During summer, many different insect sounds can be heard in grasslands and fields. One of the familiar insects responsible for these seasonal sounds is the katydid.

Katydids are widely known through stories such as The Ant and the Grasshopper, but real katydids do much more than simply “sing.” They use powerful hind legs to jump, hide among vegetation with their green camouflage, and, depending on the species, may feed not only on plants but also on small insects.

Male katydids are especially well known for producing distinctive calls with their wings to attract females.

In this article, we’ll explore the katydid’s characteristics, appearance, habitat, diet, calls, reproduction, and life cycle.

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What Is a Katydid?

Katydids are insects belonging to the order Orthoptera and the family Tettigoniidae.

The insect commonly referred to as “bejjang-i” in Korea is often associated with Hexacentrus japonicus.

Basic information includes:

• Korean name: Bejjang-i
• Scientific name: Hexacentrus japonicus
• Order: Orthoptera
• Family: Tettigoniidae
• Habitat: Grasslands, meadows, forest edges, and shrublands
• Diet: Plants and small insects
• Main season: Summer to autumn
• Notable features: Long antennae, powerful hind legs, green camouflage, and male calling songs

Although katydids may resemble grasshoppers, several features can help distinguish them.

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Appearance

Katydids generally have long, slender bodies and are often green.

Their green coloration provides excellent camouflage among leaves and grasses.

Typical physical characteristics include:

• Long, slender antennae
• Green body coloration
• Well-developed wings
• Powerful hind legs
• Spines on the legs
• Relatively large eyes
• A noticeable ovipositor in females

Their extremely long antennae are one of the easiest features to use when distinguishing katydids from typical grasshoppers.

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Size

Katydids are relatively large members of the long-horned grasshopper group.

Adults are generally several centimeters long, although exact size varies depending on species, sex, and how body length is measured.

Females may appear even longer because of the elongated ovipositor extending from the end of the abdomen.

Their long legs and antennae can also make them appear larger than their actual body size.

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What Are the Long Antennae Used For?

One of the katydid’s most noticeable features is its extremely long antennae.

These antennae are important sensory organs used to gather information about the surrounding environment.

They help katydids detect nearby objects, food, and other animals.

Long antennae are particularly useful when moving through dense vegetation or under low-light conditions.

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Powerful Hind Legs

Like other members of the order Orthoptera, katydids have highly developed hind legs.

When threatened, they can use these powerful legs to leap away quickly.

Jumping helps them escape predators and move between plants.

Their legs may also have spine-like structures that help them grip vegetation and handle prey.

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Habitat

Katydids are mainly found in areas with abundant vegetation.

Typical habitats include:

• Grasslands
• Meadows
• Fields
• Forest edges
• Shrublands
• Mountain foothills
• Agricultural areas
• Places with tall grasses

Because their green coloration blends so well with vegetation, katydids can be surprisingly difficult to spot.

You may hear one calling nearby without being able to find it.

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Behavior

Katydids spend much of their time on plants, where they search for food and hide from predators.

They may be active during the daytime, although many species become particularly active during the evening or at night.

When threatened, they may hide behind leaves or stems or jump rapidly to another location.

Their camouflage and jumping ability provide an effective combination for avoiding predators.

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What Do Katydids Eat?

Katydids are sometimes assumed to be strictly herbivorous, but depending on the species, they may be omnivorous or strongly predatory.

Their diet can include:

• Leaves
• Young shoots
• Flowers
• Soft plant tissues
• Small insects
• Moth and butterfly caterpillars
• Small grasshoppers
• Other small arthropods

Some katydids actively hunt other insects.

Therefore, katydids can occupy both herbivorous and predatory roles depending on the species.

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How Do Katydids Catch Insects?

Predatory katydids can grab small prey with their legs and use their powerful jaws to eat it.

Their mouthparts are adapted for biting and chewing, rather than sucking liquids.

When they capture a small insect or caterpillar, they can hold the prey with their front and middle legs while using their mandibles to bite and consume it.

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Why Are Katydids Green?

The green coloration of many katydids acts as effective camouflage.

Their habitats are often dominated by green grasses, leaves, and stems.

A green body makes them much more difficult for predators to detect while they remain motionless among vegetation.

A katydid sitting quietly on a leaf can sometimes be difficult to notice even from a short distance.

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Why Do Katydids Make Sounds?

We often describe katydids as “singing,” but their calls are not simply expressions of emotion.

The sounds are primarily associated with communication and reproduction.

Male katydids produce characteristic calls to advertise their presence and attract females.

Different species have different calling patterns, rhythms, and frequencies, which can also help identify them.

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How Do Katydids Produce Their Calls?

Katydids do not sing with their mouths like humans.

Male katydids generally produce sound by rubbing specialized structures on their forewings together.

This process is called stridulation.

A file-like structure on one wing interacts with another specialized structure, creating vibrations.

The wings help amplify these vibrations, producing the surprisingly loud sounds that can be heard during summer evenings.

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Do Female Katydids Sing?

The familiar calling songs of katydids are mainly produced by males.

Males use these calls to advertise their location and attract potential mates.

Females can detect these sounds and use them to locate males.

The calls are therefore an important form of reproductive communication rather than meaningless noise.

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Where Are a Katydid’s Ears?

Unlike humans, katydids do not have ears on the sides of their heads.

Members of the katydid family generally have tympanal hearing organs on their front legs.

These structures allow them to detect sounds produced by other katydids.

This unusual location of their hearing organs is one of the most fascinating features of katydids.

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Reproduction

During the breeding season, males call to attract females.

Once a female approaches and mating occurs, she searches for an appropriate place to lay her eggs.

Female katydids have a specialized structure called an ovipositor at the end of the abdomen.

Depending on the species, the ovipositor can be used to place eggs in soil, plant tissue, or other suitable locations.

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What Is the Long Tail-Like Structure on a Female?

A female katydid may have a long, blade-like structure extending from the end of her abdomen.

This is not a tail.

It is an ovipositor, a specialized organ used for laying eggs.

The female uses it to position eggs in suitable locations.

Therefore, a katydid with a prominent ovipositor is usually female.

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Life Cycle

Katydids undergo incomplete metamorphosis.

Their life cycle is:

Egg → Nymph → Adult

Unlike butterflies and moths, katydids do not have a pupal stage.

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1. Egg

The female uses her ovipositor to deposit eggs in a suitable location.

The eggs develop for a period before young nymphs emerge.

Depending on the species and climate, eggs may remain dormant through the cold season.

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2. Nymph

A newly hatched nymph resembles a miniature adult but lacks fully developed wings and reproductive organs.

Nymphs feed and grow through a series of molts.

With each molt, they become larger and their wings gradually develop.

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3. Adult

After the final molt, the katydid becomes a fully developed adult with mature wings and reproductive organs.

Adult males begin producing calls to attract females.

After mating, females lay eggs and begin the next generation.

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How Do Katydids Survive Winter?

In regions with cold winters, including Korea, many katydids do not survive the winter as adults.

As colder weather arrives, the adult generation eventually dies, while the next generation often survives primarily as eggs.

When temperatures rise and environmental conditions become suitable again, nymphs hatch and begin a new life cycle.

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Natural Predators

Katydids are preyed upon by many different animals.

Common predators include:

• Birds
• Frogs
• Toads
• Lizards
• Spiders
• Praying mantises
• Predatory insects
• Some small mammals

Katydids rely on camouflage and powerful jumping ability to avoid these predators.

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Katydid vs. Grasshopper

Katydids and grasshoppers both belong to the order Orthoptera and can look similar.

However, several characteristics can help distinguish them.

Katydid

• Very long antennae
• Many species are green
• Some species are omnivorous or predatory
• Many produce sound by rubbing their forewings together
• Hearing organs are typically located on the front legs

Grasshopper

• Antennae are generally much shorter
• Many species primarily eat plants
• Powerful hind legs are highly adapted for jumping
• Some species produce sounds by rubbing their hind legs against their wings

One of the easiest differences to notice is antenna length.

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Katydid vs. Other Long-Horned Grasshoppers

Many insects commonly called katydids belong to the family Tettigoniidae and are closely related.

Different common names may be used for species based on their appearance, calls, and regional traditions.

Many share similar characteristics, including long antennae, powerful hind legs, and male calling songs produced with the wings.

Because of these similarities, identifying an exact species based only on appearance can sometimes be difficult.

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Katydid vs. Cricket

Katydids and crickets are also related members of the order Orthoptera.

However, their typical appearance and habitats often differ.

Many katydids are green and spend considerable time among leaves and tall grasses.

Crickets are often brown or black and commonly spend more time near the ground, beneath vegetation, rocks, or other cover.

Both groups include males that can produce sounds using their wings.

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Do Katydids Bite Humans?

Katydids do not normally view humans as prey and do not actively attack people.

However, if one is tightly held or handled roughly, it may use its jaws defensively.

Some larger species have relatively strong mandibles, so a defensive bite may feel sharp or painful.

It is generally better to observe wild katydids without handling them unnecessarily.

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Are Katydids Pests?

Katydids should not automatically be considered pests.

Some species feed on plants and may occasionally affect crops, while others also prey on small insects.

Katydids themselves are also important prey for birds, frogs, spiders, praying mantises, and other animals.

They therefore form part of complex natural food webs.

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Ecological Role

Katydids function both as consumers and as prey within ecosystems.

Plant-feeding individuals influence vegetation, while predatory species may affect populations of smaller insects.

At the same time, katydids provide food for birds, amphibians, reptiles, spiders, and predatory insects.

A simplified food relationship can be represented as:

Plants and Small Insects → Katydid → Birds, Frogs, Spiders, and Praying Mantises

Real ecosystems are much more complex, but katydids are an important component of these food webs.

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What Should You Do If You Find a Katydid?

If you encounter a katydid outdoors, you can observe it closely without needing to capture it.

Trying to locate a calling male in tall grass can be an interesting nature-observation activity.

By slowly approaching the direction of the sound and carefully examining leaves and stems, you may eventually spot a well-camouflaged katydid.

After observing it, leaving it in its natural habitat is generally the best approach.

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Interesting Katydid Facts

Despite their small size, katydids possess several remarkable adaptations.

Their long antennae help them sense the surrounding environment, while powerful hind legs allow them to jump rapidly.

Green coloration provides camouflage among vegetation.

Males create calls by rubbing specialized structures on their wings together, while females detect these sounds using hearing organs located on their front legs.

Another surprising fact is that some katydids are not simply plant-eaters—they actively hunt and consume other insects.

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The Storybook Katydid vs. the Real Katydid

In The Ant and the Grasshopper, the grasshopper-like character is portrayed as spending the summer singing instead of preparing for the future.

In reality, however, a katydid’s calling behavior serves an important biological purpose.

Males produce calls primarily to attract females and reproduce.

Searching for food, escaping predators, finding mates, and reproducing are all essential survival activities.

Therefore, describing real katydids as insects that simply “sing all summer” does not accurately reflect their actual ecology.

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Katydids are members of the order Orthoptera and the family Tettigoniidae and are commonly found in grasslands, meadows, forest edges, and other vegetation-rich environments.

Their long antennae, powerful hind legs, and green camouflage make them well adapted to life among grasses and leaves.

Depending on the species, they may eat leaves and young shoots as well as small insects and caterpillars, giving some katydids an omnivorous or predatory lifestyle.

One of their most fascinating characteristics is the male’s calling song. Males generally produce these sounds by rubbing specialized structures on their forewings together to attract females.

Katydids undergo incomplete metamorphosis:

Egg → Nymph → Adult

They do not pass through a pupal stage and instead grow through a series of molts.

Katydids also serve as important prey for birds, frogs, spiders, praying mantises, and many other predators.

Although popular stories may portray them simply as insects that spend the summer singing, real katydids are fascinating wild insects equipped with remarkable sensory organs, camouflage, powerful jumping abilities, and sophisticated acoustic communication.