Katydid facts: called bush crickets but that's confusing! | Animal Fact Files

Katydids are a large group of insects with more than 6,000 recognized species. They may sometimes be referred to as "bush crickets" or "long horned grasshoppers" but this can be confusing since they're not closely related to either! Katydids are found throughout the world in temperate and tropical climates. Most have short lifespans that complete within a year's time, but some may live longer! Katydids are most often the insects that create the loud symphony of the night.
Scientific Name: Family - Tettigoniidae
Range: All continentes expect Antarctica
Size: 0.2 to more than 9 inches (5mm - 23cm)
Diet: host plants or other insects
Lifespan: typically 1 year (some live longer)
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Image and Video Credits:
wastefuleyecandy - • Katydid calling
David Illig 0 • Katydid, Scudderia sp.
Jasper Colt - • European Hornet (Vespa...
Nathanael Coyne - • Mountain Katydid
Katja Schulz - www.flickr.com/photos/treegro...
Judy Gallagher - www.flickr.com/photos/5245005...
Donaviamoris - commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Nesnad - commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Peter Kuttner - vimeo.com/23850797; vimeo.com/110876256; vimeo.com/113178542; vimeo.com/208942889; vimeo.com/334635481; vimeo.com/95627324; vimeo.com/81877038; vimeo.com/199805148
Pierre Robillard - vimeo.com/294933814
Katja Schulz - vimeo.com/19082391
Joseph Levine - vimeo.com/199038575
Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid; Stichting Natuurbeelden - www.openbeelden.nl/media/806361
Veldkijker (producent);Boris Berents (camera);Stichting Natuurbeelden - openbeelden.nl/media/1032732/...
Research Credits:
www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRp...
www.sciencedirect.com/topics/...
entnemdept.ufl.edu/walker/buzz...
www.google.com/books/edition/...
www.google.com/books/edition/...
www.google.com/books/edition/...

[@Cookie4811Mau]

Katydids: i look like grasshoppers, sound like cicadas, but I'm secretly a cricket... 🤣😂

[@AnimalFactFiles]

This is an underrated comment

[@tinekeallison4839]

They dont sound like cicadas at all though

[@Cookie4811Mau]

@@tinekeallison4839 it's what they said in the video lol

[@MrJFoxProductions]

That is what I call a spot-on assessment!

[@kristenswearingen2571]

@@tinekeallison4839 Exactly.

[@AdriCr4ft]

I just saved one that was in my bedroom ceiling today and had to come here and see what it was. Very beautiful animal with yellow stripes and some red at the top

[@AnimalFactFiles]

That was kind of you! Sounds like a beautiful specimen. 😊

[@Col28]

1:57 "This one is very...pointy." Love it! I had no idea there were so many different looks to them. Thanks for the video. I'm looking forward to the grasshopper, cricket, and cicada episodes for comparison.

[@AnimalFactFiles]

It's amazing to see their diversity! And actually you won't have to wait for the cicada episode because we've done that one. 😉 Here's a link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2jahadtZpaeg7M We'll have to get to work on those other two. 😊😊

[@Col28]

@@AnimalFactFiles Yes, I just found it. I had already clicked the like button on it, so I'd obviously watched it at some point. And that one reminded me of another one to look forward to: locusts. I just love the endless variety! Lots and lots of work for you; lots and lots of fun for us.

[@elsaarcilla5664]

Yay, I didn't know Katydid's were so interesting, thank you for introducing me to these creatures :)

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Glad you learned something new ❤️

[@nuothe11th]

Katydid at 2:38 looked visibly shook when he learned the news that he would only live for a year…

[@AnimalFactFiles]

pour one out for our katydid friends this year (and every year after)

[@marisapatch431]

Just saw one in my backyard and thought it was an odd looking grasshopper. Thanks for clearing up my confusion! Such a cool little creature :)

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Glad to help!

[@gruvio]

You know they have these in my home town in southern Utah (the green leaf ones) and I always wondered why it's right in the middle of the desert and the flora around the towns doesn't really match the color.

[@firestick4991]

I found eggs on a branch earlier this year. Brought the twig inside and put it in a bag. Forgot about it. Then saw they hatched - into katydids! They are living in a tank until the weather warms up. They hatched early because they were inside. They are munching on basil. Looks like I’m planting a basil plant in the yard for them to eat over the summer! 😹

[@BlackstarXMaka1]

Mom: Sarah, Why did u destroy the candy? Sarah : Ididnt do that! Mom: Who did it then? Sarah: .*Katy did*

[@Murdoc--]

try harder next time

[@miguelforrester8685]

It was kind ah funny 😸

[@Itz_TotallyAlesha]

I did nothing😒😒😒😒

[@hikesystem7721]

Nice, but this story should have included samples of their sounds.

[@DeadPixel1105]

Katydids are always flying into my apartment for some reason. Had one last night and another tonight. I just get them to climb on something long and I fling them back out the window. They're mellow, cool little guys. Well, can't really say 'little'. The one that was in here last night was nearly the length of my entire hand. Big boy.

[@michaelsimko7694]

New subscriber! I live in an environment in the Northeast that holds a lot of Common True Katydids and Greater Angle-wing Katydids. Once it's late August, the males are singing a lot at night. Greater Angle-wings can be heard into early November based on the air temperatures. Katydids are like the replacements for Cicadas before it gets much colder.

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Thanks for joining us! And this sounds so cool! It would be neat to get to experience seeing and hearing them at some point. I like the way they sound. =)

[@ShiraCheshire]

So that's what it was! I saw a weird cool bug this morning at the bus stop trying to climb the bus sign. It fell off but seemed really determined to try to climb things, so I put it over by a tree. I was wondering what it was, and came across this video by complete coincidence tonight! Sure enough, there's a Katydid in this video that looks 100% identical to what I saw.

[@AnimalFactFiles]

So glad you were about to figure out what it was! Sounds like you found a really determined one!! 😊

[@MaisyDaisy333]

Great video and good information! Thanks for sharing! I got a good chuckle out of it too! 😄

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Glad you enjoyed it! ❤️

[@Momcat_maggiefelinefan]

There’s a Katydid living in my pot of nasturtiums on my front porch. Just went out to water the potted plants, and it was singing it’s lovely song. Crickets as the backup band. Sat there in the dark enjoying the chorus! 🇨🇦🖖🏻🇨🇦

[@KrillWhisperer]

I miss that sound in the summer night while I desperately try to not be hit by a speeding bat.

[@AnimalFactFiles]

It's a soothing sound

[@aetherslugstar1889]

I love the florescent pink katydids

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Same! Would love to see one in the wild!

[@lloydhills7416]

Very cool, I love the sounds they make. When I was little they kind of scared me though. LOL

[@jadenl629]

Awesome video!😃 These insects have incredible camouflage!🤩

[@AnimalFactFiles]

They really do!!

[@littleninjavangchhia9099]

there is this one time when we feed a huge katydid a dead housekeeper wall lizard damn they chew well

[@z6886]

😯

[@LucidDream]

There is one that's been hanging around my back porch area for about a week now. The first time I saw it, it was on a screen door. I noticed that it's hind legs were pretty much tied together with a spider web. So I thought I would help and I grabbed a stick. I put the stick on the web carefully, and it crawled pulling itself from it. Then a few seconds later it flew onto my shoulder and sat there for a few moments. Then flew off towards the ground. Since then it's just been hanging out around there. Kinda confused why it keeps staying there. Have been tempted to let it get into my hand and then take it to the nearby forested area so it can actually blend in. To me, I thought maybe they were perhaps related to the mantis.

[@kiajohnson]

I have one in my house that’s been on my ceiling and now it’s on my dirty crockpot that I was planning on washing tonight. I will be calling a friend to get it out of my house tomorrow. I am deathly terrified.

[@raphlvlogs271]

the colours are much more interesting on the juvenile ones.

[@RosyandHerButterflies]

I don't hear as many katydids now which is weird. I live right behind a forest and a swamp. I also haven't heard frogs, crickets, and cicadas

[@meadowsupps]

one of the leaf-like katydids crawled into my window on the second floor of my house and was stuck there for a week. i couldn’t get it out because i have an air conditioner installed at the moment, but he died a few days ago. (did some research and learned the difference between male and female) it fell off of the window and it on top of my air conditioner right now, just decomposing… really sad because this is the third year in a row one of these has visited me but this is the first time one died in my window. i do not live in a tropical area so this part confuses me… the fact that every year every katydid was missing it’s big leg on the same side. i thought maybe it was the same one coming back for three years but since they usually live one year.. maybe it’s a coincidence. but rip the katydid in my window :( can’t even get him out until my air conditioner is removed.

[@tinyGrim1]

Aww, the babies are cute ! And yes I learned lots ! Did not know there were "others" in the species, I have only spotted the lime green ones in my garden. Thanks ! 😊

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Glad you learned something new! 😊

[@ShelbyOnSafari]

Woah. I couldn’t imagine have hair twice as long as my body, a la rapunzel! That’s insane about their antenna. It’s so sweet-ish they provide their mates with a meal, even if it is a bit oddly sourced! Thanks for another great video guys 💚🤙

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Right?! I'd imagine those antennae must get in the way sometimes!! My hair is down to my behind, and I can definitely vouch that sitting on it is a thing that happens and causes problems. 😅😅

[@z6886]

@@AnimalFactFiles sort of off topic , but my sisters hair was that long. She would swing her hair a bit before sitting so she would not sit on it.

[@AnimalFactFiles]

@@z6886 This is excellent advice omg!!!! TY

[@z6886]

@@AnimalFactFiles YW🙂

[@jessicaadams4265]

I was always told growing up that a katiedids wings can cut u open..is this true???..I'm terrified of them

[@lindahipp8329]

Great video.

[@xxadvleeexx7166]

Ones in my house rn and i searched it up its sooo scary

[@melisejas]

Same my mom just killed it for me Bc I was scared

[@z6886]

😥

[@jayforerunner965]

Could you please do an animal fact file on the Prince Axel’s Wonder Fish (Thaumatichthys axeli)?

[@JenRiveraBell]

Great video thanks! 👍🏽

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Glad you liked it!

[@theoneandonlyladysmith2578]

I’m watching this because I just found a row of Katydid eggs on my tomatillo plant... kinda terrified to have a bunch of these running around....

[@tinyGrim1]

They don't run to much.. lol. Not untill they reach 8 pounds... Hahaha 🤣, Joking.

[@kev.2390]

why do they fly straight at me when im cutting the grass

[@ashkanmahouti858]

Bruh so I been thinking the squirrel outside my house he making this noise. It’s one these leaf looking things

[@guppetsgaming3174]

Haven’t you guys already made a video on Katydids? Great video nevertheless!

[@AnimalFactFiles]

We have. The old video had some errors that needed correcting and the overall quality wasn't to our current standard. Like we mentioned we would be doing a few months ago, this is a completely rewritten and updated version to make sure you all get the best we can offer! 😊😊 Glad you enjoyed it!!

[@guppetsgaming3174]

Animal Fact Files ahh sorry I’ve only stumbled upon this channel recently so I was unaware that you would be updating older videos! It’s a great idea! 😊

[@AnimalFactFiles]

@@guppetsgaming3174 Naw it's all good! Nothing to apologize for. 😊 Glad you're enjoying it here!! 💜

[@hannahsstressed8101]

Never too many lolll

[@goodvibesforever1065]

i found one in my car today, it was pretty chill. i drove all the way to work with it on my ceiling before pushing it out so it didn’t die in there

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Oh wow! Wonder how it managed to get in!

[@stickboy2672]

Video: "Male katydids provide a meal for their mate made of a secretion from their abdominal glands" Praying mantis: "Hold my beer"

[@AbsentWithoutLeaving]

So that scritchy sound at the beginning of the video is what a katydid sounds like? Here in Chicago round about this time of year (late July, early August, hot and humid weather), we get some sort of insect that clicks, and I was told by several people that those are katydids. I've also seen other videos here on youtube...some say the scritchy sound is the katydid, and some say the clicking sound is the katydid. Do they make both types of sound? If not, do you know what critter DOES make the rapid clicking sound?

[@AnimalFactFiles]

It sounds like you're describing a katydid. There are so many different kinds that they can produce different types of sounds!

[@MasterCorneilous]

I now love katydids

[@anneshan34]

Thanks for sharing .

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Thanks for watching!

[@billybenson3834]

Noisy here in Memphis tonight

[@cricketj7399]

Katydids, crickets, and grasshoppers are in the same order called orthoptera.

[@pundi2524]

XD oh my.. I saw one in grandma place and if werent for your explanation i still going to think they are just a big green leaf like grasshopper i mean they can jump and look like them so.. A big grasshopper never knew its different species entirely nice to know. Also do they only make sound at night? I want to hear them and watch they make the sound (or the one i found is female since i chase it away before my sibling catch it and made into bait)

[@AnimalFactFiles]

I've seen them make sound during the day, they just happen to make more at night. If you find one, trying to approach slowly and just watch it! Really cool you got to see some in real life!

[@pencilRC1]

Saw one of these at school. Guy picked it up, then a 6th grader slapped it and it ascended to another dimension. Few weeks later, it came back for revenge and a girl picked it up and I marveled at it

[@Eldomibori]

My grandfather put one of these on my head when I was a kid without knowing. Ran to look in the mirror because I felt something on my head and I nearly died of a heart attack lol.

[@jonnybirchyboy1560]

My cat brought one inside so I had to save it and bring it outside to my potted plant for it to chew on.

[@Minimalici0us]

Epic stuff

[@jeffyweffy6398]

I love how you say Katydid

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Thanks!

[@MasterCorneilous]

And.. This one... Is... Vary pointy...

[@therealhardrock]

Katydid? No she didn't. Katydid? Katydid what? What did Katydo?

[@alicelloyd1837]

Saw on on the lawn chair. Looked just like a leaf

[@basically_crap4765]

found it in my garden

[@macopeland1]

All I keep hearing is the human blabbermouth and not a peep from the katydid

[@Rudresh1802]

I just found out this insect exists as it flew into my bedroom. It's hopping around while I am wearing a helmet and a jacket to make sure it does not bite me.

[@AnimalFactFiles]

They're generally quite gentle

[@danntheskywalker8667]

@@AnimalFactFiles But do they bite? 😲

[@lv1543]

They get mulched on monster bug wars

[@sal6077]

its in my room right now 😅

[@LIZZIED0LL]

I literally just had one ride on top of my car for 10 miles at 60mph. Like...what? 😂🙈 It went from one house to another via my car. 🤪

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Dang! Stronk bug!!

[@Jared_Is_Near]

What did she do?

[@dw8416]

Why am I so mad that their name sounds ABSOLUTELY NOTHING like the sound it makes.......WHICH IS LITERALLY WHAT ITS SUPPOSED TO BE NAMED AFTER. 😑

[@AnimalFactFiles]

I- I feel this

[@esta1ful]

A whole forest full of them can be deafening.

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Truth!

[@I_love_cheerios999]

Im watching this on Opera

[@jeffreyrichardson]

ians cousin mike nancys gold ring cut scotts like uncle ozzies trike

[@alandensir3486]

I live in Malaysia and these things ate everywhere and they scare me. Imagine one as large as your palm landing straight onto your face. Not to mention the prickly ones clinging to your skin. And for what ever reason they always go for the one who is afraid of them the most, in this case i was the unfortunate one. However, i don't hate them or despise them, just that i had some personal experiences that i dont want happening again lol. I enjoyed this short video about them :D

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Oh wow! I don't think I've ever seen a katydid that large! No wonder it startled you. It's great you still appreciate them 😄

[@alandensir3486]

@@AnimalFactFiles yea. just google borneo or malaysian giant katydids. these things are huge. long spiky legs too. stuff of nightmare for me.

[@godschild5587]

@@alandensir3486 thanks for info, I share some info with you too, check out my vaccine playlist

[@karinalarasart]

That is amazing! 🤩 sorry I love bugs so I would be fascinated.

[@alandensir3486]

@@karinalarasart 🤣you are free to take all of them away from me!

[@penny_the_wiser413]

I love listening to the music of the nighttime insects and animals.

[@sydvicious2588]

pikmin enemies be like

[@littylaporte]

Crickets are small and black that is confusing

[@MonographicSingleheaded]

Who did? Katy did. Katy did what?

[@tylermcintyre1454]

Tyler Mac Canada cricket

[@Itz_TotallyAlesha]

But I'm katy?! 🤯🤯🤯😵😵😵😵

[@baopham6603]

katitdid fling poop lol

[@hansolowe19]

Bats are mammals btw.

[@AnimalFactFiles]

That is correct! Well done!

[@hansolowe19]

@@AnimalFactFiles meaning that you don't need to mention them separately 😊

[@tylermcintyre1454]

Tyler Mac well uh

[@jaysun070476]

Too much talking came here to show my son what a kadydid sounded like the narrowator just keeps going .

[@AnimalFactFiles]

The purpose of this video is to present a broad range of information on katydids. While we do spend a small portion of time on their sound, we wanted to highlight some of the other fascinating details of these amazing animals. Hopefully, even though the video didn't match your expectations, you still have something wonderful to show your son that can offer a broader perspective. Either way, thanks for watching and commenting and we hope you have a pleasant day

[@leilakiddo]

I associate this with some kind of horrible nightmare