Bug FAQCommon Meadow Katydid
Orchelimum vulgare · Order: Orthoptera · Family: Tettigoniidae
Also called: Common Meadow Grasshopper
Adult common meadow katydids are 22 to 40 mm long, with females larger than males. They live in fields and low meadows, perching on grass clumps, and prefer moderate temperatures. They are active from midsummer through fall.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Their bodies are green with brown legs, and two black lines run along the dorsal shield, helping them blend into grass.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults range from about 22 to 40 mm in length, with females larger than males.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They thrive in moderate climates and cannot tolerate extreme heat or humidity.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
They feed on a variety of plant species. They have also been recorded eating other orthopteran insects.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
They are active from midsummer to fall.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is distributed across much of North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 32 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Illinois, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio, Missouri, Massachusetts, South Carolina.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are common meadow katydids active?
They are active from midsummer through fall.
Source: Wikipedia
What do common meadow katydids eat?
They eat a variety of plants and have also been observed eating other orthopteran insects.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find common meadow katydids?
They live in fields and low meadows, perching on grass clumps, and prefer moderate temperatures.
Source: Wikipedia
How big do common meadow katydids get?
Adults measure about 22 to 40 mm, with females larger than males.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Tettigoniidae)
Great Green Bush-cricketTettigonia viridissimaCan bite
Dark Bush-cricketPholidoptera griseoaptera
Mediterranean KatydidPhaneroptera nanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fork-tailed Bush KatydidScudderia furcataDamages trees, gardens or crops
Speckled Bush-cricketLeptophyes punctatissima
Roesel's Bush-cricketRoeseliana roeseliiSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchelimum_vulgare
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.