The Audubon Insectarium in New Orleans just bred these rare pink katydids and I find them captivating/delicious.
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.
Life Science
Comments
Fashionable melanism?
Posted by: julia goolia | February 17, 2009 12:58 PM
This is kind of freaking me out. It's like some weird cross between an insect and a flamingo.
Posted by: Erin | February 17, 2009 12:58 PM
Oddly attractive. Perhaps I'm just bored with the green.
Posted by: Rob Jase | February 17, 2009 1:07 PM
Wow, those are just gorgeous. Valentine's Day katydids!
Posted by: Julie Stahlhut | February 17, 2009 3:23 PM
Those are freaky - in several ways. I would think birds would snap them up - or do they get freaked, too?
Posted by: The Ridger | February 17, 2009 7:00 PM
oh how exciting. Your site is my home page and this was such a nice treat to see. Thanks!
Posted by: nurby | February 17, 2009 11:03 PM
They are gorgeous! "Think Pink" - that's what I say. Pink rules, OK?
Posted by: Hilary Minor | February 18, 2009 8:47 AM
Lovely! Like living jewels. Pink sapphires come to mind or maybe morganite
Posted by: Gindy | February 18, 2009 11:06 AM
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!
Posted by: Matt | February 19, 2009 7:18 AM
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).
Posted by: Lauren Thibault | February 19, 2009 9:26 AM
im currently living in new zealand and i have 1 of theese hiding in a pink flower in my garden. pretty cool bugs.
Posted by: amber | May 6, 2009 3:06 AM
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
Posted by: gmduggan | July 24, 2009 9:21 PM
They are gorgeous!
Posted by: kelebek sohbet | October 29, 2009 7:41 AM