32 Spotted Katydid

Description:

32 Spotted Katydids are also known as Mottled Katydids and Speckled Grasshopper.The katydid's scientific name also know as Ephippitytha 32-guttata, so the common name 32-Spotted Katydid. However, the actual number of spots varies between individuals.

Habitat:

Found in suburban backyard Albury, New South Wales, Australia. They live on top of gum trees and feed on gum leaves. Male makes short soft calls at night. Females lay their eggs along the edges of gum leaves. They also feed on male cicadas by mimicking the female cicada clicking sound. The spotted katydids are even more amazing in that they can mimic the female calls of many different species of cicadas. Katydids were able to fool male cicadas of twenty-two out of twenty-six different species tested!

Notes:

Was found in Southern Australia after a 7 year drought had broken with big meteorological events such as big rains & cyclones (Nasi) up Northern Australia, as well as significant drought breaking rains across the mainland of Australia.