Invertebrates
True Katydid
Pterophylla camellifolia · also called true katydids, common true katydid
On a warm late-summer night, a rhythmic “Katy-did, Katy-didn’t” rings out from high in the forest canopy, the call of a true katydid so distinctive and widespread across the eastern United States that it gave an entire family of leaf-mimicking insects its common name.
Overview
The true katydid, Pterophylla camellifolia, is a leaf-mimicking insect native to deciduous forest canopy habitat across a broad range of the eastern United States. Its namesake “Katy-did” call, effective leaf-shaped camouflage, and near-total residence high in the tree canopy make it one of the most heard, and least often seen, insects of eastern summer nights.
A voice everyone knows, a body almost no one sees
Despite lending its name and its call to summer nights across an entire region, the true katydid remains genuinely difficult to spot, its leaf-shaped wings and canopy-dwelling habits keeping it hidden even as its call carries clearly through the dark.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and abundant across suitable deciduous forest habitat throughout the eastern United States.
True Katydid: common questions
Why is it called the true katydid?
This species produces a loud, rhythmic call often rendered as "Katy-did, Katy-didn't," a sound distinctive and widespread enough across the eastern United States that it gave the entire broader katydid family its common English name, with this particular species retaining the "true" designation as the original namesake.
Why is the true katydid heard so much more often than it is seen?
This species spends nearly its entire life high in the forest canopy among tree leaves, rarely descending to ground level, and its broad, flattened, leaf-shaped wings provide such effective camouflage against foliage that even a nearby calling individual can be extremely difficult to spot visually.
When is the best time to hear a true katydid calling?
This species is most vocally active on warm nights during the late summer months, with calling activity typically building as the night progresses, often producing an overlapping chorus effect when multiple calling males are active in the same stretch of forest canopy.
What does a true katydid eat?
This species feeds on the leaves of deciduous trees, spending nearly its entire life high in the forest canopy where its food source and its effective leaf-shaped camouflage are both readily available in the same place.