Insect from Belize…
Location: Mountain Pine Ridge in Cayo, Belize
July 28, 2010 10:21 am
We think it’s a sort of locust, what do you think? We were fascinated with this bug! I took this picture on Thursday, July 22, 2010. Thanks for your help!
Sandie Young
Crayola Katydid from Belize
Hi Sandie,
This appears to be a Katydid, though we sometimes mistake other Long Horned Orthopterans in the suborder Ensifera for Katydids. We are going to check with international Katydid expert Piotr Naskrecki to see if he recognizes your species.
That is wonderful, thank you so much. Will you please let me know what you find out? I’ve never seen such a beautiful colorful bug ! 
Hi Daniel,
This is a female of the Crayola katydid, Moncheca pretiosa (Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae), one of the few katydids that probably uses chemical defenses. Although this species has not yet been tested, its closest relative, a similarly colored genus Vestria, produces volatile pyrazines that are known to act as repellants to monkeys and birds.
Cheers,
Piotr
Wow Piotr,
That is wonderful. The Crayola Katydid sure has a fitting name for such a colorful Katydid, and those of us who grew up with the 64 pack of crayons appreciate the significance.
How cool is that!! I love his name. We were calling him the disco bug Thanks for the info ! What a great website you have !
Sandie
3
¶ Posted 29 July 2010 § ‡ ° huge outer space bug
Location: Austin Texas at Lake Travis
July 23, 2010 12:11 pm
I need help… while camping in Texas we came across this huge grass hopper type bug with packs on it’s back, weird mouth, legs and everything else…. I just got to find out…
Bug Quest
Greater Arid Land Katydid
Dear Bug Quest,
This Greater Arid Land Katydid, Neobarrettia spinosa, is in the same order as a Grasshopper, Orthoptera, but then their taxonomies diverge. Katydids are Long Horned Orthopterans in the suborder Ensifera and the family Tettigoniidae. The Spiny Predatory Katydids in the genus Neobarrettia are “voraciously omnivorous” according to BugGuide, which also indicates: “When approached, said to sometimes threaten and attack, may bite and draw blood.“ We are rather fond of the less commonly used but colorfully descriptive name Red Eyed Devil.
¶ Posted 24 July 2010 § ‡ ° Green bug
June 12, 2010
Green bug
Found this on my patio in Abilene Texas.
Michael
Abilene, Texas
Greater Arid Land Katydid
Hi Michael,
This is a predatory Katydid in the genus Neobarrettia. We believe it is the Greater Arid Land Katydid, Neobarrettia spinosa, sometimes called the Red Eyed Devil according to BugGuide. This is a gregarious omnivorous species that is found in Texas and a few neighboring states. We would not discount that it might be the smaller White Eyed Devil, Neobarrettia victoriae, which is also pictured on BugGuide. The individual in your photo is a female based on her long ovipositor that might be mistaken for a stinger. These aggressive Katydids are capable of biting and drawing blood.
¶ Posted 13 June 2010 § ‡ ° Huge Creepy Crawlers
June 7, 2010
These very loud chirping “crickets” like to jump on me! I have seen them green with black legs and red with black legs.
Nervous in Mico
Medina Lake, Texas
Central Texas Leaf Katydid
Dear Nervous,
It must be a bumper crop year for the Central Texas Leaf Katydid which is represented in your photograph. If they are plentiful, they may defoliate oak trees. Your specimen is a female as evidenced by the saber-like ovipositor.
¶ Posted 07 June 2010 § ‡ ° What is it? Katydid? Bush cricket?
June 2, 2010
Righty then, I have an employee that brought this mystery bug to work for identification. After scouring the web and looking through books, obviously I’ve turned to the experts. According to the employee, there are lots of these and they are eating her oak trees. She lives in a county about 20 miles outside Bexar County, TX. Photography by Kathy Moffett-Jones.
Steve
San Antonio, Texas, Surrounding area
Central Texas Leaf Katydid
Hi Steve,
This is the third photo of a Truncated True Katydid or Central Texas Leaf Katydid, Paracyrtophyllus robustus, we have received from Texas in the past few days. Your specimen is immature and when it is mature, the wings will be full sized. We understand when they are quite plentiful, they can defoliate oak trees, but this does not seriously compromise healthy trees which will just grow more leaves.
¶ Posted 03 June 2010 § ‡ ° Texas Hill Country bug
June 1, 2010
Saw a fair number of these bugs in Government Canyon State Natural Area, which is just northwest of San Antonio, Texas. Saw it walking on oak trees and in grasses nearby. It’s about 2 inches long. Maybe a roach, but not like any I’ve seen before. Photo is of one on a Juniper tree. If not moving, it can be confused with a brown leaf. Did not see one fly, but it looks like maybe it could. Thanks.
Don B
(29.56, -98.76)
Central Texas Leaf Katydid
Dear Don,
Once we recognized this as a True Katydid in the family Pseudophyllinae (doesn’t the prefix ‘pseudo’ mean false?), we quickly identified it as a Truncated True Katydid or Central Texas Leaf Katydid, Paracyrtophyllus robustus on BugGuide which indicated: “Large concentrations in the canopies of live oak and junipers, producing an amazing chorus at mid-day.“ BugGuide also reports that there are periodical outbreaks of great numbers of Central Texas Leaf Katydids and by comparison “Katydids normally sing only at night, but during outbreaks they [Central Texas Leaf Katydids] sing day and night (and how!!!)“ A few days ago, we posted a photo of an immature Central Texas Leaf Katydid. We suspect, when they are very plentiful, they provide a valuable food source for many creatures, and that they are probably quite palatable to humans as well. Perhaps David Gracer will comment.
Yellow insect from South Africa?
June 1, 2010
Ok, so my friend sent me a picture of the mysterious bug that wouldn’t die! I’m sorry this is such a terrible picture… all of the pictures in this album were taken with a cell phone as that was their only camera at the time! My friends are told that they are harmless.
Stacy F.
South Africa (Bugeni)
Koringkrieks
Hi Stacy,
We believe this must be an Orthopteran, but we do not recognize it. We wonder if perhaps it is a type of Weta. We are going to contact Piotr Naskrecki to see if he recognizes it.
Piotr Naskrecki Identifies Koringkrieks
Hi Marcos,
This is Enyaliopsis transvaalensis (Tettigoniidae: Hetrodinae), member of a group of katydids known in South Africa as koringkrieks. Although unrelated to European Bradyporinae, they also exhibit reflexive bleeding as a defense mechanism. This species is common in NE South Africa (the old Transvaal.)
Piotr
?Hi Daniel,
Actually, I think I identfied this bug and it is a Shieldback Katydid, also known as Koringkriek. Ask PiotrNaskrecki if he thinks I am correct.
The main thing is, are they harmless? We have a missionary family tha are pretty freaked out by these because they have a small child.
Sincerely,
Stacy Fisher
?Thanks for helping me out in this! You have an excellent site! I go there whenever I find some bizarre critters (and believe me, it’s often, ha ha)
Take care,
Stacy Fisher
¶ Posted 01 June 2010 § ‡ ° Tagged: mysteries Bug identification
May 31, 2010
I noticed these guys on my rose today. They hop and have very long antennae. It was late afternoon and they may have been searching for aphids. I only notice them on the dark colored roses. I live in Lodi, CA (Central Valley)
Mary
Central California
Scudder's Bush Katydid Nymph
Hi Mary,
This is an immature Scudder’s Bush Katydid. Winged adults look like green grasshoppers with long antennae. Katydids eat leaves, and we find that in our own Southern California garden, they like nibbling on rose petals. They never get plentiful enough to be a problem, and we tolerate the Scudder’s Bush Katydids because they are such interesting creatures.
Thanks Daniel. Yes, I read that they eat citrus but I have none on my orange or lemon here in the CA Central Valley. They’re just on the roses. I find them fascinating as well. I love the antennae. Do they eat aphids or are they herbivores?
Hi again Mary,
From all we have read, they are strictly phytophagous, feeding solely on plants, despite that numerous Katydids are predatory or at least omnivorous.
¶ Posted 01 June 2010 § ‡ ° 
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