Summer of the Katydid

 

                One of the things about living in South Central Texas that I have come to enjoy is that there is always something extreme happening.  It’s either flooding, or we are in a drought.  Some years are spectacular for flowers (the Huisache bloom was remarkable this year).  Remember the year of the snout nose butterflies?  That must have been the summer of 2006.  There were swarms of them everywhere.  I remember walking down the street in New Braunfels with so many of them flying around me that I could reach out and touch them.   And they would swoop across the highway in front of cars. 

                This summer is the summer of the Katydids.  We had a year like this a couple of summers ago.  I had done a little research then, so I recognized them when they returned in numbers this year.  So many people have asked about them that I did a little more research this year.  Here are some facts.

·         They are members of the same insect family as grasshoppers and crickets.  They are not related to the other great summer singers – the Cicadas.  They usually have very long back legs and long antennae.

·         The species we commonly see range in size from about 1 ½ “ to 2 1/2 “ in length. 

·         There are many different kinds of Katydids. You will notice differences in size, color and even shape.   Some eat flowers, others eat leaves, and a few are carnivorous and eat frog’s eggs and other insects.

·         They have a raspy “song” which is most pronounced at night.  The sound comes from rubbing their forewings together.  While the sound is like a cyclic hum to my ears in normal summers, it can be quite irritating when we have as many as we do this year.

·         They are native to Central Texas and usually do not cause significant damage.  Our native plants have evolved alongside them and usually recover from any damage.

·         Like the grasshopper, they produce a brown/red fluid that they use as a defense. 

·         The Red Katydid prefers oak canopies.   In large numbers it can cause significant defoliation.  Large Oaks will recover.  Oaks under three years old may profit from protection. 

·         Katydids provide nutrition for our native birds.  If you have not got feeders and water out for the birds, now is the time to think about adding that to your yard.  Their song is much more attractive to me, and they help control some of the crazy swings in insect populations.