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September 25, 2006
Katydid in the House!
Last week, I visited friends near Brighton, MI. They were excited about their accidental pet in the solarium and orchid house. Actually, they have two "pets." One is a big Chinese Mantis, Tenodera aridifolia sinensis, about 6 inches in length, and the other, a more diminutive katydid by the name of Microcentrum rhombifolium. I saw the katydid before I spotted the mantis -- he (the katydid) was on a broad orchid leaf, looking very much like he was trying to blend in.
I was able to get quite close with my macro lens and take a lot of shots. I don't know if the katydid saw the mantis, but if it did, I am sure it had every reason to sit still, as mantids see motion VERY well. The katydid found its way into the house on its own, but the mantis had been rescued from some birds that were trying to eat it as it flew into the yard. My friends had carefully transported the mantis to their orchid room, and it had only suffered a shortened antenna from the birds. I spotted the mantis along a window frame, and it's the first time I have seen a Chinese mantis -- they are HUGE. I told my hosts how to feed him, and since then I have received an email about how they have fed the mantis various insects (with the aid of a long-handled hemostat), which I am sure has been great fun for them.
I think what this episode tells me more than anything, is that once people are familiar with an insect, and know a bit about it, they want to learn more. I forgot to tell them that katydids have their ears in their legs, so that they move the legs to determine the direction of a sound from another katydid. For females, that's for finding a potential mate that is singing, and for males -- to find out where their rivals are. "It's all about sex", as my friend commented.
Posted by mfobrien at September 25, 2006 08:48 AM