Katydid

Over the last decade I have only seen a giant grasshopper on two occasions. Both of these happened to be on a balcony, but in two completely separate locations. They were somewhere between 6 and 10 centimeters long and are apparently called Katydids. They are also known as long horned grasshoppers.

Though usually bright green, they can sometimes also appear as quite a few other colors like pink and yellow.

Katydids all have wings, like other grasshoppers, but the wings are generally only used to support their jumps. Although some species of Katydids can have a wingspan of up to 26 centimeters, most of them just can't fly.

Their hearing organs are located on their foreleg, one on each.

Most female Katydids are silent and it's mainly the males who produce sound.

Surprisingly enough, those in winter climates can only live for less than a year, whilst those in tropical areas can live for several years.