Nymph

Identification - Tettigoniidae sp.

Pretty sure that this is a katydid nymph. Its body length is only 5mm (measured) so I was into macro range to get this shot.

Katydids have incomplete metamorphosis. This is what they look like when the hatch from the egg, although this one has already shed its exo-skeleton a few times to get to this size. Just like mantids, there is no grub or pupae stage, the simply moult their skin to get larger. On the final moult, they get their wings, but not all katydids can fly. Only at this final stage can they mate.

Katydids are nocturnal and so you don't see too many around in the day time.

At mating time, they rub their wings together to make sound. To hear the sounds, they have forward facing timpani patches on their front legs. With two ears, they are able to locate the sound directions. The sound that they make probably had something to do with how they got the name katydid.

These plant eaters are always interesting bugs to find and this is a useful complement to the camo blip of a couple of days ago.

Post script - edited the RAW image to get rid of the annoying noise.

Dave