On Wednesday at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge I was thrilled to spot this rainbow-colored Handsome Meadow Katydid (Orchelimum pulchellum), which is probably my favorite insect. In addition to its multiple colors, I love its striking blue eyes and long antennae.
My title is a little misleading, because technically there are some differences between grasshoppers and katydids. One of the most visible differences is the length of the antennae—a katydid’s antennae are longer than the length of its body, while a grasshopper’s tend to be shorter. In the first photo, I cut off one of the antennae a bit when I cropped the photo, but if you look closely you can see that the antenna runs all the way to the left edge of the photo.
Shortly after I took the first photo, the katydid became aware of my presence and tried to hide from me. She stretched out her legs, which really elongated her body, and she was almost successful in concealing herself behind the stalk of grass.
How do I know that the katydid is a female? If you look closely at the tail end of the katydid in the first photo, you can see a red scimitar-shaped appendage. That is the ovipositor that the katydid uses to make a slit in vegetation in which to deposit her eggs.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
What happens at the refuge stays at the refuge. No one is supposed to know Katy uses rainbow makeup. We just get the green katydids here. They like to sit in the daylily blooms. And until now I have never seen one hide behind a stem of grass. Or known they can have blue eyes. I can see why they are a favorite Mike. Thanks !
I can neither confirm nor deny what Katy did or did not do. 🙂 I remember well the first time I saw one of these katydids over ten years ago and could not believe how vibrant the colors were. Here’s a link to a posting I did years ago that provides an even closer view of the colors of this amazing insect. https://michaelqpowell.com/2013/08/06/rainbow-grasshopper/
They are gorgeous indeed !
Great shots.
Colourful!
The second shot is great 👏👏👏.
Thanks, Ted. It is the kind of “artsy” shot that I love to try, never knowing for sure if it will turn out the way that I envision. 🙂
Well,it worked 👏👏
An amazing shot Michael! I’ve never seen a grasshopper with a coat of many colors. For me, its blue eyes were most striking. Here in Delaware, we have a bunch of brownish grasshoppers. Clouds of them annoyingly hop at my dog when he is out and about. Dog breeds with low centers of gravity hate that.
I love both shots, but the 2nd one is a favorite! Excellent! Great capture!
Thanks, Nicole. I like both of the photos for very different reasons. The first shot shows the katydid much better, but the second shot is unusual and artsy. 🙂
Pretty critter. Nice shots.