Songs of Insects

Texas Bush Katydid (Scudderia texensis)

Song of a Texas Bush Katydid (scroll down for explanation and additional recordings!).

Perhaps a misnomer, the Texas Bush Katydid is broadly distributed east of the Rocky Mountains. An elegant-looking katydid, its green body is often accented by varying amounts of purple or rufous on the legs and the abdominal segments. Late-season individuals, especially after a frost, can be rufous all over and may at first appear to be a different species. While it may be difficult to home in on a singing male, this species is easy to approach and capture.
 
 

Tail plate from above.

Texas Bush Katydid

Song: There are two principle song types that are given both day and night. The most common is a brief shuffling rattle made up of three or four lispy notes that are delivered too fast to count. A less common song pattern is a series of about fifteen lispy notes, given too fast to count, that rise in volume from beginning to end. The peak frequency of songs is about 12–14 kHz.

 
 
Sonogram of a Texas Bush Katydid. © Wil Hershberger.