The Wonderful Ways of Insects and Spiders 



"KATY DID NO SHE DIDNT" 



Yhe katydids are long-horned grasshoppers noted for their fondness for fiddling. 

 The sound is produced by rubbing the left wing over the right wing. The males 

 do all the playing, while the females are apparently content to listen. The katydid 

 has hearing organs on its front legs. 



A short-horned grasshopper has a different fiddling technique. 

 Its long hind leg forms the bow, and a coarse outer wing the 

 fiddle. It may play one leg and wing at a time or both sides 

 together a "one-man duet." However, little actual music is 

 created by these efforts; you can hear the resulting rasps for only 

 a few feet. 



Both males and females have large hearing organs. You can see 

 what looks like an oval window on each side of the first abdominal 

 segment under the wings. What you see is the outer part of the 

 grasshopper's "ears/* 



Grasshoppers blend so successfully with their surroundings 

 that it is not easy to spot them during the day except when they 

 take wing. Some of the smaller katydids are easily startled into 

 flight from tall weeds and grasses where they spend much of 

 their time. In the country you can have a lively evening tracking 

 down the little insect fiddlers; take a flashlight along and let 

 yourself be guided by their sounds. 



