Friday, March 8, 2013

Did she or didn't she?

Katy did. Or did she? Argh. Apparently, there are "katydids" and true katydids... Blah.


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?