These two katy-whatever nymphs (young/juvenile/not-adult versions of insects that don't have a pupa but simply shed their last skin and come out a full adult) took up residence on my clematis vine this past summer. Never even knew they were there until they were half-grown. It sure pays to look like a leaf if you wish to keep a low profile!
This beauty deserves a close-up:
Freaky weird fact: See that "hole" just below the front leg's "elbow"? Ear. Seriously.
It became a bit of a game for me to track them down whenever I was on my deck. Eventually, one disappeared. (And believe me, I looked for it. Over and over and over again.) But one stuck around until it grew up, and I was able to get a photo of it before it (presumably) left for the wider world beyond one small plant.
Broad-winged Katydid?
