Singing Insects:  Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids

Grasshoppers, Crickets, and Katydids are members of the Orthoptera, one of the most familiar insect orders.  Orthoptera includes two suborders: Caelifera (grasshoppers and relatives) and Ensifera (crickets, katydids, and gryllacridoids).  Cicadas (locusts) are also singing insects, and they are common in the Agua Fria River Basin.  Cicada distribution maps and sound recordings are being placed on the Internet.  I will post references to the information when it is available.

The katydid in the photo is probably Greater Angle-wing Katydid (Microcentrum Rhombifolium), or Gawk.  The California Angle-wing (Microcentrum californicum) also occurs in the Agua Fria River Basin, and according to the BugGuide website the two are distinguished chiefly by their songs.  The songs are quite distinctive.  Next time I see this Katydid I will try to catch a few notes to compare to the MusicOfNature recordings.