Feeling the heat

  

Air temperatures were far above average on 7 April 2022.  There were insects everywhere on Bodega Head that day.  I'm not sure which species of grasshopper this is, but they kept flying up from the coastal prairie.

P.S.  As for the temperature — I'm a little confused because I've checked several weather stations in Bodega Bay and have seen different readings for the maximum air temperature on 7 April 2022.  I'm guessing it was somewhere in the 74-75°F (23-24°C) range.  It's rare for air temperatures to reach over 70°F in Bodega Bay — for a general review, see the post called "Pretty cool (or not)" on 15 July 2019.

Masters of camouflage

Here's a fun comparison.  A wonderful grasshopper from the Bodega Dunes:

 

Below is the same grasshopper viewed from the side.  It's amazing how well the colors and markings match the sand grains.  It almost renders them invisible (especially when seen from a distance).

 

Reviewing these photos made me think of Ghost Crabs (Ocypode quadrata) from the East Coast.  Although the coloration is finer grained, the palette is similar.  They're both masters of camouflage!

 

Among the grasses and plantains

 

A juvenile grasshopper on the inflorescence of Plantago erecta.

A slightly different view, this time looking out from a grass blade:

 

Photographed on Bodega Head, 9 April 2014

Discovery

Tonight I was trying to record some crickets singing in our yard in Sebastopol.  I was hearing an unfamiliar sound that wasn't as common as the others.  It was relatively thin, high pitched, and raspy, and came in a series of short, two-parted bursts.  I was excited to record at least a brief sequence (it was ~55°F when I made this recording):

possible katydid by nhbh
 
It was dark and I wasn't sure I could locate the insect responsible for this sound, but I decided to try.  I was amazed when my headlamp beam found a wonderful orthopteran that I hadn't seen before.  What fun that its song led me to its discovery!

Here are a few photos.  The next image shows my first view.  Look at those bronzy hues, and the impressive length of the antennae!

 

It looks like the antennae are close to double the length of the body!

 

The back legs were also extremely long.  Here's an outstretched view.

 

The shield-like structure on its back also caught my eye.

 

And the abdomen had an intriguing black and silver pattern.

 

I have no idea what species this is.  After searching around a bit, I'm wondering if it's a type of shield-backed katydid, possibly in the genus Neduba.  Does anyone out there know more?