True-katydid
Guides
Pterophylla camellifolia
common true katydid, northern true katydid, rough-winged katydid
Pterophylla camellifolia is a large, nearly flightless katydid native to eastern North America. Males produce the iconic three-pulsed "ka-ty-did" call that gave katydids their common name. The species inhabits the canopy of deciduous trees and moves primarily by walking, running, or hopping rather than flying. Populations exhibit geographic variation in song structure, with northern populations producing two- to four-pulsed songs, southeastern populations faster multi-pulsed choruses, southwestern populations one- to two-pulsed songs, and a distinctive 8-15 pulse song restricted to central Iowa. Three subspecies are recognized based on morphological and geographic differences.