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Photo#1263462
Katydid eating monarch larva

Katydid eating monarch larva
Dennison, Goodhue County, Minnesota, USA
July 24, 2016
Size: Body 18mm OAL 46mm
This katydid ate a 3rd instar monarch larva this morning. I didn't see it kill the caterpillar, but saw it dragging the caterpillar and appearing to eat the resulting juice.

Adult male of a Conocephalus
Adult male of a Conocephalus meadow katydid.

meadow katydid nymph of some sort
These are omnivorous, and I have seen them take out small flies and other insects. I wouldn't think one would take on a full size caterpillar though. Maybe the caterpillar was already injured?

Moved from ID Request.

 
katydid predation of monarch caterpillars
I found this page just an hour ago because I was looking for information regarding this very topic. About an hour ago in my front garden here in Wichita, Kansas I witnessed a katydid that looked just like the one in this picture leap onto what is probably a 4th instar monarch caterpillar. This caterpillar is healthy so apparently katydids will attack caterpillars that aren't injured or sick. I must admit that I intervened and prevented it from killing the caterpillar.

 
Thanks! It could have been al
Thanks! It could have been already injured, however the caterpillar was small, only about 1 cm or slightly more.

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