Katydid vs Cicada: Unveiling Their Differences & Intriguing Facts

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Katydids and cicadas are two fascinating groups of insects that are often confused due to their similar appearances and the loud mating calls they produce. However, these insects are quite different from each other in several aspects. Understanding their distinctive features will help you recognize them and appreciate their roles in their respective ecosystems.

Katydids, belonging to the order Orthoptera, are related to grasshoppers and crickets, with about 6,400 species worldwide. They are mostly green in color and can be found in areas with deciduous trees, parks, and yards. On the other hand, cicadas belong to the order Hemiptera and can be identified by their large wings, prominent veins, and small antennae. Cicadas can be found in either annual or periodical forms, with the latter emerging every 13 or 17 years as evident from Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

While both of these insects produce loud sounds for mating purposes, they use different mechanisms. Male katydids produce sound by rubbing their wings together, whereas male cicadas use a specialized membrane on their bodies.

Katydid and Cicada Basics

General Appearance

Katydids:

  • Long and slender shape
  • Long antennae
  • Green or brown color, often resembling leaves
  • Four wings, held like a roof over the body

Cicadas:

  • Stout body, 1-1.5 inches long
  • Short antennae
  • Green or brown color with black markings
  • Four clear, fly-like wings, folded like a tent over the body

Habitat and Range

Katydids:

  • Found in various environments such as forests, meadows, and gardens
  • Mainly nocturnal, actively feeding and singing during the night
  • About 6,400 species worldwide, with differing habitats depending on the species (source)

Cicadas:

  • Found worldwide, inhabiting trees and other vegetation
  • Can be heard singing during day and night
  • Over 3,000 species, some emerging every 13 or 17 years (source)
Feature Katydid Cicada
Shape Long and slender Stout
Antennae Long Short
Wings Like a roof over the body Like a tent over the body
Active period Mainly nocturnal Both day and night
Number of species Around 6,400 Over 3,000
Emergence schedule Varies by species Some emerge every 13-17 years

Physical Characteristics

Katydids are a large group of insects in the order Orthoptera, closely related to grasshoppers and crickets. They are typically green in color, but some species can be found in shades of red, brown, blue, or even pink, yellow, and orange. Their most distinctive feature is their long antennae which help differentiate them from grasshoppers and crickets 1.

Cicadas, however, belong to a different order called Hemiptera. They usually have a green or brown body, with black markings. Cicadas are characterized by short antennae and four transparent wings which are much longer than their abdomen 2.

Here is a comparison table highlighting the main differences between katydids and cicadas:

Feature Katydids Cicadas
Order Orthoptera Hemiptera
Color Green, red, brown, blue Green, brown
Wings Long, green Transparent, longer than abdomen
Antennae Long Short

Katydids have oblong-shaped wings that resemble leaves, providing them excellent camouflage in their environment. This helps them blend in with their surroundings, making it difficult for predators to spot them 3.

On the other hand, cicadas possess transparent wings folded over their back, resembling a tent, which contributes to their distinct appearance 4.

The eyes of both insects are typically large, though katydids have rounded eyes whereas cicadas have more protruding eyes.

In terms of mouth, katydids have chewing mouthparts, whereas cicadas are equipped with piercing and sucking mouthparts 5.

Key features of katydids:

  • Green, leaf-like wings
  • Long antennae
  • Chewing mouthparts

Key features of cicadas:

  • Transparent wings
  • Short antennae
  • Piercing and sucking mouthparts

Sounds and Songs

Katydids and cicadas are both known for their distinct sounds. They use these sounds for communication, primarily during mating season.

Katydids: The song of a katydid is usually a high-pitched, raspy, and halting sound. It’s often described as a “katy-did, katy-didn’t” call from high up in trees1. An example of a katydid species found in Missouri is the Common true katydid (Pterophylla camellifolia).

Cicadas: Cicada songs are more of a rattling noise. Male cicadas produce the sound using a structure called a tymbal. The hollow abdomen helps amplify the noise2. For example, the periodical cicada creates a sound similar to a child’s wooden rattle.

Feature Katydid Cicada
Sound High-pitched, raspy, halting Rattling
Purpose Communication, primarily for mating Communication, primarily for mating
Example Common true katydid Periodical cicada

In summary, katydids and cicadas both create unique sounds for communication purposes, with katydids making high-pitched, halting sounds, and cicadas producing rattling noises.

Behavior and Life Cycle

Cicadas:

  • Periodical cicadas have a unique 13 or 17-year life cycle with most of their lives spent underground.
  • They emerge as adults in the summer to mate. Females lay eggs in tree branches.
  • Eggs hatch in 6-7 weeks and nymphs fall to the ground, burrow into the soil, and feed on tree roots.
  • They are mainly found in North America.

Katydids:

  • Katydids have a much shorter life cycle, completing it within a single season.
  • Mating takes place in late summer to early fall. Females lay eggs on leaves or stems.
  • Nymphs hatch in spring, and the entire population dies off in the fall.
  • They are more common in tropical regions.

Comparison Table:

  Cicadas Katydids
Life Cycle 13 or 17 years 1 season
Mating Summer Late summer to early fall
Eggs Tree branches Leaves or stems
Nymphs Underground feeding Above ground, similar to adults
Location North America Tropical regions

Reproduction and Growth

Katydids are fascinating creatures known for their leaf-like appearance and nocturnal behaviors. Their reproduction process involves males producing a loud call to attract females by rubbing their wings together. Female katydids deposit eggs onto leaves or plants, which hatch into nymphs after several weeks. Found in various locations, including North Carolina, they can sometimes damage crops or plant life.

Here are some characteristics of katydids:

  • Leaf-like appearance
  • Nocturnal behavior
  • Males call females by rubbing wings together
  • Eggs are laid on leaves or plants
  • Nymphs emerge after a few weeks

Cicadas are also unique insects, with some periodical cicadas emerging every 13 or 17 years. Males produce a loud song by vibrating membranes on their body to attract females. Female cicadas lay eggs inside tree branches, which hatch into nymphs that fall to the ground and burrow into the soil to begin their life cycle.

Cicadas have these distinctive features:

  • Males sing to attract females
  • Females lay eggs inside tree branches
  • Nymphs fall to the ground and burrow into the soil

When comparing katydids and cicadas, we can consider the following table:

Aspect Katydids Cicadas
Reproduction Males call by rubbing wings Males sing by vibrating membranes
Egg laying On leaves or plants Inside tree branches
Nymph habitat On or near host plant or leaves Underground in soil
Impact on crops Can damage crops and plants Limited effect on plant life

Comparison and Differences

Katydids and cicadas are two distinct species of insects that are often confused due to their similar appearance and behaviors. However, they have several differences that set them apart:

Body and Wings

  • Katydids: Long and slender shape, often green or camouflaged; wings fold over the body like a leaf. Example
  • Cicadas: Stout body with green or brown color and black markings; large and thick-veined wings which fold like a tent. Example

Sound Production

  • Katydids: Produce sound using specialized organs called stridulation; similar to crickets and grasshoppers.
  • Cicadas: Create sound through tymbals, a unique membrane on the sides of their body. Periodical cicadas are especially known for their loud mating songs.

Life Cycles

  • Katydids: Generally have a one-year life cycle, with nymphs resembling adults except for their wings.
  • Cicadas: Can have either long life cycles like the 13 or 17-year periodical cicadas or shorter ones like the annual (dog-day) cicadas. Nymphs spend time underground before emerging as adults. Example
Comparison Table
Feature Katydids Cicadas
Sound Stridulation Tymbals
Body Shape Long, slender Stout
Wings Fold like a leaf Fold like a tent
Life Cycle One year Varies (Annual or Periodical)

In summary:

  • Katydids are more like crickets and grasshoppers, while cicadas are a different group.
  • Specialized organs for sound production differ between the species: stridulation in katydids and tymbals in cicadas.
  • The two insects have distinct body shapes and wing types, providing some level of camouflage in their natural environments.

Annual vs Periodical Cicadas

Annual cicadas appear every year, while periodical cicadas emerge in cycles of 13 or 17 years1. Both types of cicadas have unique features and behaviors.

Annual Cicadas:

  • Larger in size2
  • Different species have distinct calls and call at different times of day2

Periodical Cicadas:

  • Emerge in massive numbers1
  • Males “sing” by vibrating a membrane on their bodies1

Comparing Annual and Periodical Cicadas

Feature Annual Cicada Periodical Cicada
Life Cycle Every year4 13 or 17 years1
Size Larger2 Smaller
Mating Call Varies by species2 Vibrating membrane1

Examples

  1. Scissor grinder cicadas and buzz saw cicadas are distinctive species of annual cicadas2.
  2. Periodical cicadas emerged in 2021 in Washington, DC, and 15 states in the Eastern United States to mate and lay eggs1.

Notable Characteristics

  • Cicada nymphs crawl out of the ground and grab onto a nearby plant4
  • The back of their exoskeleton splits open, and the winged adult emerges4

Pros and Cons of Cicadas

Pros:

  • Natural indicator of ecosystem health1
  • An interesting part of our natural world

Cons:

  • Can cause damage to young trees when laying eggs3
  • Loud noise might be annoying to some people

Ecosystem Impact:

Rain can cause cicadas to emerge from the soil4, while air friction affects the songs created by both types of cicadas.

Impact on Humans and Environment

Cicadas and katydids are two types of insects that have distinctive appearances, behaviors, and impacts on humans and the environment.

Cicadas:

Katydids:

  • Plant-eating insects, part of cricket and grasshopper family
  • Buzz, trill, and chirp in the summer night insect chorus
  • Camouflaged, blend into their environment
Feature Cicadas Katydids
Impact on humans Harmless, but produce loud sounds Harmless, contribute to nighttime sounds
Environmental impact Negligible on gardens & crops Plant-eating insects
Range/location North American, periodical & annual North American, typically nocturnal
Sound Staccato sound, used for mating calls Buzz, trill, and chirp in insect chorus

Cicadas are often compared to locusts, but they’re not the same. Locusts are a type of grasshopper, while cicadas belong to a different insect order. The staccato sound produced by cicadas is generally louder and more noticeable than the noises made by katydids. In the case of periodical cicadas, their mass emergence can be an impressive natural event. However, they have a limited impact on humans and the environment.

Footnotes

  1. https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/katydids/ 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
  2. https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/cicadas 2 3 4 5 6 7
  3. https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/common-true-katydid 2
  4. https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/cicadas 2 3 4 5
  5. https://www.thoughtco.com/difference-between-cicadas-and-katydids-1968528

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

Cicada Skin House Centipede named Bob

 

 

 

 

 

Cicada Nymph

 

 

Cicada Nymph

 

 

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Authors

  • Bugman

    Bugman aka Daniel Marlos has been identifying bugs since 1999. whatsthatbug.com is his passion project and it has helped millions of readers identify the bug that has been bugging them for over two decades. You can reach out to him through our Contact Page.

    View all posts
  • Piyushi is a nature lover, blogger and traveler at heart. She lives in beautiful Canada with her family. Piyushi is an animal lover and loves to write about all creatures.

    View all posts
Tags: Cicadas

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21 Comments. Leave new

  • Hi I am from the UK and found last night the Cicada Parasite Beetle in my garden, I love all sorts of bugs and never seen one before in the UK, Having doing a search for this feathered beetle I came across this site and pleased to have taken a photo not very good but its a photo time taken the picture was 11:15 pm .. Just wanted to shout out Hi we in the UK have the same Cicada Parasite Beetle in the UK.

    God Bless

    Reply
  • I found two of these in my drive last night. I live in Oklahoma, the temp this time of year is 90’s-100’s. Very intresting to see, my little boy loved them. I hope we get to see more of them. What do they eat? Also, they hissed.

    Reply
    • According to BugGuide: “Adults active primarily from Aug to Oct” and “Adults apparently do not feed.”

      Reply
  • I’m pretty sure this cicada is an orange-wing cicada of the genus Platypleura.

    Reply
  • Having grown up in the Texas Panhandle and now living in San Jose, I am familiar with the Eastern variety of cicada. But after living at this address for the last 15 years we started seeing small tufts of up-turned sod in our backyard and then the occasional small cicada-looking chrysalis. Now in April we are starting to see the actual brownish (not greenish) winged insects which appear to have inhabited those chrysali (sp?). They are about an inch in length from head to wing tip. Are they cicadas, are they related to the appearance of tufts of sod, and is there anything we should do about them in terms of our landscaping? I can try to furnish a photo if it would help. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Without an image, it is impossible to be certain, though many western species of Cicadas are quite small.

      Reply
  • Does anyone know where we could buy 10 brooding females, and mates for them at? We have a massive cicada problem, they have been allowed to take over the land, and our 10 acre farm’s trees have been annihilated by cicada. If anyone knows where we could start up a good colony of them, please let us know. We are in zone 5b-6a, and would love to do some annihilating of cicadas.

    Reply
  • My brother-in-law found this in south Texas, on the Mexican border on one of his trees. Is this a cedar beetle? Does it harm trees?

    Reply
  • Sorry. I was not able to send pic. I will keep trying. In the meantime, it is about an inch long, orange with black spots.
    Thanks.

    Reply
  • I’ve just seen one of these for first time in Norwich, UK got pictures and video clip

    Reply
  • Francesca Hirchak
    July 31, 2018 9:34 pm

    Oh my God, its exactly what I have on the leg of my outside table and has not moved all day. Is it still alive? If it is skin, how does it maintain itself from falling. Just holding onto the leg of the table. I did do the garden 2 days ago, did I disrupt it from the ground?

    Reply
    • It is just a shell, so it is very light weight. The living insect has flown off. Cicada nymphs do not dig to the surface until they are ready for metamorphosis.

      Reply
  • William Hong
    April 11, 2019 1:15 am

    Nope, that’s not a new species. It’s a Kempfer cicada. it is quite common in Korea.

    Reply
  • Jeanette Wells
    July 15, 2019 1:19 pm

    Do these cicadas burrow down 20 cm or so and remain there for a year, only emerging once the soil temperature has reached 15° C or a little higher?

    Reply
    • We are not certain of the individual species life cycle of this particular Cicada, but most Cicada nymphs remain underground for several years and soil temperature is apparently a metamorphosis trigger for many species.

      Reply
  • Patrick Licciardi
    December 31, 2019 11:32 am

    Hi there.My name is Patrick Licciardi from Duncan BC
    On June 22 my dog Bridger ( Belgian Malinois ) alerted me to a bug he had found. Beeing originally from the south of France ( Provence )I recognized
    it to be a Cicada nymph.I soon noticed a light green line developing on it’s back. As a result I have a series of pictures showing it emerging from its exoskeleton and turning into beautifull Cicada. I have lived in Canada over forty years but never knew we had (real) Cicadas.
    Feel free to contact me if you are interested in the photos
    Regards
    Patrick

    Reply
  • Patrick Licciardi
    December 31, 2019 11:32 am

    Hi there.My name is Patrick Licciardi from Duncan BC
    On June 22 my dog Bridger ( Belgian Malinois ) alerted me to a bug he had found. Beeing originally from the south of France ( Provence )I recognized
    it to be a Cicada nymph.I soon noticed a light green line developing on it’s back. As a result I have a series of pictures showing it emerging from its exoskeleton and turning into beautifull Cicada. I have lived in Canada over forty years but never knew we had (real) Cicadas.
    Feel free to contact me if you are interested in the photos
    Regards
    Patrick

    Reply
  • Cornina Jordan
    June 12, 2021 8:08 am

    I found a cicada in the area that I live in,, my screen door,,

    Reply
  • Finding a high amount of these(they look identical, basically neon- green/aqua blue) 4- 8 ” underground, in Georgetown/Volcanoville California 04/12/23. Always individually but near others.
    They sure squish easily, but oh jeez they’re ugly.

    Reply

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