How to Manage Pests

Katydids—Scudderia furcata and Microcentum retinerve

Katydids resemble grasshoppers but have long antennae. The nymphs are wingless and have black and white banded antennae.

Life cycle

Damage

Katydids may feed on leaves or fruit. Katydids do not eat the whole fruit. They often take a bite and move on, allowing the feeding site to become covered with grayish scar tissue and the expanding fruit to become misshapen. Most damage is done by nymphs.

Solutions

In areas where there is good biological control, parasites often attack the eggs of katydids. Control is not usually necessary, but spinosad can be applied if nymphs are numerous when fruit are small.