- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
In the blink of an eye...
There it was, nestled inside a baby blue eyes blossom, Nemophila menziesii, which is a spring-blooming plant native to California, Oregon and Baja California.
"It?" A katydid nymph, a wingless critter with long black-and-white banded antennae.
The UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (UC IPM) tells us that "nymphs appear in April and May and take 2 to 3 months to mature through 6 to 8 instars."
"At least 74 species of katydids (family Tettigoniidae) are present in California," according to UC IPM. "Most are not pests because they chew only a small amount of foliage before moving to another plant. Forktailed bush katydid (Scudderia furcata) can be a pest because it chews young fruit in addition to leaves. Angularwinged katydid (Microcentrum retinerve) and broadwinged katydid (Microcentrum rhombifolium) are other common species.--UC IPM post on katydids.
This nymph crawled around the blossom, stretched to reach the next one, and then, up and over it went.
Just a day in the life of katydid nymph on baby blue eyes.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
So here's this crab spider stalking a katydid nymph foraging on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola.
Dinner awaits!
Suddenly a native bee, Melissodes agilis, lands next to the katydid and begins to sip some nectar.
Decisions, decisions! Do I want a juice katydid nymph or a tasty long-horned bee? Do I have a choice in the matter or does it matter if I have a choice?
A moment in time. Time in a moment. The bee, unaware of danger, continues to forage. Then, abruptly, the bee takes flight.
One menu choice remains.
It was a good day for the crab spider.
It was not a good day for the katydid.