Katydids: Catching/Keeping

[Connorology]

Hello All,

This is a question for the NorCal forum users primarily but anyone can chime in - has anyone seen any katydids yet this year? I feel like I used to see them all the time over the summer. I'm wondering if it's too early in the season, or if our insect apocalypse is whittling down the katydid populations (I recently discovered, to my horror, the Western Monarch population is down 99% compared to 20 years ago - it wasn't even that long ago I was at UCSB in SoCal and they were migrating en masse through the area).

I've been hoping to try my luck at breeding them since a species or two were recently de-listed by the USDA and may be kept now (I need to find that list again, the bookmark eludes me). I have been trying to gather a pair since the USDA rules were released and I was unsuccessful the last couple summers and ended up with a few specimens but not the right species/sexes, and ended up just feeding them to my chameleon.

Also, has anyone on here been successful in getting a consistent colony going? I know they're finicky and a couple forum members have tried their hands with katydids, just not sure how far anyone has made it.

 

[salty dog]

I tried.. I couldn't...but I wasn't able to give fresh food and water often enough...I'd be willing to give another another try...a joint effort with you if you'd be willing...I havn'tseen any...I think they live on the waters edge..not 100% sure...I live in sacramento

 

[jamest0o0]

I bred mine here in PA for one season, but took so long. Would love to hear if you can get them going. Sorry I don't have more to add

 

[summerseeking]

I haven’t seen any either. I’ve been in NorCal for 5 years and in that time I can’t recall ever seeing an abundance of them . Also, the butterfly decline is so sad. We went down to Santa Cruz last season and there were barely any at all. We chatted with a few locals about what it was like decades ago and the dwindling numbers each year. So heartbreaking.

 

[Andee]

Im guessing its the heat and recent fires/poor air quality thats severely affecting their numbers and food resources. They may rally some in the next coming years with some rain and some better years when it comes to fires but we will see if we get that lucky.

 

[Lindasjackson]

are katydids the ones that make the awful noise?

 

[Andee]

I mean katydids make noise but you are probably thinking cicadas

 

[Lindasjackson]

Oh, ok

 

[jamest0o0]

Katydids almost sound like a maraca or something similar.

 

[JoXie411]

I’ll keep an eye out for in in my area. I haven’t seen any this year but lots of dragonfly’s. Idk if those are safe to feed or not

 

[Connorology]

An update: the species I am looking to breed specifically is the Greater Anglewing Katydid (Microcentrum rhombifolium). I selected this species because the USDA has issued regulations that it can be legally shipped in the US. It looks like this species peaks around August in population.

I might be interested in other katydids as well - after all, I have no grand plans to sell these. Please do let me know if anyone local(Ish) finds some. I have an array of vivarium plants I could trade.

 

[Andee]

Im central cali so not too far from you, and i commonly have katydids in near a lake not far from me, so i will keep an eye out for them!

 

[Lindasjackson]

This spring on the news they were saying there were going to be an over abundance of either cicadas orkatydids this year. I think it was cicadas but not sure. I dont know the difference. One of them makes a loud buzzing type noise that can be deafening at times if there are enough of them.

 

[Chameleoking]

Been feeding my veiled small dragonflies, about two to three a year for about four years now. He loves em. So I'm guessing that they are ok to feed

 

[Persnickety Parson's]

Katydids are fun, just make sure they have access to protein. Depends g on species they tend to be omnivorous, to predatory.

I actually lost a mantis is to a meadow katydid, it ate it when it was molting.

Keep us updated with pictures

 

[snitz427]

I might be interested in other katydids as well - after all, I have no grand plans to sell these. Please do let me know if anyone local(Ish) finds some. I have an array of vivarium plants I could trade.

I believe @SauceGandhi has them for sale and successfully breeding them.

Katydids are fun, just make sure they have access to protein. Depends g on species they tend to be omnivorous, to predatory.

I actually lost a mantis is to a meadow katydid, it ate it when it was molting.

Keep us updated with pictures

I tried my hand at a colony with meadow katydids and coneheads. They all ate each other like the little psychos they are! Too much trouble for me.

 

[snitz427]

are katydids the ones that make the awful noise?

probably - each species has a distinct call. Some are very loud. When I’m near the woods or fields at night in summer, almost all the sounds I hear (at night) are katydids. I have had some that sound like a faint electric buzzing, others that make a very loud CHCHCHCH sound, etc. kinda neat to hear and watch them, when they weren’t murdering each other.

 

[SauceGandhi]

Most of my katydids for this year are sold, but I'll have more next year
They are indeed loud af

 

[cammythechameleon4]

I haven’t seen any either. I’ve been in NorCal for 5 years and in that time I can’t recall ever seeing an abundance of them . Also, the butterfly decline is so sad. We went down to Santa Cruz last season and there were barely any at all. We chatted with a few locals about what it was like decades ago and the dwindling numbers each year. So heartbreaking.

this has nothing to do with chameleons only butterflies- i raise and release monarchs and in april we had over 20 hatch in the same week. it was amazing. a few didn’t make it out of chrysalis but still it was awesome. i really hope doing stuff like that can get the population back up!!

 

[Connorology]

I got my first katydid of the season in my yard last night - heard him chirping on my rose bush.

Wrong species though. Looks to be an invasive Mediterranean. Probably too small to be of much value as feeder, and even though these guys have supposedly been here since the 1930s I don't think I'd want to start propogating an alien species.

https://bugguide.net/node/view/1998568