This week, I present Four Katydids and a Mantis. These photos were all taken earlier this month on a dewy morning at the Platte River Prairies. I could have stopped with the katydids (one is presented twice because I couldn’t decide between two options) but I couldn’t resist including a praying mantis photo that is one of my favorite images of the year so far. I hope you enjoy them all.

Female katydid nymph, backlit by the sunrise. Nikon 105mm macro lens. ISO 400, f/11, 1/125 sec.
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Katydid on stiff goldenrod. Nikon 105mm macro lens. ISO 400, f/18, 1/200 sec.
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Katydid nymph (female with long ovipositor) in dewy morning prairie. Nikon 10.5 fisheye lens. ISO 400, f/22, 1/160 sec.
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Bush katydid on tall thistle. Nikon 105mm macro lens. ISO 500, f/16, 1/250 sec.
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Bush katydid on tall thistle (#2). Nikon 105mm macro lens. ISO 500, f/20, 1/160 sec.
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Carolina mantis (I think?) and early morning sun and dewy prairie. Nikon 10.5 fisheye lens. ISO 400, f/22, 1/80 sec.
Beautiful photo of the mantis and the sun. Perfect image.
Perfect shots… I enjoyed the images..
Wow!
Bush CICADA????
Oh good grief. Thanks, Robert. I was clearly not paying enough attention as I wrote that… I’ll fix it.