Capnobotes fuliginosus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Capnobotes fuliginosus is a species of katydid known as the sooty longwing. It is found in the western United States and Mexico. It is omnivorous and it is the prey of the wasp Palmodes praestans. The sooty longwing was first formally described in 1872 by Cyrus Thomas as Locusta fuliginosus.
The species is up to 75 mm (3.0 in) long to its wingtips, brownish gray, has long wings, has a shield back, and its hindwings are darker than its forewings. The katydids show their dark hindwings when they are startled. The species' song is loud, continuous, and shrill. It is an omnivore that is known to feed on the nymphs and adults of the grasshopper Bootettix argentatus on foliage during the summer.
The species can be found in central Nevada, Utah, southern California, New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado. They are found in the deserts of California. The species was first found at the Dinosaur National Monument in 1952, according to a 1952 study by Entomological News in which three adults were discovered. They are highly active on hot nights.
Nematodes use the species as a host. The wasp Palmodes praestans preys on the species, even though... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Sooty Longwing sighting in Saguaro National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 229th most-seen of the 354 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June to August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Sooty Longwing in Saguaro National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to May, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sooty Longwing sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Sooty Longwing sightings, Saguaro National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Joshua Tree National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Tettigoniidae
The closest relatives of the Sooty Longwing that you can see in Saguaro National Park (family Tettigoniidae, Katydids) are Common Short-Wing Katydid (about 10%) and Elegant Bush Katydid (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Sooty Longwing is recorded against all the insects logged in Saguaro National Park (8 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
