Katydid, she didn't!

By Chelsie Vandaveer

June 18, 2003

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The repetitive 'song' starts at sunset and ends at dawn, usually the night noise comes from the canopy of a tree. It is well known call over the eastern U.S. It is the stridulation of the common katydid (Pterophylla camellifolia Fabricius). The scientific name was created from the Greek, pteron, or wing, and phyllo, leaf--the leaf winged. The species epithet is almost redundant, camellia-leaf.

Katydid Nymph Walks on a Leaf Photographic Print
George Grall Buy Photographic Print at AllPosters.com

Common katydids hatch in the spring; the eggs overwinter on the surface of twigs. The nymphs appear much like the adults, except smaller and with poorly developed wings. Common katydids are generalists, feeding on an assortment of trees and shrubs, but seldom in large enough numbers to harm the plants. They will molt four or five times before adulthood when the wings are fully developed.

Only the males stridulate, rubbing one wing over the other. The edges of the wings produce the music; the underside edge is rough, the upper edge has a scraper. The wings act like a string and a bow. At times, the entire population of common katydids will begin stridulating in unison; the sound possibly covering the location of any one male protecting it from nocturnal predators.

Gladiator Meadow Katydid Found at Spring Creek Prairie Photographic Print
Joel Sartore Buy Photographic Print at AllPosters.com

Females are attracted to the stridulating males. The auditory organ is covered with a tympanic membrane. One 'ear' is located on each tibia of the front legs.

Katydid stridulation varies across the range of the insects. The common name comes from the onomatopoeic interpretation of their song, ka-ty-did, she-did, or when two or more males sing together it sounds like ka-ty-did, she-didn't, she-did.

Singing Insects of North America, a great website by Thomas J. Walker and Thomas E. Moore, has photographs and recording of the common katydid. To view the photographs, click on the link:

http://buzz.ifas.ufl.edu/141a.htm

Scroll down and click on the speaker icons to listen to the various stridulations of the species. Especially interesting is the 20 second recording of two males sounding like an argument over whether Katy did.

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