Pterophylla camellifolia
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Pterophylla camellifolia, the common true katydid, is a common North American insect. It can be found in southeastern Canada, through the eastern United States from Maine to Florida. P. camellifolia belongs to the family Tettigoniidae (katydids). Within the Tettigoniidae, it belongs to the subfamily Pseudophyllinae (true katydids). Other common names include northern true katydid and rough-winged katydid.
The loud, rasping, three-pulsed song, rendered "ka-ty-did", of the male of the nominate northern subspecies is the source of the vernacular name "katydid” as applied to any tettigoniid. It is a nearly flightless species that, in contrast with other katydids, often walks, runs, or hops rather than leaping or flying. It lives in the canopy of deciduous trees, where it feeds on the foliage. It can reach up to 50 mm (2 in) in length.
The singing rate is temperature dependent. Four populations of this species can be distinguished by song characteristics: The two-, three-, or four-pulsed song of northern populations, as described above; The faster song with more pulses per phrase, often heard in large, synchronized choruses common to the Southeastern populations;
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| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common True Katydid sighting in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 301st most-seen of the 723 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common True Katydid in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August and December–June, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common True Katydid 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 Common True Katydid sightings, Shenandoah National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (United States, about 20%).
Same family: Tettigoniidae
The closest relatives of the Common True Katydid that you can see in Shenandoah National Park (family Tettigoniidae, Katydids) are Lesser Anglewing (about 10%), Short-Winged Meadow Katydid (about 10%) and Slender Meadow Katydid (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common True Katydid is recorded against all the insects logged in Shenandoah National Park (12 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.
