What’s my favorite insect? If I were to do a survey of readers of this blog, I am confident that most would say that my favorite insect would have to be one of the many dragonflies that I regularly feature here. I do love dragonflies and spend endless amounts of time during the warm months photographing them, but if I had to choose one favorite insect, it would not be one of them—it would be the Handsome Meadow Katydid (Orchelimum pulchellum).
I remember my sense of amazement the first time that I spotted one of these multi-colored beauties. I literally could not believe my eyes and it was love at first sight. To this day, I never fail to be mesmerized by the neon colors and the blue eyes of the Handsome Meadow Katydid. Love is love—when we are smitten, words somehow are inadequate to explain our feelings.
I spotted this beautiful female Handsome Meadow Katydid on Tuesday while photowalking at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge with fellow dragonfly enthusiast Walter Sanford. You can tell that this one is a female because of the yellow scimitar-shaped appendage at the tip of the abdomen that is an ovipositor used to deposit eggs on plants.
I really like the the ways that the colors of the katydid are repeated in the background and the repeated pattern of the vegetation leads the eye and somehow manages to be unobtrusive. All in all, it seems to be the perfect backdrop for the appropriately-named Handsome Meadow Katydid, my favorite insect.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Wow, electric coloring 😀😀
Nice Mike! Very Colorful!
Great shot, Mike. I always enjoy seeing grasshoppers (I call them all grasshoppers) because we don’t see them very often.
Thanks, Dan. One way to tell them apart is that katydids usually have antennae longer than their bodies and with grasshoppers, they are usually shorter than their bodies.
Good to know
Superb! Neon colours indeed!
I genuinely was shocked by the color when I first saw one. When the light is shining strongly, they look translucent, reminding me of the gummy bears that I first encountered in Germany years ago–I can now find gummy bears, worms, and a variety of other shapes in the US.
Mike! Your enamored joy of your subject is delightful! Great photo. Thank you for bringing smiles to my day.😊
Beautifully colored insect!
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Well I can see why you have such an attraction for the Meadow Katydid, Mike. What an insect! The colors are astounding, and you’re right, the vegetation background is perfectly suited. Isn’t it wonderful when we come upon one of our favorite nature beings? I don’t know about you, but I think about it, with a sort of inner glow, the rest of the day. I bet she can jump pretty far. Thanks so much.
The ones here on the daylilies are all green. Beautiful Mike !
We have green ones too, but the multi-colored ones are even more special for me.
She’s lovely, and perfectly mimics the grasses all around her. I can see why you are smitten!
Thanks, Eliza. I was fortunate that the katydid jumped up out of the midst of the grasses to a perch that made her much easier to see and to photograph.
I believe that some part of insects’ (and spiders’) brains allows them to know what they look like and select perching areas accordingly. Moths seem to be particularly good at this, but your star here has also settled in perfectly.
Our meadow katydids (at least the ones I know) tend toward shades of green. This one’s a surprise, and wonderfully colored.
Just when you think you know a guy… 😄
🙂 Thanks, Laura.