Lichen Katydid vs Fall Field Cricket

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Lichen Katydid Fall Field Cricket
Scientific Name Dysonia sp. (Dysonia magdalenae) Gryllus pennsylvanicus
Order Orthoptera Orthoptera
Family Tettigoniidae Gryllidae
Size 30-45 mm 15-25 mm
Habitat Mountains Underground
Diet Herbivores Seed Feeders
Regions Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Lichen Katydid

A Central American katydid with a mottled gray-green body that perfectly mimics lichen on bark. It is nearly invisible when pressed against a tree trunk.

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Did You Know?

It feeds on the same lichen it mimics, making it both predator and impersonator of its food source.

Fall Field Cricket

A common North American black field cricket whose chirping is the quintessential sound of autumn. Adults appear in late summer and die with the first hard frost.

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Did You Know?

You can estimate the temperature in Fahrenheit by counting its chirps in 14 seconds and adding 40.