O.K. my turn…..
Today, 8/23/06, 1 p.m. the young woman who works for me discovered this bug in one of the urban gardens we work.
It cooperated fully, and she has a way with bugs ! It blends in completely with the leaves, and when it tired of all the attention it jumped/flew? a foot or so. Looked at many categories but can’t find it on your entertaining & so educational website. Many thanks,
Colleen in Boston MA

Hi Colleen,
Here in Los Angeles, it is the 24th. We believe this is an Angular Winged Katydid, Microcentrum retinerve, or a closely related species. The males “sing”. The gloves in the photo are a nice artistic touch.

Mystery bugs
Hi. I just found your site… fascinating! When I lived in north Texas, I took pics of two bugs that I never was able to identify. Maybe you can? The big green bug (katydid or grasshopper?) was spotted in late February when the bugs are just waking up, so I suspect it’s pretty young.
Thanks!

It is difficult to be certain due to the angle, but this looks like a Cone-Head, a group of Katydids in the genus Neoconocephalus. The other photo is of an immature Hemipteran.

katydid far from home?
Hi,
Last summer two male katydids courted a female above my front door for a couple of weeks, which was really exciting because I live in Vancouver, Canada – not exactly prime katydid territory. I spent hours trying to identify their species, researching them online, using taxonomic keys, and comparing ovipositors, but I kept getting stumped when it came down to species’ range maps. Based on anatomy alone, I was 99% sure that our visitors were drumming katydids (Meconema thalassinum), despite the fact that all the information I’d found on the species puts their range about 3500km east of here. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a clear enough photo to submit to you (unless you can id blurry green blobs) and so the best I could do was to reassure myself that I’d identified them correctly. Well, lo and behold, a lone male has appeared in the same spot again this year and I have a brand new zoom lens for my camera. I’d be really grateful if you could confirm that this IS a drumming katydid and if so, how rare the species is out here. I mean, should I be calling up the local entomology department to have them document the find? Or is the info I’ve found totally out of date & these guys are really common in BC? Thanks so much! You guys rock!
C.S.

Dear C.S.,
We also believe your identification of the Drumming Katydid is correct. There is a near identical match on BugGuide and the range is listed as Southern New England. Why is it in Vancouver? Global Warming? Possible accidental introduction? We think you should check with local experts and we will inquire with Eric Eaton if he has an opinion on the matter. Thanks for sending in your photo and story. Eric Eaton has verified the identification: “Yes, it is a drumming katydid (male), and its occurence should probably be reported to provincial agriculture authorities, eh? Seriously, it may be of interest to BC entomologists.”

Update: (07/03/2008) Katydid IDs from Piotr Naskrecki
Hi,
I have been looking at the page with unidentified katydids (Katydids 2), and thought I could help with some ID’s. From top to bottom they are: Meconema thalssinum

giant central texas hopper – not listed on your site !!!!
hi
sorry to learn of your email problems and hope they are solved so you can check this one out. This guy was more than two inches long and walked around like a cat. Only saw this one and have not seen one since (near the middle of June) I did have a co worker say he saw one about 40 miles from me – that’s it – no other sitings. Whatsthatbug?????????????????
cheers
vic vreeland

Hi Vic,
We have several photos on our site of the Greater Arid-Land Predaceous Katydid, Neobarrettia spinosa, but they are posted on our Katydid page, not the Grasshopper page. This specimen is a male.

wtb
I found this thing on my front porch where my giant stick bugs usually rest; I am not sure what it is. Can you help?
Wayne

Hi Wayne,
We just receive a second letter from Texas that inquired about this insect, but your photo is better. The other person also mentioned large Walkingsticks, so we are guessing you are also from Texas. This impressive creature is a Greater Arid-Land Predaceous Katydid, Neobarrettia spinosa, one of the Shieldbacked Katydids.. It is a female, identified by the spikelike ovipositor. Perhaps she is where the Walkingsticks normally sit because she is eating them. We are printing Dawn’s letter below because it is so descriptive.

(06/15/2006) Large Katydid?
I’m in central Texas and we’ve been invaded by what I believe are large Katydid’s, although I couldn’t find any exactly like these on your site (or any other). Attached are two pictures of the same bug. It measures about 4 inches in length and has very red eyes. It’s the size and the red eyes that don’t seem to match any other picture I’ve been able to find. Can you confirm what it is? We also have very large (7 inches) walking sticks this time of year, which I’d be glad to send pictures of if you’re interested. Thanks so much.
Dawn Jones
Dale, Texas

I LOVE your site, bugs are fascinating
Dear wtb,
Here is a lovely winged green thingie we had on our porch in Anguilla. We called him our Leaf Bug, as we don’t know what he is. Size about 2.5 inches long. And here is a spider who just hung out by our front door. She was about 3 inches from her left to right legs. I did see on your tick page that the last picture sent in by Simon, is a female deer tick. We have them everywhere here on Cape Cod, and if there are deer around, if you get bitten, you most likely will get Lyme disease. My husband just got over Lyme disease, had to be on antibiotics for a year! Darcy’s picture above it is an immature dog or wood tick, these rarely carry Lyme disease, but do carry Rocky Mt. Fever and Tularemia, and other co-infections. If there is anything you want to know about ticks, I unfortunately know too much. Great site you have!
Thank you,
Jane Carter

Hi Jane,
Thanks for the compliments. Your Leaf Bug is a Katydid. We are wondering if the spider was also in Anguilla or in Cape Cod. We suspect Anguilla. This is a type of Huntsman Spider, also called Giant Crab Spiders. We have never seen an orange one before. Thanks for the tick info.

Hi WTB people,
Thank you! A Katydid, that is neat. He was a very cute critter. Yes, the Orange Huntsman spider was in Anguilla too, the critters loved to hang out on the porch. I think they valued the shade, and also we washed off our snorkel gear on the steps and then poured the water on the flowers, so there was always clean fresh water there for them. And the chickens couldn’t reach them up on the side. Chickens eat anything, and the bugs must know that.
Jane