It’s a new month and that means a minimum of another 6 posts. Based on my productivity in the darkroom as of late coupled with the need to really get through a backlog of topics, this month may end up having a few extra posts – a bonus if you will. I already have the images worked up for another 7 posts and have another 8 or so in the queue that just need some finishing work on the images and upload to the Smugmug galleries. probably put emphasis on the photography aspects more than the textual part but we’ll see how it goes. Once I start typing I tend to get immersed and next thing you know it’s a small novel. Also have a variety of topics ..yes, including birds.. so it should be a fun month.
Figured I’d start with a theme that hasn’t been covered in awhile – those creatures that roam the night and are drawn the warm glow of our porch light. That’s right, another dose of a night out with the Macro.
This particular set of shots was taken at two distinct times during the Spring/Summer months. I forgot to write down the exact dates but I am making an assumption that this first set was taken in the Spring because I think this particular creature is a Tettigoniida or more commonly referred to as a Katydid or Bush Cricket. In our region they are referred to as Katydids.
The reason I think this was taken in the Spring is this is when the Katydid’s hatch into nymphs. These nymphs look identical to their adult form with the exception of not having their wings. We’ll get to those images a little later in the post. At first I was searching the grasshopper reference books assuming it was one of those. Through luck (as in using the Google search criteria of “large green bug”) the possibility of the Katydid came up. Again, the part that was throwing me was the lack of leaf like wings. The long antennae, the lanky legs and the profile of the body seemed to fit. Upon careful examination, it did appear that there were tiny little wings starting to emerge on the side. You can just make them out if you look straight up from the middle leg.
Hit the jump to read more about the Katydid
