Location: Southern Indiana
July 16, 2014 7:47 am
This bug was found in southern Indiana in July, 2014, in a lightly wooded area among dry grass and leaves. My grandson captured in and put it in his bug box, then after admiring it for a while we released it. This photo was taken on our back steps just before the bug jumped off and disappeared. We have search several web sites but have been unable to find a match.
I took this picture with my iPad.
Signature: Curious Grandmother
Dear Curious Grandmother,
This is a Shield-Back Katydid, and research on BugGuide indicates it is a female Eastern Shieldback in the genus Atlanticus. According to BugGuide: “Identification of species is challenging” and they are found in “Dry deciduous and mixed woodlands: on ground and in low vegetation.” What appears to be a stinger is actually the ovipositor, the organ used by the female to lay eggs.