Family Tettigoniidae (Katydids)

Tettigoniidae are commonly called katydids or bush crickets. There are more than 8,000 known species of katydids distributed over all scontinents except Antarctica. The vast majority of katydid species live in the tropics. The Amazon basin for example is home to over 2,000 species of katydids. Kkatydids can also be found in the cool, dry regions with about 255 species in North America.

Katydids are primarily nocturnal with strident mating calls. Many species exhibit mimicry and camouflage, usually mimicking leaves.

Katydids range in size from as small as 5 mm to 130 mm. The smaller species tend to inhabit drier or more stressful habitats, and this is associated with greater agility, faster development, and lower nutritional needs. Katydids differ from grasshoppers by the length of their filamentous antennae, very often exceeding their body length, while grasshoppers’ antennae are always relatively short and thickened.