Katydids laid eggs, how to hatch them?!

[Jimbob]

Caught these guys/girls locally(I'm in PA). I believe they are a species of 'false' katydid(not sure why they call them that because they are real katydids?). So my understanding was they would lay them in a row on twigs. My female is laying them all over the screen cage though. In blades of grass, soil, on the screen itself. I underestimated how small they would be, originally I was going to just remove the twig with them and raise separately... now I'm thinking, just leave them in there? I do one nice misting each day where I spray down the cage.

Also, being from a place that gets winter, I'd assume they go through a diapause, however, I believe the same species can be found in warmer climates where they thrive all year long? So is the diapause necessary?

What would you guys do in this situation to be successful at raising them. I think they are so cool and would also make excellent feeders for my chameleon.

 

[pannaking22]

If you're in PA then a diapause might be necessary to get them to hatch, but you could try not giving them one and seeing what happens. It'd probably be best to leave them in there just so they don't get damaged while trying to move them. Do you have any shots of the katydids themselves?

 

[Jimbob]

Heres one

 

[pannaking22]

Perfect, it's one of the angle-winged katydids, genus Microcentrum, possibly M. retinerve - https://bugguide.net/node/view/1134973

Not a guarantee, but that might help you narrow down some of the care info and to figure out if they need a diapause or not.

 

[Jimbob]

Perfect, it's one of the angle-winged katydids, genus Microcentrum, possibly M. retinerve - https://bugguide.net/node/view/1134973

Not a guarantee, but that might help you narrow down some of the care info and to figure out if they need a diapause or not.

Thank you so much, I've been reading about them. Have a decent bit of info, but still unsure of the diapause. They're in my garage which I'm planning to heat to around 60 since I have other reptiles and inverts in there. Hoping that is enough to get them to hatch, I'd assume in the spring. Would be cool if warmer temps brought them out earlier.

 

[Natasha O]

Thank you so much, I've been reading about them. Have a decent bit of info, but still unsure of the diapause. They're in my garage which I'm planning to heat to around 60 since I have other reptiles and inverts in there. Hoping that is enough to get them to hatch, I'd

If you're in PA then a diapause might be necessary to get them to hatch, but you could try not giving them one and seeing what happens. It'd probably be best to leave them in there just so they don't get damaged while trying to move them. Do you have any shots of the katydids themselves?
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assume in the spring. Would be cool if warmer temps brought them out earlier.

Hello, I did not let my katydid eggs go through a diapause. In Oregon we have mild 4 seasons. The results are premature katydids. They wouldn’t leave their egg shell for like 2-3 weeks. I fed them romaine lettuce mostly by leaving the lettuce accessible for them. I can only see them clearly with a magnifying glass. I can’t say how many are still alive because they are elusive and love to hide inside the leaf they were born in. (Fork tailed bush Katydids insert their eggs into the epidermis of a leaf as u probably know). Anyway, I don’t know if anyone will read this it’s been so long so I can write more if someone is interested!