Pterophylla camellifolia

Pterophylla camellifolia, the common true katydid, is a common North American insect in the family Tettigoniidae (katydids). Within the Tettigoniidae, it belongs to the subfamily Pseudophyllinae (true katydids). Other common names include northern true katydid and rough-winged katydid.^[1][2][3]

Pterophylla camellifolia
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Orthoptera
Suborder:	Ensifera
Family:	Tettigoniidae
Subfamily:	Pseudophyllinae
Genus:	Pterophylla
Species:	P. camellifolia
Binomial name
Pterophylla camellifolia (Fabricius, 1775)

Common true katydid nymph on a Mirabilis jalapa flower

The loud, rasping, three-pulsed song, rendered "ka-ty-did", of the male of the nominate northern subspecies is the source of the vernacular name "katydid” as applied to any tettigoniid.^[4] It is a nearly flightless species that, in contrast with other katydids, often walks, runs, or hops rather than leaping or flying.^[5] It lives in the canopy of deciduous trees, where it feeds on the foliage.^[4][5] It can reach up to 50 mm (2 in) in length.^[4]

Song

The singing rate is temperature dependent.^[6][7] Four populations of this species can be distinguished by song characteristics:^[4]

• The two-, three-, or four-pulsed song of northern populations, as described above;
• The faster song with more pulses per phrase, often heard in large, synchronized choruses common to the Southeastern populations;
• The one- or two-pulsed song of Southwestern populations; and
• A song of 8 to 15 pulses heard only in central Iowa.

• Song at 20 °C, Illinois

Taxonomy

This species' original scientific name was Locusta camellifolia. The genus Pterophylla was created for it by Kirby in 1825. Three subspecies are recognized for P. camellifolia:^[3]

• Pterophylla camellifolia camellifolia (Fabricius, 1775) – type locality is in the United States
• Pterophylla camellifolia dentifera (Hebard, 1941) – type locality is Hempstead County, Arkansas, United States
• Pterophylla camellifolia intermedia (Caudell, 1906) – type locality is Biloxi, Mississippi, United States

References

1. "Pterophylla camellifolia species Information". BugGuide.net. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
2. "Pterophylla camellifolia Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Archived from the original on 25 October 2011. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
3. Otte, Daniel; Cigliano, Maria Marta; Braun, Holger; Eades, David C. (2019). "species Pterophylla camellifolia (Fabricius, 1775)". Orthoptera species file online, Version 5.0. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
4. "common true katydid (Pterophylla camellifolia)". Checklist of Katydids North of Mexico. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
5. Capinera, John L.; Walker, Thomas J.; Scott, Ralph D. (2004). Field guide to grasshoppers, katydids, and crickets of the United States. Ithaca, New York: Comstock Publishing Associates, Imprint of Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801489488.
6. Franklin, M.; Droege, S.; Dawson, D.; Royle, J.A. (12 August 2009). "Nightly and Seasonal Patterns of Calling in Common True Katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Pterophylla camellifolia)". Journal of Orthoptera Research. 18 (1). BioOne Complete: 15–18. doi:10.1665/034.018.0108. Archived from the original on 10 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
7. Elliott, Lang; Hershberger, Wil (2007). "Common True Katydid (Pterophylla camellifolia)". Songs of Insects.