Mysterious Bug With Painful Bite Begins Screeching at Night in Hudson Valley

That loud noise you're hearing in the Hudson Valley right now isn't from crickets, but a bug with a painful bite that you'll probably never see.

Carl Court, Getty Images

As soon as August rolls around, the Hudson Valley begins to look and sound very different.  Plants begin to look overgrown, weeds are cropping up everywhere and the annoying bugs like mosquitoes, spiders and flies seem to be everywhere.

August is also peak season for katydids, bright green insects that spend their days hidden among leaves before filling the night with one of the loudest sounds of summer. While most people have heard them, surprisingly few have ever actually seen one.

a close up of a grasshopper on a leaf

The insects are masters of camouflage. Their wings look almost identical to green leaves, complete with vein-like patterns, allowing them to disappear into the tree canopy. Once the sun goes down, however, they become impossible to ignore.

Male katydids create their signature "katy-did, katy-didn't" call by rubbing their front wings together in an effort to attract females. On warm August nights, hundreds of males can call at the same time, creating the constant buzzing and chirping soundtrack that's often mistaken for crickets.

Unlike crickets, which are usually found on the ground, katydids spend almost their entire lives in trees and shrubs. That's why the sounds seem to come from above rather than from your lawn.

green grasshopper perched on green leaf in close up photography during daytime

Although katydids don't seek out people, they should never be picked up because they will fight back when provoked. Unlike insects that sting, katydids have strong chewing mouthparts designed for eating leaves. If handled, they can deliver a surprisingly painful bite. It won't inject venom or cause lasting harm, but it can certainly make you never want to grab one again.

Fortunately, bites are rare because katydids would much rather stay hidden than confront anything larger than themselves.

Katydids also play an important role in the Hudson Valley ecosystem. They provide food for birds, bats, frogs, spiders and other wildlife, while feeding mostly on leaves, flowers and the occasional small insect.

The nightly chorus will continue through August and into September before cooler temperatures finally bring the sounds of summer to an end. So the next time you hear what sounds like thousands of crickets outside your window, look up into the trees.