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BugGuide Gathering
Smoky Mountains
University of Tennessee Biological Field Station
August 8-10, 2008

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Photos from the 2007 gathering in Minnesota

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids (Orthoptera) » Long-horned Orthoptera (Ensifera) » Katydids (Tettigoniidae) » True Katydids (Pseudophyllinae) » Pterophylla » Common True Katydid (Pterophylla camellifolia)

Species Pterophylla camellifolia - Common True Katydid

Classification · Other Common Names · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Common True Katydid - Pterophylla camellifolia

6008373 Katydid nymph - Pterophylla camellifolia

Common true katydid? - Pterophylla camellifolia - female

Katydid (Tettigoniidae) Molting - Pterophylla camellifolia - female

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Orthoptera (Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids)

Suborder Ensifera (Long-horned Orthoptera)

Family Tettigoniidae (Katydids)

Subfamily Pseudophyllinae (True Katydids)

Genus Pterophylla

Species camellifolia (Common True Katydid)

Other Common Names

Northern Katydid, Rough-winged Katydid, True Katydid

Size

Circa 45-55 mm

Identification

Forewings form cup over abdomen, many conspicuous veins. Pronotum has two shallow grooves. Both sexes stridulate "katy-did, katy-didn't" at dusk into night. Song varies geographically.

Range

Eastern North America

Habitat

Deciduous forests

Season

Midsummer to frost. July-October (Michigan), July-September, or November (North Carolina)

Food

Foliage of deciduous trees, and shrubs(?)

Life Cycle

Eggs are inserted into loose bark or young stems of trees and hatch in spring. One brood per year. Both sexes stridulate, males more loudly. Song varies geographically. Flightless, but may glide to lower branches of trees. (1) Sometimes seen perched on shrubs.

Remarks

Often heard, but seldom seen, since mostly lives in forest canopy.

Print References

Arnett, p. 161, fig. 11.15 (2)

Helfer, p. 264, fig. 405 (3)

Swan and Papp, p. 74, fig. 38A (4)

Milne, p. 435, fig. 288 (5)

Cranshaw, pp. 58-59 (6)

Borror and White, pp. 80-81 (7)

Bland, p. 168 (1)

Brimley, p. 19 (8)

Internet References

Singing Insects of North America

Works Cited

1.	Orthoptera of Michigan By Roger Bland

2.	American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico By Ross H. Arnett

3.	How to Know the Grasshoppers, Cockroaches, and Their Allies By Jacques R. Helfer

4.	The Common Insects of North America By Lester A. Swan, Charles S. Papp

5.	National Audubon Society Field Guide to Insects and Spiders By Lorus and Margery Milne

6.	Garden Insects of North America : The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Bugs (Princeton Field Guides) By Whitney Cranshaw

7.	A Field Guide to Insects By Richard E. White, Donald J. Borror, Roger Tory Peterson

8.	Insects of North Carolina By C.S. Brimley

Contributed by Cotinis on 13 September, 2004 - 9:49pm
Last updated 20 October, 2004 - 6:49am

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