June 28 OOTD: Fork-tailed Bush Katydid!

Today’s OOTD is the the Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (Scudderia furcata). This observation is another first-identified species for Merck Forest and Bennington County. S. furcata is a species in the katydid family, Tettigoniidae, whose members are primarily nocturnal, feed on herbaceous and woody plant matter, and exhibit mimicry and camouflage with shapes and colors similar to leaves. If you don’t look closely, you might miss some interesting insects like this friend!