The lovely @melind010100 is the host of the Shadow Photo Contest. There is a different theme every week. This week for Round 86, @shasta is hosting Bug Shadows. You can find out how to enter this fun contest here. I am excited to see all of the bug shadows. Bring on the bugs!

Katydids are a group of insects in the order Orthoptera. This extremely large group consists of many different species of Katydids that can be found worldwide, up to 6,400 of them. Close to 250 species can be found in North America. By looking at the similarities of katydids to grasshoppers and crickets, it should be no surprise that they are all related. This particular species, the Slender Meadow katydid can be found all over the U.S. and southern Canada.

The sounds or songs that katydids make depends on their species. The true katydid that everyone is familiar with makes a very loud sound on summer nights by rubbing their wings together. These sounds are usually made by males calling for females to mate. They sound like they are saying, "Katy did, Katy didn't," hence their name. Since there are so many different species, Katydids come in all different sizes. The best way to identify them is by looking at their size, the length of their wings and any other colors added to their green bodies.

All katydids have very long, thin antennae which are 2-3 times the length of their body. I also know that this one is a female because it has an ovipositor used to lay her eggs, located at the end of her abdomen.

Thanks for stopping by!

All photos are my own.

Are you looking for another caring community where your creativity and imagination can run wild? A place where you have the opportunity to win prizes for your participation? Are you looking for support or for a place that you would like to support? Then head on over to the Freewrite House and have some fun.