oblong-winged katydid

(Amblycorypha oblongifolia)

Conservation Status
oblong-winged katydid
Photo by Norm & Peg Dibble
  IUCN Red List

not listed

 
  NatureServe

NNR - Unranked

 
  Minnesota

not listed

 
           
           
           
 
Description
 
 

Oblong-winged katydid is a long-horned, round-headed katydid (genus Amblycorypha). It occurs in eastern North America, Mexico, and Central America. In the United States it is common east of the Great Plains. It is found mostly in damp areas on trees, shrubs, and tall weeds in the understory of deciduous forests, at the edges of thickets, and in gardens.

At 1 to 2 (42 to 52 mm) long, oblong-winged katydid is the largest round-headed katydid. Their overall color varies but is genetically inherited. The head, body, wings, and legs are usually leaf green, occasionally yellow, rarely tan, orange, brown, or pink.

The head is oval. The top of the head is rounded and strongly curved backward. The face is vertical. The eyes are oval. The antennae are very long and extend well beyond the tip of the abdomen. They are thread-like and have many segments. They are attached high on the face and far apart. The forehead projects forward between the antennae.

The pronotum does not have two small dark spots on each side. On each side the lateral lobe of the pronotum has a deep sinus at the rear upper corner (humeral angle).

The leathery forewings (tegmina) are elongated-oval and 3.1 to 4 times as long as wide. They are held roof-like over the body. A small area at the base of the wing is horizontal and very dark. On the male, this is the stridulatory field. There is a row of bumps (a file) on the underside of the upper wing and a sharp edge (blade) on the upper side of the lower wing. By rubbing the file against the blade, the male produces its distinctive song, a short, high-pitched, 9 kHz “zeee-dik!” that is repeated every few seconds. The female wings are similar but do not have these two sound-producing structures.

The hindwings are membranous, broad, and long. They are folded fan-like under the tegmina when at rest. They are longer than, and not completely covered by, the tegmina.

On the female the ovipositor is shorter than the abdomen, flattened, curved upward.

The front legs are short, the middle legs a little longer, the hind legs much longer. The third segment (femur) of the hind leg extends almost but not quite to the tips of the tegmina. The end section of the leg (tarsus), corresponding to the foot, has four segments.

 
     
 

Size

 
 

Total length: 1 to 2 (42 to 52 mm)

 
     
 

Song

 
 
Listen to oblong-winged katydid
 
     
 

Similar Species

 
     
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Deciduous forests, gardens

 
     
 
Biology
 
 

Season

 
 

One generation per year: June through September

 
     
 

Behavior

 
 

 

 
     
 

Life Cycle

 
 

Eggs are deposited in the soil.

 
     
 

Nymph Food

 
 

Plant juices

 
     
 

Adult Food

 
 

Leaves of deciduous plants

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

24, 27, 29, 30, 82.

 
  8/13/2023      
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
 

Order

Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids)  
 

Suborder

Ensifera (katydids, crickets, and allies)  
  Infraorder Tettigoniidea (katydids, wētā, and allies)  
 

Superfamily

Tettigonioidea  
 

Family

Tettigoniidae (katydids)  
 

Subfamily

Phaneropterinae (leaf katydids)  
 

Tribe

Amblycoryphini  
 

Genus

Amblycorypha (round-headed katydids)  
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

 

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

oblong-winged katydid

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Femur

On insects and arachnids, the third, largest, most robust segment of the leg, coming immediately before the tibia. On humans, the thigh bone.

 

Ovipositor

A tube-like organ near the end of the abdomen of many female insects, used to prepare a place for an egg and to place the egg.

 

Tarsus

On insects, the last two to five subdivisions of the leg, attached to the tibia; the foot. On spiders, the last segment of the leg. Plural: tarsi.

 

Tegmen

The modified, leathery front wing of grasshoppers and related insects that protects the hindwing. It may also serve as a camouflage, a defensive display, or a sound board. Plural: tegmina.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
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Alfredo Colon

 
    oblong-winged katydid      
           
    oblong-winged katydid   oblong-winged katydid  
 

Misty Priest

 
 

OBLONG-winged katydid

 
    oblong-winged katydid      
 

JP

 
 

I found this on the side of our truck today.

 
    oblong-winged katydid   oblong-winged katydid  
 

Norm & Peg Dibble

 
 

On 08/12/2019, I was outside on our front sidewalk trimming flowers in pots and found this large bright green bug (with long antennae) on our sidewalk that looked like a grasshopper to me.

It wasn’t alarmed by my closeness and the camera. I do not recall ever seeing one before. After looking on minnesotaseasons.com and other sites, I believe I found its ID. I’ve heard Katydids in our yard for years but never thought I was ever looking at one because I assumed they were up in the trees. That one eventually disappeared and I continued to trim flowers. I have a very large pot full of big, colorful Coleus plants, and discovered either the same Katydid or another one on a C deep inside the plant. It sure blended in so well with its leafy green textured wings! (Sorry about my purple silk flowers that its left foot is resting on!) What a really a fun sight for both Norm and I to see.

  oblong-winged katydid  
       
    oblong-winged katydid  
           
 
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slideshow

       
 
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Other Videos
 
  Amblycorypha oblongifolia eats human being
Lykoloo
 
   
 
About

Published on Aug 8, 2017

Such a tragedy.

 
  Katydid Song-Oblong Winged Katydid
ONnaturegirl
 
   
 
About

Published on Aug 28, 2013

This is the song of the male Oblong-winged Katydid (Amblycorypha oblongifolia) (Family: Tettigoniidae). He makes the song through "stridulation": rubbing his wings together.

 
  Oblong-winged katydid moving at full speed.
Heather Hopkins
 
   
 
About

Published on Aug 1, 2013

This oblong-winged katydid (Amblycorypha oblongifolia) is hauling ass across the deck in order to get away from the camera. Seriously, this is it moving as fast as possible until it decided to jump.

 

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

Report a sighting of this insect.

 
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Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.
 
  Alfredo Colon
8/25/2022

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota

oblong-winged katydid  
  Misty Priest
8/12/2023

Location: Salisbury, Ma

oblong-winged katydid  
  JP
7/18/2021

Location: Howard Lake, MN (Wright County)

I found this on the side of our truck today.

oblong-winged katydid  
  Alfredo Colon
8/23/2019

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota

oblong-winged katydid  
  Alfredo Colon
August 2019

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota

oblong-winged katydid  
  Norm & Peg Dibble
8/12/2019

Location: Maple Grove, MN

On 08/12/2019, I was outside on our front sidewalk trimming flowers in pots and found this large bright green bug (with long antennae) on our sidewalk that looked like a grasshopper to me. It wasn’t alarmed by my closeness and the camera. I do not recall ever seeing one before. After looking on minnesotaseasons.com and other sites, I believe I found its ID. I’ve heard Katydids in our yard for years but never thought I was ever looking at one because I assumed they were up in the trees. That one eventually disappeared and I continued to trim flowers. I have a very large pot full of big, colorful Coleus plants, and discovered either the same Katydid or another one on a C deep inside the plant. It sure blended in so well with its leafy green textured wings! (Sorry about my purple silk flowers that its left foot is resting on!) What a really a fun sight for both Norm and I to see.

oblong-winged katydid  
           
 
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Created: 8/30/2019

Last Updated:

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