Are You Hearing Cicadas Or Katydids In Your Yard? How To Know The Difference

It might depend where you’re from.

You know it’s summertime when there is a familiar ring in the hot, humid air that doesn’t let up, even as the sun goes down in July. For many, these seasonal visitors are a welcome signal that summer is here, along with all of our favorite things about it like peach cobbler, late sunsets, and cookouts with friends and family.

It’s most likely that you’re thinking of the great, big, tree-hugging cicadas that make their presence known to the South each summer. These bugs have bulging eyes and semi-transparent wings, and they like to sing loud and proud until we later find their molted exoskeletons stuck to the bark on trees and all over the yard. However, they’re not the only ones who like to put on a lyrical performance during summertime, and their cricket-like cousins are also quite noisy. Have you heard of katydids?

What Is The Difference Between Cicadas And Katydids?

Katydids are akin to long-horned grasshoppers, and it’s very common to come across these large bugs during summer. While both cicadas and katydids frequent most Southern states, some places—like Texas and South Carolina—are known for hosting many katydid broods. Texans might expect to hear and see them hopping about quite a bit during summertime. They’re rather fearless—or friendly—and they've been known to jump right on you when out in the wilderness, perhaps while camping along one of the Best Tubing Rivers For When It’s Hot Out. Visually, however, katydids have a green leaf-like appearance and don’t resemble cicadas. Katydids live in trees as cicadas do, but are largely nocturnal singers, which is why the sounds you hear at night may come from them instead of cicadas. Cicadas are mostly active during the day.

As it turns out, there’s a reason why cicadas and katydids can sometimes get confused for each other, at least in sound. Cicadas, which are also known colloquially as locusts, come from the same order as grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids. One of the defining features of the cicadas’ song is the sheer volume of their singing, which can reach as much as 100 decibels and can sound akin to a lawnmower, dirt bike, or tractor. On the other hand, katydids’ song is slightly more high-pitched and staccato. Expect a slightly more chirpy sound than the roar of cicadas.

The next time you’re hanging out on the porch, take a deep listen. The songs you hear could be from many different friends at different times, letting you know summer is in full swing!

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