Listen forInsects
The late-summer night chorus of crickets and katydids
When: August to September
As August settles in, eastern Massachusetts nights fill with fall field crickets on the ground, shimmering ground crickets beneath them, and true katydids rasping from the treetops.
Why this time of year
Spring field crickets go quiet by late July, and in early August the fall field crickets tune up while common true katydids begin their scratchy back-and-forth in the trees after full dark.
How to notice it
- Turn off nearby lights if you can.
- Listen quietly for two minutes before deciding what you hear.
- Count distinct repeating rhythms instead of trying to name every species.
- Sort the sounds by height: steady chirps from the ground, scratchy rasping from up in the trees.
Try this with kids: How many different repeating rhythms can you hear?
a katydid is a big green tree-dwelling cousin of the crickets, named for its scratchy ka-ty-did call
Sources
- hitchcockcenter.orgMassachusetts naturalist column: spring field crickets stop late July, fall field crickets tune up early August, common true katydids call from trees after dark, ground crickets shimmer underneath
- uwm.edutree crickets are part of the late summer and fall chorus; sound made by wing stridulation
In the guide for August, September