miniature crickets like flowers

[darkoshi]

Taking an up-close look at this pretty lily in the yard, I discovered a cute little cricket. When I pointed the camera at it, it got nervous and tried to hide.

Video title: Little Lily Cricket
Posted by: Darkoshi
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sa2uckCc9ng
Date posted: May 23, 2020




That was over a week ago. This week, I took a closer look at one of the few remaining azalea blooms (the coral red ones tend to last the longest), and again discovered another cute little cricket. Maybe it's the same one? Are they even crickets, or something else?* This one also got nervous and started moving away from my camera.



*They look somewhat like meadow katydid nymphs.

Comments

[frith]

My guess is that those are fork-tailed bush katydids, Scudderia sp.

Ref: https://natureinquiries.wordpress.com/2015/06/19/beauty-in-a-small-package/

and

https://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/showimage/2740/

and

https://bugguide.net/node/view/610226

I focused a lot on the unusual zebra pattern on the antennae.

[darkoshi]

Thanks! I tried searching on "striped antennae" yesterday, but didn't find those, probably because I still thought it was most likely a cricket at that time.

[frith]

You're welcome. I used the insect blog you linked to. Once that I was convinced that it was in fact a katydid, I searched for katydid there and kept going through posts until I got to one with striped antennae. ^_^ Then I cross-referenced. At first blush I thought it was a true bug, but you got me on the right path. Katydids are much more varied than I'd imagined.

[darkoshi]

One of the pages you posted had a link to this video of an even cuter, younger katydid nymph:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzz10t1BXgI

Insects don't usually seem cute to me, but these sure do!

[marahmarie]

That *is* a cute little cricket (possibly plural). Love the elongated face in the last pic.