Episode 119: Black-Legged Meadow Katydid – Voice of the Wild

Black-legged meadow katydid (Orchelimum nigripes). 

 

The meadow katydid with hesitating clicks before a harsh buzzing.

 

Voice of the Wild is a podcast about wildlife and the wild sounds they make. 

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The following Cornell Lab | Macaulay Library recordings were used in this episode: 

• Black-legged meadow katydid call by Wil Hershberger (ML527401) 

Sources and more:

• Bugguide 
• IDNR 
• MDC 
• Songs of Insects 
• SINA 

What is Voice of the Wild?

If you learn to listen for them, you will find wildlife everywhere. Voice of the Wild is a podcast about wildlife and the wild sounds they make. Tune in every Friday to learn a new bird song, frog call, or insect noise. Voice of the Wild is an AI-free podcast. Generative tools are not used to write, research, or edit any part of the show.

This is Brodie with Illinois Extension and I’m here with a new “voice of the wild”

Among the cattails and tall sedges at the edge of a wetland or pond lurks an insect with subtle beauty. At first glance they’re not particularly notable, just another greenish grasshopper-like meadow katydid circling stems to hide from you…but with closer inspection you’ll see their color. A blue green body and Deep red eyes set against pale face. They have a splash of yellow on the upper parts of the front legs…and black below the knee. This is the black-legged meadow katydid.

Fairly common between the Appalachian mountains and the shortgrass prairies of the central United States, The black legged meadow katydid really likes marshy habitats and will sing both day and night anywhere there’s water and tall vegetation. When in those habitats, listen for a hesitating set of clicks before a dry, harsh buzzing. Here’s the black-legged meadow katydid again.

Thank you to the Macaulay library at the Cornell lab for today’s sound. Learn more about voice of the wild at go.illinois.edu/VOW