagnino. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org Location: Monterey Bay, California, USA. Date: 15 June, 2020.
Lisa spotted two of these katydid nymphs, and says, “Saw these on dahlia leaves.”

Fork-tailed bush katydid, Scudderia furcata, nymph, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This nymph of a fork-tailed katydid was discovered on a hibiscus plant.
Photographed by: Pamela Wells. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org Location: Rolling Meadows, Ilinois, USA. Date: 24 June, 2020.

A Scudder’s bush katydid, male, nymph in the genus Scudderia, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This nymph of one of the species of Scudder’s bush katydid shows the detail of the last abdominal segment in the male. Among adults in particular, the shape of the segment can be used to tell one species from another. A good summary of that feature in several species is posted here. This appears to be the species Scudderia furcata.
Photographed and identified to order by: Melanie Brocklehurst. Nicely done, Melanie! Location: Katonah, New York, USA. Date: 16 August, 2020.

Texas bush katydid, Scudderia texensis, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Even as a nymph, this Texas bush katydid has a noticeable ovipositor, so it is a female.
Photographed by George (no last name given). Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Humble, Texas, USA. Date: 27 April, 2017.
George says it was about 2 inches long.

Treetop bush katydid, Scudderia fasciata, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The treetop bush katydid is very similar in appearance to the closely related fork-tailed bush katydid (Scudderia furcata). The treetop has a bit of a black smear on the tegmina (the wings) and some black on the top of the abdomen, the latter of which is especially evident in the left photo.
□ The female is one the left; the male is on the right.
Photographed and identified to family by: Nancy Castillo. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Upstate New York, USA. Date: 6-7 September, 2021.
Nancy says, “I thought it was beautiful, almost metallic looking and blended so well with the juniper it was on.” She found the male a day after spotting the female.

Mexican Bush Katydid (Scudderia mexicana)

Mexican bush katydid, male nymph, Scudderia mexicana, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This male Mexican bush katydid nymph is farther along in its development than the nymphs in the next photos, and looks quite different. The stripe along the abdomen helps to identify it.
Photographed and identified to genus by: Thomas Voehringer. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Burbank, California, USA. Date: 9 May, 2020.
Thomas says, “Shot this in a honeysuckle bush in my yard.”

Mexican bush katydid, nymph, Scudderia mexicana, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The nymph of a Mexican bush katydid gets more copper coloration as it goes through its early instars (developmental stages).
□ Notice the large white spot between each eye and the front of its face. That helps to distinguish this species.
Discovered by: William Robinson (age 8). Photographed and identified to genus by: Jonathon Robinson. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: San Pedro, California, USA. Date: 24 June, 2019.
Jonathan says William “has a good eye!”

Mexican bush katydid, male nymph, Scudderia mexicana, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ A very close look will reveal a tiny spike on the top of this Mexican bush katydid nymph’s head. It is noted by the red arrow. This is an egg tooth, which helps the nymph cut through and escape the egg shell. The egg tooth disappears soon after birth, so this is a young nymph.
Photographed and identified by: Thomas K. Hopkins. Nicely done, Thomas! Location: Leucadia, California, USA. Date: December 2020.
Thomas found two of these nymphs and says, “They were found living inside a blooming variegated yellow rose bush outside my front door.”

A Scudder’s bush katydid in the genus Scudderia, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
Photographed and identified as a katydid by: Brian Muscat. Submitted by: Kimberly Sanchez. Identified to genus by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. Date: 1 September, 2020.
Kimberley says, “When I went to touch one, it kicked back its leg to push my finger away — they are quite amazing to watch for half an hour or so.”

A Scudder’s bush katydid, male nymph, in the genus Scudderia, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This nymph of one of the species of Scudder’s bush katydids has a few grains of pollen stuck to its antennae and legs. See the photographer’s comment below.
Photographed and identified as a nymph by: Pamela Williams. Nicely done, Pamela! Identified to genus by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Aurora, Illinois, USA. Date: 23 August, 2023.
Pamela says, “Little cutie was leisurely hanging out in a gladiolus.”

Tegmina is the scientific term for the forewings of katydids, grasshoppers and others in the order Orthoptera. Tegmina is also the term for forewings of earwings (Dermaptera), mantises (Mantodea), cockroaches (Blattaria) and walkingsticks (Phasmida).

A Scudder’s bush katydid, nymph, in the genus Scudderia, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This nymph of a Scudder’s bush katydid is sitting on purple poppy mallow — a pretty flower for a pretty nymph!
Photographed and identified to family by: Gail E. Rowley, Ozark Stream Photography. Identified to genus by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Texas County, Missouri, USA. Date: June 2015.

A Scudder’s bush katydid, nymph, genus Scudderia, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Click on the photo above to zoom in and see the quite lovely color of this Scudder’s bush katydid.
Photographed by: Charlie Winstead. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Warrick County, Indiana, USA. Date: June 2015.
Charlie says, “I had trouble keeping him (?) in focus because he was continually on the move. I spotted him on a Japanese maple tree near my front porch.”

A Scudder’s bush katydid, nymph, in the genus Scudderia, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Click on the photo above to zoom in and see this nymph of one of the species of Scudder’s bush katydid. The enlarged view shows a long antenna extending all the way to the upper left corner of the photo.
Photographed and identified to family by: Lauren Fleming. Identified to genus by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Mundelein, Illinois, USA. Date: 11 July, 2020.

A Scudder’s bush katydid, nymph, in the genus Scudderia, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This nymph of one of the species of Scudder’s bush katydid is lime-green with bits of orange on its thorax.
Photographed and identified by: Hannah Peereboom. Location: Bainbridge, Ohio, USA. Date: 25 June, 2019.

A Scudder’s bush katydid, nymph, in the genus Scudderia, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Note the the pollen on the feet of this Scudder’s bush katydid.
Photographed and identified to family by: Gail E. Rowley, Ozark Stream Photography. Identified to genus by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Texas County, Missouri, USA. Date: early May 2012.
Gail says, “I used a macro lens with extensions.” KnowYourInsects.org says, “Macro lenses are great when photographing insects!”

A Scudder’s bush katydid, nymph, in the genus Scudderia, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The photographer found several of these Scudder’s bush katydids nymphs on her roses.
Photographed and identified by: Amy Fields. Location: Yuba City, California, USA. Date: 8 May 2017.
Amy says, “Just found picture of Scudder’s bush katydid on your website. That sure looks like my bug. Thanks for a great website.” KnowYourInsects.org says, “You’re welcome!”

Scudder’s bush katydid, nymph, in the genus Scudderia, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
Photographed and identified as a katydid by: Roxanne Elrod. Identified to genus by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: central Alabama, USA. Date: 8 August, 2021.

Giant katydid, Stilpnochlora couloniana, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This giant katydid is found in the Caribbean, as well as Florida (where this was photographed) and occasionally far southern Georgia. The body length of the adult female can reach more than 3 inches (7.6 cm), which is about as long as a credit card is wide. The male is a bit smaller, but still tops 2.5 inches (6.3 cm) in body length. They make a short “tssst” sound at night. To hear it, click here (The Orthopterists’ Society).
Photographed by: Jennifer Cummins. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: The Villages, Florida, USA. Date: 19 October, 2018.
Jennifer says her past experiences living in the Chicagoland area, Indiana, Texas and Tennessee are much different than her new home in Florida. She says, “None of these locales prepared me for plant-eating slugs (not doing butterfly gardens here!), geckos in my house and on my car, toads in my planters, and this insect on my outside lampost.”

Giant katydid, nymph, Stilpnochlora couloniana, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This is a later-stage nymph, probably 4th or 5th instar, so it is almost ready to become an adult. The first instar (just after hatching from its egg) is very colorful. See the first instar by clicking here (BugGuide). See the photographer’s comment below about this nymph’s tarsi (feet).
Photographed and identified as a katydid by: Laura Lewis-Tuffin. Location: Jacksonville, Florida, USA. Date: 29 August, 2020.
Laura says, “It looks like it has shoes on, so cute! (And) of all the plants in my garden that it could eat and rest on, this nymph chose the one that it matches perfectly by color.” She adds, “I wanted to let this katydid eat her fill, was hoping to see her transition to her next stage. But two days after I took this photo, she had wrecked so much of the canna patch by eating large holes in the leaves, that I finally moved her off to a large viburnum bush, and never saw her again. :( ”

Katydid in the subfamily Phaneropterinae, quite possibly Trigonocorypha unicolor (no specific common name), family Tettigoniidae.
□ Trigonocorypha unicolor is almost completely green. It has a prominent white vein down the center of each of its tegmina, and a pronotum with three lobes — one on each side and one in the center. In addition, the tarsi and tibia (feet and “shins”) are whitish, while the femurs are green. Photographed by: Vijay Pratap Yadav. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Pure Daroga Daulatpur, Post-Barun, district of Ayodhya, in Uttar Pradesh, India. Date: 19 July, 2020.
Vijay says, “I captured it today in my house.”

Roesel’s katydid, also known as Roesel’s bush-cricket, Metrioptera roeselii, subfamily Tettigoniinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Roesel’s katydid is often mistaken for a grasshopper, but the long, threadlike antennae give it away as a katydid. This species has an obvious, light-colored outline around the edge of its pronotum (the shield covering the thorax).
Photographed and identified by: Leslie Mertz. Location: Houghton Lake, Michigan, USA. Date: 8 July, 2017.
Leslie says, “These katydids are very common in the summer in northern Michigan.”

Roesel’s katydid, also known as Roesel’s bush-cricket, female, Metrioptera roeselii, subfamily Tettigoniinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Native to Europe (this one photographed in the U.K.), Roesel’s katydid is now common in the North America, too. This photo shows the hindwings, which are typically unfolded from beneath the forewings (tegmina) only when the katydid is in flight, and her curved ovipositor.
Photographed and identified by: Christine Moore. Great ID, Christine! Location: Herefordshire, U.K. Date: 23 August, 2022.

Marbled Bush-Cricket (Eupholidoptera spp.)

Marbled bush-cricket, male, in the genus Eupholidoptera, subfamily Tettigoniinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Adult marbled bush-crickets have have very short wings and are flightless. This one is a male.
Photographed by: Pete Thompson. Submitted by: Jan Thompson. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Italy. Date: 20 August, 2022.

Marbled bush-cricket, female, in the genus Eupholidoptera, quite possibly the Greek marbled bush-cricket, Eupholidoptera megastyla, subfamily Tettigoniinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This photo was taken in Greece, which is home to several similar-looking species of marbled bush-crickets in the genus Eupholidoptera, all of which are flightless. The Greek marbled bush-cricket has a brown head, often with a green abdomen and tannish-gray thorax, as seen here, but definitive identification is only possible by a very close examination of the reproductive parts at the end of the abdomen.
Photographed by: Yanni Petropoulos. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: mainland of southwest Greece. Date: 22 June, 2022.

Dark Bush-Cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera)

Dark bush-cricket, adult female, Pholidoptera griseoaptera, subfamily Tettigoniinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Adult dark bush-crickets have a very thin, white edge on the pronotum (the shield covering the thorax), which is visible in this photo. The male has two small cerci (the projections at the rear of the abdomen); the female also has two cerci plus a much larger and curve-shaped ovipositor extending between them.
Photographed and identified by: Bryan Wenham-Baker. Thanks for the ID, Bryan! Location: Ivybridge, South Hams, South Devon, England, UK. Date: 30 July, 2019.

Dark bush-cricket, adult male, Pholidoptera griseoaptera, subfamily Tettigoniinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Male and female dark bush-crickets look a bit different. The male (right photo) has short wings — they appear here as rounded structures running from the pronotum (the shield covering its thorax) to about one-third of the length of the abdomen. The left photos show the female: her wings are so small that they are only barely seen (the red arrow in the close-up points to a tiny wing).
Photographed and identified by: Bryan Wenham-Baker. Location: Ivybridge, South Hams, South Devon, England, UK. Date: 10 September, 2019.
Bryan says the male and female in these two photos were spotted in the same area, and even crawled onto the same plant.

Dark bush-cricket, adult female, Pholidoptera griseoaptera, subfamily Tettigoniinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The dark bush-cricket is an unusual bush-cricket, because the wings are so small. In fact, they are only barely visible, peeking out from behind the shield-like pronotum. This species is flightless.
Photographed by: Janet Mold. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Barnstaple, England. Date: 28 September, 2017.
Janet says, “I thought it had interesting bobbles on its feet.”

Dark bush-cricket, nymph, Pholidoptera griseoaptera, subfamily Tettigoniinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The dark bush-cricket nymph has a wide, dark stripe running along each side, plus a pair of thinner, lighter-colored, broken stripes down the center of the abdomen.
Photographed and identified by: Bryan Wenham-Baker. Location: Ivybridge, South Hams, South Devon, England, UK. Date: 30 July, 2018.

Some insects, including the shield-backed katydids in the genus Neduba, are known as “relict species,” which means they were far widespread in the past than they are today. In Neduba’s case, their ancestors were common in the ancient coniferous forests of western North America.

Shield-backed katydid in the genus Neduba, subfamily Tettigoniinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Shield-backed katydids in this genus (Neduba) are quite secretive, often hiding during the day in leaf litter or dark crevices of tree trunks, and only becoming active at night.
Photographed by: Kay Cota. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: southwest foothills of Mount Hood, east of Portland, Oregon, USA. Date: 5 October, 2021.

Shield-backed Katydid (Neduba steindachneri)

Shield-backed katydid in the genus Neduba, likely Steindachner’s shieldback, Neduba steindachneri, subfamily Tettigoniinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ All species of shield-backed katydids in the genus Nebuda have a good deal of variation in colors and patterns, and the appearance of multiple species overlap such that they can be very difficult to tell apart. This one, however, was found in the state of Washington in the United States, which according to entomologist Jeffrey Cole, is only known to harbor one species: Steindachner’s shieldback (Neduba steindachneri).
□ One way to be sure of this katydid’s identity is to hear its song. Steindachner’s shieldback has a distinctive song comprised of a quick series of short buzzes. To hear it, click here (The Orthopterists’s Society).
Photographed by: Sandra Schauweker. Submitted by: Stephen Schauweker. Identified to genus by: KnowYourInsects.org. Identified to probable species by: Jeffrey Cole, Ph.D., biologist and entomologist at Pasadena City College and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Thank you, Dr. Cole! Location: Approximately 1,000 feet above sea level in Hoodsport, Washington, USA. Date: 3 and 10 October, 2021.
Stephen says they spotted it in cedar, spruce and hemlock forest, and adds it was their “first encounter with this insect.”

Sooty longwing, female, Capnobotes fuliginosus, subfamily Pseudophyllinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The gray-colored hindwings give the sooty longwings their common name. They will eat the leaves of a variety of plants, but will also prey on other insects. This one made a rather surprising visit — see the comment below.
□ To hear the sound sooty longwings make, click here (Orthoptera Species File).
Photographed by: Ronda Porter. Discovered by: Randy Porter. A joint effort! Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Ridgecrest, California, USA. Date: 6 July, 2023.
Ronda says, “Found this in our broccoli!”

Mediterranean bush-cricket, Rhacocleis germanica, subfamily Tettigoniinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The Mediterranean bush-cricket is a small species, about an inch (2.5 cm) in body length, and has vestigial — small and nonfunctional — wings. Note: This species is sometimes listed in the genus Pterolepis.
Photographed by: Yanni Petropoulos. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Greece. Date: 1 November, 2023.

A katydid in the subfamily Tettigoniidae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ These two photos show a close-up of the katydid and a zoom-out of the image to provide a view of the very long, hairlike antennae.
Photographed and identified as a katydid by: Jenny Rash. Identified to subfamily by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Athens, Tennessee, USA. Date: 4 July, 2024.

Malaysian Bush-Cricket (Mecopoda elongata)

Malaysian bush-cricket, also known as a large dry-leaf katydid, Mecopoda elongata, subfamily Mecopodinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The dark, jagged-edged marking on the side of the thorax and exceptionally long hind legs are characteristics of the this Malaysian bush-cricket. To see the full extent of the long legs, see the next photo.
□ Some individuals may be brown, as seen above, and others may be green.
Photographed and identified by: Amit Sheth. Location: India. Date: 22 December, 2024.

Malaysian bush-cricket, also known as a large dry-leaf katydid, Mecopoda elongata, subfamily Mecopodinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Malaysian bush-crickets are sometimes called large dry-leaf katydids. The males perform one of several slightly different songs, which separates them into different groups, or populations. Although populations may live in the same area, females only mate with males who sing the song of their own population, so the populations remain genetically separated from one another. This is known as reproductive isolation.
□ To learn more about reproductive isolation among the Malaysian bush-crickets, click here (a 2017 research paper in PLoS One).
Photographed and identified by: Eric Blehaut. Well done, Eric! Location: Jairampur, Arunachal Pradesh, India. Date: 15 November, 2006.

Oak-bush or drumming cricket (Meconema thalassinum)

Oak-bush or drumming cricket, female, Meconema thalassinum, subfamily Meconematinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The oak-bush or drumming cricket carries the common name of Méconème Tambourinaire in France: tambourinaire for the drumming sound made by the adult males: very similar to a person’s fingers tapping on the side of a heavy ceramic mug.
Photographed and identified by: Jean-Louis Metzger. Thank you for the ID, Jean-Louis! Location: Oxford, England, UK. Date: 29 October, 2011.

Oak-bush or drumming cricket, female, also known as a drumming katydid, Meconema thalassinum, subfamily Meconematinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The adult male oak-bush cricket makes his drumming sound by very quickly tapping or vibrating one of its hind feet on a leaf or some other surface. It typically drums for seven short drumming sessions in a row, then pauses before repeating the seven drumming sessions.
Photographed by: Steve Lodholz. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Washington, USA. Date: 3 September, 2020.

Oak-bush or drumming cricket, female, nymph, Meconema thalassinum, subfamily Meconematinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This insect is called an oak-bush cricket in its native Europe, but goes by the common name of drumming katydid in the United States, where this one was found. It is also sometimes called a sea-green katydid for its color, and its species name of thalassinum, which is Latin for sea-green.
□ This cricket is found up in trees for the most part. Unlike most members of this family that primarily munch on leaves, this species is a carnivore and eats other insects.
Photographed and identified by: Jean-Louis Metzger. Location: Near Split, on the banks of the river Cetina, Croatia. Date: 27 July, 2017.

A katydid, possibly an oak-bush cricket, male, Meconema thalassinum, subfamily Phaneropterinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This expired katydid shows the dark color of its abdomen and very long antennae. The curved structures at the rear identify it as a male. The female has a much more robust curved structure at the rear.
Photographed by: Tony Bovenkamp. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Surrey, UK. Date: 31 December, 2024.
Tony says, “This is what we found in a spider’s web yesterday (indoors).”

Greater Arid-Land Katydid (Neobarrettia spinosa)

Greater arid-land katydid, adult female, Neobarrettia spinosa, subfamily Listroscelidinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The greater arid-land katydid is sometimes known as a red-eyed devil, which may refer to its bite: It can delivery a nip strong enough to draw blood. It may also refer to its penchant to eat just about anything it can find, ranging from other insects to larger animals, such as frogs and lizards. One report even documented a greater arid-land katydid throwing a songbird out of its nest. To read more about the bird-tossing, click here (the journal The American Midland Naturalist).
Photographed by: Trevor Nunnelee. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Abilene, Texas, USA. Date: 7 August, 2019.

Greater arid-land katydid, adult female, Neobarrettia spinosa, subfamily Listroscelidinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ These photos of a greater arid-land katydid show the fanned-out hindwings that are usually folded and hidden away under the green tegmina (forewings). This katydid flashes its hindwings and holds them outstretched to look menacing when it feels threatened. According to the comment below, this tactic works!
Photographed and identified by: Tina Griffin. Nicely done on the ID, Tina! Location: Canyon Lake, Texas, USA. Date: 12 August, 2020.
Tina says, “It’s pretty scary-looking.”

Greater arid-land katydid, adult female, Neobarrettia spinosa, subfamily Listroscelidinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This photo illustrates the very large size of the greater arid-land katydid, and gives a nice view of the small spines along its legs. Females (one shown here) can have bodies of 2 inches (5 cm) long. Males are slightly smaller and lack the female’s spear-like ovipositor, but otherwise look much the same.
□ For such a large katydid, however, the male’s song is short and sweet: just a short trilly chirp repeated every few seconds. To hear it, click here (University of Florida).
Photographed and identified by: Neil “Woody” Woods. Nicely done, Woody! Location: Barksdale, Texas, USA. Date: 25 June, 2012.

Greater arid-land katydid, female, Neobarrettia spinosa, subfamily Listroscelidinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ These two photos show top and side views of this female greater arid-land katydid, including her long ovipositor. The photographer said the ovipositor was about as long as her body. This species also has extremely long antennae, which can easily match the length of the body and ovipositor. Click on the photos to enlarge them and see some wonderful detail.
Photographed by: Jen Getchell. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Austin, Texas, USA. Date: 4 July, 2023.
Jen says, “This one was definitely a show-stopper.”

Broad-tipped conehead, Neoconocephalus triops, subfamily Conocephalinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Broad-tipped coneheads can be green or dark brown, as shown. To hear the different spring and summer calls of the broad-tipped conehead, click here (The Orthopterists’ Society).
Photographed and identified to order by: Marv Goldberg. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Tamarac, Florida, USA. Date: 5 September, 2019.
Of the bottom photo, Marv says, “The lighter area is a vertical wall; the darker area is the ceiling. I guess he got tired of grass.”

A conehead katydid, quite possibly a broad-tipped conehead, Neoconocephalus triops, subfamily Conocephalinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The long and thin wings of the broad-tipped conehead come in handy when it feels threatened: It will stick its head in the ground and hold its wings together and straight upward, so they look enough like a blade of grass to blend in. To see some cool photos of this defensive tactic, click here (University of Florida “Featured Creatures” website).
Photographed and identified to order by: Teddi Showalter. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Date: 16 April, 2017.

Broad-tipped conehead, Neoconocephalus triops, subfamily Conocephalinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The broad-tipped conehead is also known as a three-eyed conehead: the “third eye” is the black on the tip of the head cone (shown here as more of a black outline). In fact, the species name of triops translates to three eyes. Some individuals are green; others are brown.
□ Note: The round-tipped conehead (Neoconocephalus retusus) looks similar, but the tip of the head is more bead-like. To see the round-tipped conehead, click here (BugGuide).
Photographed by: Tyler Oberding. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Las Tunas, Cuba. Date: 9 January, 2021.

Broad-tipped conehead, female nymph, Neoconocephalus triops_MA, subfamily Conocephalinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The wing bugs on this broad-tipped conehead are about half as long as its abdomen. They will reach their full length and become capable of flight when it becomes an adult. This species is common in the southern United States, but sometimes shows up farther north, such as central Kansas, where this one was photographed, and even in more northerly locations.
Photographed and identified as a katydid by: Mary Austin. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: central Kansas, USA. Date: 15 July, 2024.
Mary says she found it “walking on the shade cloth in my front yard.”

Broad-tipped conehead, female nymph, Neoconocephalus triops, subfamily Conocephalinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The front projection of the head, or its cone, can help distinguish one species of conheaded katydid from another. This appears to be a broad-tipped conehead. To learn more about the cones of different species, click here (University of Florida “Featured Creatures”).
Photographed and identified as a conehead (in the subfamily Conocephalinae) by: Jeff Goff. Identified to genus by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: near Munising in Alger County, Michigan, USA. Date: 3 September, 2017.

A conehead katydid, quite possibly a robust conehead, Neoconocephalus robustus, subfamily Conocephalinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Most robust coneheads are green in the summer, but some are brown (like this one). In the winter, however, they all typically take on a brown coloration.
□ The call of a robust conehead is quite loud. To hear it, click here (SongsOfInsects.com).
Photographed and identified by: Jenny Greene. Great ID, Jenny! Location: Topeka, Kansas, USA. Date: 17 August, 2020.

A conehead katydid in the genus Euconocephalus, subfamily Conocephalinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ As shown in these three photos, which were photographed on two consecutive days, this species of conhead katydid comes in a variety of colors. Their sleek, narrow bodies are typically about 3 inches (7.5 cm) in length.
□ Notice the location of the mouth on these and other coneheads: The top of the head is forwardmost on the head, and the mouthparts are farther back and under the head: the right photo shows the mouthparts just in front of the forelegs.
Photographed by: Devendra Solanki. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Khargone, Madhya, Pradesh, India. Date: 26-27, October, 2017.

Straight-Lanced Meadow Katydid (Conocephalus strictus)

Straight-lanced meadow katydid, also known as a striped katydid, female, Conocephalus strictus, subfamily Conocephalinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The female straight-lanced meadow katydid has a long spear-shaped ovipositor extending from her rear. The male of this species, on the other hand, has a pair of short and sharp-looking projections, called cerci, extending from his rear end. Both males and females have very short wings that cover less than half of the abdomen.
Photographed by: Maryle Barbé. Location: Arcadia, Michigan, USA. Date: 2013.

Haldeman's Shieldback (Pediodectes haldemanii)

Haldeman’s shieldback, male, Pediodectes haldemanii, subfamily Conocephalinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Haldeman’s shieldback is a flightless katydid. Note the cream-colored outline around the edge of the pronotum (the shield covering the thorax) and the splash of brown — both nice contrasts to the bright green of the rest of its body. This katydid is predatory, and eats other insects.
Photographed and identified by: LaRae Garretson. Nicely done, LaRae! Location: Amarillo, Texas, USA. Date: 19 July, 2022.

Black-Legged Meadow Katydid, Orchelimum nigripes

Black-legged meadow katydid, female, Orchelimum nigripes, subfamily Conocephalinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The black-legged meadow katydid does indeed have noticeably black legs (the tibia and part of the femur), along with an orange-tinged, yellow head. It is found primarily in central United States all the way from the Gulf of Mexico to central Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, where this one was photographed.
□ Its call is has a bit of a stutter at the beginning. To head it, click on the sonogram here (SongsOfInsects.com).
Photographed and identified to genus by: Kim Mooney. Great job on the ID, Kim! Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Clearwater, Minnesota, USA. Date: 18 September, 2019.
Kim says, “I am always on this website, but never added a photo before.” KnowYourInsects.org says, “We’re glad you joined the fun, Kim!”

Black-legged meadow katydid, Orchelimum nigripes, subfamily Conocephalinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The black-legged meadow katydid looks quite similar to the closely related red-headed meadow katydid (Orchelimum erythrocephalum): Both have reddish/pinkish heads, but only the black-legged meadow katydid has such clearly black legs.
Photographed by: Marianne Dorais. Identified to order by: Marianne Dorais and her friends. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Michigan, USA. Date: 30 August, 2019.
Marianne says she “found this little beauty on the screen door of my home.” She adds, “I’m excited to have contributed something to your site!” KnowYourInsects.org says, “And we are excited to have you on board!”

A greater meadow katydid, female, in the genus Orchelimum, subfamily Conocephalinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The female greater meadow katydid has extremely long antennae (as shown at right), a curved ovipositor, yellow-orange (sometimes almost red) eyes, and a wide, dark stripe that runs down the center of her head and continues onto her thorax.
Photographed and identified as a katydid by: Jon Billingsley Jr. Identified to genus by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Gallant, Alabama, USA. Date: 17 September, 2018.
Jon says, “It was on my vehicle as I went to get in.”

A conehead katydid, female nymph, in the tribe Conocephalini, subfamily Conocephalinae, family Tettigoniidae (the katydids).
□ The photographer spotted this nymph of a conehead katydid on a canna lily (Canna spp.) plant.
Photographed and identified to subfamily by: Janet Smith. Identified to tribe by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. Date: 20 September, 2020.

A conehead katydid, subfamily Conocephalinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This is a beautiful photo of this katydid nymph. Click on the photo to zoom in and see its amazing detail, including the speckles. Many katydid nymphs are speckled, similar to this one, so the species identification is uncertain.
Photographed and identified to family by Antonio Pullano, professional photographer, LovinLife Multimedia. Location: coast of Newport Beach in southern California, USA. Date: 12 July, 2017.
Antonio says, “It was sitting super-still on my balcony, noticed its awesome facial features, took the time to create a full production image using a tripod, marco lens, strobe light & reflector.”

Central Texas Leaf Katydid/Red Katydid/Truncated True Katydid (Paracyrtophyllus robustus)

Red katydid, nymph, Paracyrtophyllus robustus, subfamily Pseudophyllinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This nymph of the red katydid has quite a range of colors highlighted by those red wing buds. See the comment below.
□ It is also known by the common names of Central Texas leaf katydid or truncated true katydid.
Photographed and identified by: Robert E. Carpenter. Thank you for the ID, Robert! See Robert’s slow-motion insect videos here. Location: Junction, Texas, USA. Date: 4 June, 2016.
Robert says, “Isn’t he pretty! My grandson and I were birdwatching at the South Llano River State Park in Junction when he called to me, ‘Grandpa, you won’t believe this!’”

Red katydid, female, Paracyrtophyllus robustus, subfamily Pseudophyllinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The red katydid can actually be either red or green, but both have the same body shape, including the rounded wings. To see a red adult, click here (BugGuide). An alternate common name is truncated true katydid, which refers to the wings, which are more rounded and shorter than those of many katydid species.
□ This photo shows the female’s ovipositor, as well as the mouthparts, especially the four finger-like palps at the mouth. It uses the palps to both manipulate and taste food items. The pair on top are the maxillary palps (attached to the maxilla, or upper jaw) and the lower pair are the labial palps (attached to the labium or lower lip).
Photographed and identified by: Melissa Hawthorn. Nicely done, Melissa! Location: Bettendorf, Iowa, USA. Date: 17 August, 2020.

Common True Katydid (Pterophylla camellifolia)

Common true katydid, male, Pterophylla camellifolia, subfamily Pseudophyllinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The common true katydid often hangs out in the treetops, so it usually goes unseen. The photographer found this one “in greenery we cut for a wedding.” Grasshoppers are considered good luck by many cultures, so maybe this katydid also portends happy times for the newlyweds!
Photographed and identified to family by: Connie Taylor. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA. Date: 5 July, 2018.
Connie says, “His face is fierce!”

Common true katydid, female, Pterophylla camellifolia, subfamily Pseudophyllinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The common true katydid was found in San Antonio, Texas, which is just a bit outside of its typical range (see the comment below).
□ Other common names for this katydid include northern katydid or rough-winged katydid.
Photographed and identified to family by: Bob Vietas. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: San Antonio, Texas, USA. Date: 31 May, 2020.
Bob says, “We just had a lot of rain this past week in the San Antonio area, which may explain why this cool katydid was found outside of its normal habitat.&rdqo;

Common true katydid, male, Pterophylla camellifolia, subfamily Pseudophyllinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The “song” of the male common true katydid — and other male katydids — is a pattern of short buzzy notes produced by rubbing a stiff portion (called a scraper) of its lower wing against a row of serrated teeth (called a file) on its upper wing. This manner of noisemaking is called stridulation. To hear the sound made by this katydid and a few others, click here (University of Florida).
□ The male common true katydid has a brown, crinkly-looking, triangular patch known as a saddle on his back, as seen here. Females lack the patch.
Photographed by: Henry Neimark. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Massachusetts, USA. Date: 1 August, 2012.
Henry describes it as an “amazing leaf-mimicking insect.”

Common true katydid, male, Pterophylla camellifolia, subfamily Pseudophyllinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ As seen very nicely in this photo, the tegmina (forewings) of this male common true katydid are criss-crossed with veins that look very much like the veins of a leaf. What great camouflage!
Photographed and identified by: Kathy Moll. Nicely done, Kathy! Location: Adamsville, Alabama, USA. Date: 12 July, 2023.
Kathy says she found it “on a potted blackberry on my porch.”

Zabalius aridus (no specific common name), subfamily Pseudophyllinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This Zabalius aridus was found in a mango orchard, not far from Botswana’s capital city of Gaborone. With its green, leaf-like wings, this katydid can easily hide among tree leaves.
Photographed by: Farouk Pandor. Identified by: Professor Mike Picker of the University of Capetown. Location: Lobatswe, Botswana, Africa. Date: 16 November, 2017.
Professor Picker notes that the university has published a new app (iTunes) that features approximately 1,700 species of insects from South Africa. KnowYourInsects.org says, “Thank you, Professor Picker for the identification of this katydid and for the information about the app!”

A blue-legged sylvan katydid in the genus Zabalius, quite possibly a blue-legged sylvan katydid, Zabalius ophthalmicus, subfamily Pseudophyllinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The blue-legged sylvan katydid has blue femora (the “thighs”) on its hind legs. Click on the photo to zoom in and get a good look at the blue femora, as well as some of the small pointy bumps on its pronotum (the shield covering the thorax). The bumps are another feature of this species.
Photographed by: Muthoni Wambui. Identified to genus and tentative species by: Pedro M. Pereyra. Thank you for the identification, Pedro! Location: Chaka, Kenya, Africa. Date: 27 June, 2020.
Muthoni found this katydid “at my workplace in a small town called Chaka.”

A moss mimic katydid, female, in the genus Haemodiasma, subfamily Pseudophyllinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ When the moss mimic katydid is still and resting on a brown and gray leaf, its color and pattern provide excellent camouflage despite its large size (see comment below).
Photographed by: Troy Greer. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: on the coast about 2.5 hrs south of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Date: 27 October, 2018.
Troy saw this katydid on the leaf of a plant often called “lobster claws” in the genus Heliconia. He says the katydid measured about 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) long (including the antennae).

Asian bush-cricket/katydid (Sathrophyllia spp.)

An Asian bush-cricket/katydid in the genus Sathrophyllia, subfamily Pseudophyllinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This amazingly cryptic Asian bush-cricket/katydid katydid rests in an unusual pose (as shown above): forelegs held forward, middle legs out to the sides, and hind legs hidden beneath its wings. To get a better view of the head, see the next photo.
Photographed by: K J Westman. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Nitulemada, Digana, Kandy, Sri Lanka. Date: 29 June, 2018.

An Asian bush-cricket/katydid in the genus Sathrophyllia, subfamily Pseudophyllinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Look closely to see the eyes of this An Asian bush-cricket/katydid. Its head is tilted down, so its mouthparts are not visible. Note also the prominent knob on its thorax.
Photographed by: K J Westman. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Nitulemada, Digana, Kandy, Sri Lanka. Date: 26 June, 2018.

An Asian bush-cricket/katydid in the genus Sathrophyllia, subfamily Pseudophyllinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Bush crickets in the genus Sathrophyllia are tree huggers — literally. They hug tree branches with their middle pair of legs to stay in place. When they are on a flat surface, such as a leaf or the side of a building (as seen above), they may hold their middle legs splayed to either side, or hidden under the body. They also typically hold their forelegs out front as seen here.
Photographed and identified as a bush cricket by: Angela Sia and Rudy Rotbarsch. Identified to genus by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Yala National Park, Sri Lanka. Date: 2 March, 2024.
Angela says, “Hopefully the image contribute in a small way to letting people know this little guy also exists among all the many camouflage animals in the world.”

A leaf-mimic katydid in the genus Phyllomimus, subfamily Pseudophyllinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This species of leaf-mimic katydid is so leaf-like that it is almost surprising that the photographer did very well to even spot it!
□ It is sitting in a typical pose with its forelegs stretched out front, straddling its long, thin, tan-colored antennae.
Photographed by: Shiva.Ch. Submitted by: Suma S. Identified to genus by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Bangalore,India. Date: 22 July, 2020.

A leaf-mimic sylvan katydid in the subfamily Pseudophyllinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This leaf-mimic sylvan katydid and related species in the subfamily Pseudophyllinae are herbivores. Their appearance helps them to blend into leaves and hide in plain sight from predators
Photographed by: Kislay Kunar. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: northern India. Date: 25 September, 2020.

Parasanaa donovani (no specific common name), subfamily Pseudophyllinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ A scientific article, written back in 1927 and appropriately titled “The Liquid-Squirting Habit of Oriental Grasshoppers,” describes how this species of bush katydid can shoot a stream of yellow slime a full 4 inches (10 cm). To read the article, click here (Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London). The stream comes from two ports on its mesothorax, and it appears to have the ability to shoot from one port at a time. Assumedly, the slime is either distasteful to or simply scares off a potential predator.
Photographed by: Ram Baipureddy. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: not reported. Date: 21 July, 2020.

Parasanaa donovani (no specific common name), subfamily Pseudophyllinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Parasanaa donovani is a stunning insect with the green to yellow checkers on its tegmina (forewings) and on its pronotum (the shield covering the thorax).
Photographed by: Surani Pratik. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Navsari, Gujarat, India. Date: 28 September, 2018.

Nesoecia nigrispina (no specific common name), subfamily Pseudophyllinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ The male Nesoecia nigrispina produces a sound by rubbing parts of its small wings together, and does so to attract females for mating. When both males and females feel threatened, they produce a second, slightly faster sound, a so-called protest signal, apparently to help repel predators. To learn more, click here (the journal PeerJ).
□ The photographer described this katydid as about 3 inches (7.6 cm) in body length.
Photographed and identified to order by: Leah Miller. Identified to tentative species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Belmopan, Belize, Central America. Date: April 2022.
Leah says, “I wish I’d put a scale next to it because it was LARGE, but frankly, until I knew what it was, I didn’t want to get that close and risk scaring it away.”

Katydid in the genus Nesonotus, subfamily Pseudophyllinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ About a half dozen species of katydids in the genus Nesonotus live in the Caribbean islands of Grenada, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Dominica and St. Barths, according to research scientist Daniel Perez-Gelabert, who identified this specimen to the genus level. He said he is not sure if it has ever been reported from Montserrat, where this individual was found. Montserrat is a small, approximately 10-mile-long and 7-mile-wide island north of Guadeloupe.
□ The photographer estimated the length of its antennae at 3-4 inches (7.6-10.2 cm) long.
Photographed and identified to order by: Lorna Proulx. Identified to genus by: Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution’s Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) and Department of Entomology. Thank you, Dr. Perex-Gelabert! Location: Montserrat. Date: 24 March, 2021. Lorna says, “It backed up from me when I stopped to take its picture.“ She adds, “While we have a variety of insects (on Montserrat), I have never seen this one before.”

Forest katydid, Nesonotus denticulatus, subfamily Pseudophyllinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Despite its body length of about 3 inches (7.6 cm), the forest katydid is rarely seen. In fact, most people spot it at night, and usually only when they shine a flashlight in the trees and notice its eyes glowing back at them. During the day, it hides in the spaces between bark. Little else is known about it.
□ The forest katydid is native to the Caribbean.
Photographed by: Anselm Gittens. Submitted and identified to order by: Bev Beasley. Identified to genus by: KnowYourInsects.org. Identified to species by: Ron Andrew. (A group effort!) Location: Bois D'Orange, St Lucia, the West Indies. Date: 5 October, 2020.

An armoured ground cricket, also known as a corn cricket, in the genus Enyaliopsis, subfamily Hetrodinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ Armoured ground crickets have assorted spikes on the thorax. Also known as corn crickets, they can reach 5 cm (2 inches) long. This one may be the species known as Enyaliopsis transvaalensis (no specific common name).
Photographed and identified to genus by: Hélène Lord. Identified to tentative species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Greater Kruger Park, South Africa. Date: 28 January, 2020.
Hélène found this cricket in her shoe while visiting South Africa from her home in Canada. She then put this large critter on the pavement for a second photo. Nicely done!

Armoured ground cricket (Cosmoderus spp.)

An armoured ground cricket in the genus Cosmoderus, subfamily Hetrodinae, family Tettigoniidae.
□ This odd-looking, spiny insect is a species of armoured ground cricket in the genus Cosmoderus. Other common names include thorny cricket or dragon head cricket. It could be either the species Cosmoderus femoralis or Cosmoderus maculatus, which are both found in Cameroon (where this photo was taken).
Photographed and identified to order by: Sarah Park. Identified to genus by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Yaoundé, Cameroon. Date: 2015.
Kudos to Sarah for realizing this was some type of orthopteran!

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