The Short-winged Meadow Katydid female, shown in photo 1, has short wings and a long ovipositor, slightly shorter than the rest of its body, which is about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch long (12-15 mm). The male, shown in photos 2 and 3, looks quite different than the female and its appearance doesn’t seem to fit the name since it has long wings. Males of this species with long wings are known as macropterous individuals. Males are also more orange/yellow in color.
These katydids range throughout eastern North America and into the Caribbean. Nebraska is on the western edge of its normal range. They are generally found in damp meadows, along streams and in marshes. The female was photographed in late September and the male was photographed in early October.
Song is composed of one to five ticks followed by a faint buzz lasting several seconds. Extremely high pitched, with most of the sound energy from 10–20 kHz. Sings both day and night. Although the song is loud, it is so high pitched that many people cannot hear it, even up close.
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