Songs of Insects

Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (Scudderia furcata)

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

The Fork-tailed Bush Katydid is a widespread species, ranging from coast to coast. In the East, it inhabits bushy areas, especially near woods. A male can be identified by its large brown or purplish dorsal processes, which are bifurcated and rounded with the appearance of a horseshoe. The female’s ovipositor is also colored, with a deep brown or reddish tint. The male Fork-tailed’s reproductive parts look almost identical to those of the Treetop Bush
Katydid, but the latter can be identified by its dark wing-edges. Pink color morphs are common in certain Louisiana and Arkansas populations. The Fork-tailed is not an accomplished singer — its simple call occurs intermittently, and considerable patience is required to home in on a male, who is likely to be discovered near the end of a branch.

Fork-tailed Bush Katydid

Tail plate from above.

Song: A single sharp tsip that may be given singly, or else in a series of two or three, with a few seconds of silence between each call. The dominant frequency is about 15 kHz. Especially during social encounters, the Fork-tailed may also give high-pitched ticks as at the beginning of the recording at the top of this page.
 
 
 
Sonogram of a Fork-tailed Bush Katydid. © Wil Hershberger.