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grasshopper pictures from a fan
Hi Bugman!
I’ve found your site very helpful in many of my bug-naming quests. Bugs generally give me the willies, but there are a couple that I can get close enough to take a picture of. I found a very pretty grasshopper on my patio and grabbed my camera without scaring it away. I didn’t see pictures of this particular one on your site, so I thought I might share it. It was found in Raleigh, NC. Interestingly, he (she?) kept turning it’s head to look at me. I love how you can see it’s pupils (or whatever the bug equivalent may be) in the flash. It reminded me of a mantis, the way I held it’s attention so clearly. Keep up the bug posting!
Joy

Hi Joy,
This is actually a Greater Meadow Katydid in the genus Orchelimum. Your specimen is a female, evidenced by the large curved ovipositor. BugGuide has many images of different species and the Audubon Field Guide states: “Each species in this genus has its own sound and range. Identification of the different species is based on a comparative study of male genitalia, of the projecting conical midpart of the head in both sexes, and of the ovipositor.”

Related Posts

1. Shield-backed Katydid or Greater Arid-Land Katydid (June 26, 2005)
2. Shield-back Katydid or Greater Arid-Land Katydid (December 14, 2004)
3. Meadow Katydid (February 21, 2008)
4. Greater Arid-Land Katydid (August 30, 2007)
5. Greater Meadow Katydid (September 14, 2009)