Last night I left the porch lights on longer than usual in hopes of attracting interesting moths. The light did attract a number of moths, but most were small, tan, and less exciting than I was hoping for. But it also attracted this charismatic northern bush katydid (Scudderia septentrionalis), a species native to the northeastern and north central United States.

Because the northern bush katydid prefers to spend most of its time in the tops of trees and shrubs, they are often difficult to find since they are too high up. Because of this they are heard more often than they are seen. They produce sounds by rubbing two parts of their body together: the forewing against the hindwing. Click here to listen to examples of the sounds made by the northern bush katydid and catalogued by the Entomology Department at the University of Florida: a series of short ticks followed by a buzzy sound. The sounds are unique to each species, and like expert birders who can identify individual bird species by song alone, expert entomologists can decipher the evening insect chorus to identify which species are present.

Related to crickets and grasshoppers, katydids also have highly modified hinds legs, which are well adapted for jumping. If you look closely at this individual, however, you’ll notice that he only has one hind leg. Katydids can, and do, shed a limb in the event of a predator attack or damage. Although the lost limb will never grow back, a katydid can still hop and fly with only one leg, as this one proved: it leapt away and disappeared into the darkness before I could get another photo.

What kinds of insects do you find attracted to your outdoor lights at night?