Subject: Grasshopper?
Geographic location of the bug: Portland, OR
Date: 08/20/2019
Time: 05:55 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Hello,
I took this photo of this beautiful insect and I wanted to know what exactly it is? My guess is a grasshopper.
Thank you!!
How you want your letter signed: Jenn
Hi Jenn,
The quick answer is that this is a Katydid, and Katydids and Grasshoppers are in the same insect order Orthoptera. The most obvious difference between Katydids and Grasshoppers is that Katydids have much longer antennae. We are having difficulty determining the genus and species. Your individual looks very similar to this image on Pacific Northwest Photography Forum, but it is only identified as a Katydid. This might be a Bush Katydid in the genus Scudderia which is profiled on BugGuide. We will attempt to contact Katydid expert Piotr Naskrecki to see if he can provide a more definitive identification.