Rare Pink Katydids

The Audubon Insectarium in New Orleans just bred these rare pink katydids and I find them captivating/delicious.

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Pink Katydid Facts:
⢠The parental katydids, both pink, were brought to Audubon Insectarium during
the summer of 2008 as donations by visitors.
⢠The pink katydids were sent off to Cokie Bauder, Manager of Animal Collections
at the Insectarium's Insect Rearing Facility, for supervision and care.
⢠The pink katydids are oblong-winged katydids, Amblycorypha oblongifolia.
⢠This unusual katydid coloration was first written about in a scientific article in
1878.
⢠The first and only available scientific research paper on the genetics of this
coloration and captive breeding was conducted by Dr. Joseph Hancock and
published in February 1916.
⢠No scientific records appear to exist for the offspring of two pink parents. It
appears that Hancock was only able to successfully produce viable offspring from
crosses of one pink female to one green male.

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This is kind of freaking me out. It's like some weird cross between an insect and a flamingo.

Oddly attractive. Perhaps I'm just bored with the green.

Wow, those are just gorgeous. Valentine's Day katydids!

By Julie Stahlhut (not verified) on 17 Feb 2009 #permalink

They are gorgeous! "Think Pink" - that's what I say. Pink rules, OK?

By Hilary Minor (not verified) on 18 Feb 2009 #permalink

Lovely! Like living jewels. Pink sapphires come to mind or maybe morganite

I had a pinkish-purple katydid in my garden here in Arkansas a few years back. Showed it to a few folks, but let it live out in the garden. I should have sent it in for breeding!

I am so thrilled you cover this because I am a manager at the Insectarium where these are!!! It is awesome to make it to your blog!!!

FYI - the first one that we had hatch out was named Floyd by the staff (... as in Pink Floyd).

By Lauren Thibault (not verified) on 19 Feb 2009 #permalink

im currently living in new zealand and i have 1 of theese hiding in a pink flower in my garden. pretty cool bugs.

Wow! I found one of these in the Winding Stair Mountains in south east Oklahoma. I passed it off as maybe a recent hatchling or something. Didn't know I was looking at a rarity. Doh!

Glad I got pics

We found a pink katydid in Florida. It was doing fine but today it looks like it is going to die. Maybe it is molting?

I was weed whacking in the trailer park I help run in Lake Port Florida and ran across a pink katydid almost got it with the weed whacker thank god i stopped! I brought it to my honey because she loves the color pink and for the 1st time she didn't scream. If you want to see pictures contact me @ posh7226@gmail.com

By Patrick Oakes (not verified) on 22 Jun 2010 #permalink

I am looking for someone who can send me eggs of those pink katydids.

By Martin Hora (not verified) on 10 Oct 2010 #permalink