Can someone tell me if they know what type of bug this is? If so, how do I get rid of it as it seems to be eating the leaves.
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That's quite hard to see. If you don't have a better camera, try taking the picture through a magnifying glass.– IngmarAug 8, 2014 at 7:35
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Or at least get a picture on a more contrasting background if you can– AlparAug 8, 2014 at 9:58
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2 Answers
That is a katydid, which is any insect in the family Tettigoniidae. Yours is from the sub-family Phaneropterinae. It's a California Anglewing, Microcentrum californicum. It's probably not causing much damage on your plants, but you can control it with a general insecticide.
Here's a comparison picture:
answered Aug 8, 2014 at 23:03
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2My comparison pic even has the antenna missing on the same side. =) Aug 8, 2014 at 23:05
It is hard to see clearly, but it looks as if the body is shaped rather like an elongated leaf, with the back end narrowing down almost to a point. The eyes are definitely yellowish with black centres, it should have six legs, jointed in the manner of the two I can see in the picture - if I'm seeing it properly, this is a green katydid, and its one of those that does eat plants - usually sticks around on whatever plant it likes most and eats that. Presumably there is some local treatment appropriate for these if you have a heavy infestation, I'm in the UK, so don't know what you'd use - maybe someone else can advise on a suitable pesticide, if its necessary.
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@J.Musser I could see most of it (on my desktop) but couldn't quite distinguish between the greens for overall body shape - don't forget, my eyes are a lot older than yours!– BambooAug 9, 2014 at 10:06
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@J.Musser blimey, herbicide, of course I meant pesticide. I shall alter that, must have been on automatic pilot when I typed it. Not sure if its necessary or not to use pesticide, depends if its eating too much of the plant. By the way, I only have a dumbphone and a tablet, no smartphone.– BambooAug 9, 2014 at 10:08