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Leafy camouflage reshapes katydid love songs, making males more attractive to females

Phys · · 474 words · By University
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What to know about Leafy camouflage reshapes katydid love songs, making males more attractive to females

Researchers from the University of St Andrews found that the leaf-like camouflage on certain katydid wings also serves to amplify their mating calls. The study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, suggests that these structures simultaneously aid in survival through mimicry and in reproduction by increasing attractiveness to females.

Propaganda risk 0%
Claims checked 11
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center67%
Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Leafy camouflage reshapes katydid love songs, making males more attractive to females Stephanie Baum Scientific Editor Robert Egan Associate Editor New research from the University of St Andrews has discovered that insects who conceal themselves as leaves…

Why it matters

The research published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B is the first demonstration of how impressive leaf mimicry can also be used to enhance the attractiveness of a sexual signal.

Common ground

Katydids create songs by rubbing specialized structures on their wings together, but in many tropical species, the leaf-mimicking portion makes up the majority of the wing surface.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Researchers from the University of St Andrews found that the leaf-like camouflage on certain katydid wings also serves to amplify their mating calls. The study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, suggests that these structures simultaneously aid in survival through mimicry and in reproduction by increasing attractiveness to females.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-06-leafy-camouflage-reshapes-katydid-songs.html

analyticsAnalysis

0%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 100%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 5
check_circle Corroborated 3
help Insufficient Evidence 2
schedule Pending 1
info
Claim 1: “The research published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B is the first demonstration of how impressive leaf mimicry can also be used to enhance the attractiveness of a sexual signal.”
SINGLE SOURCE
One web search result explicitly mentions the research was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B and is the first demonstration of this effect. Other sources confirm the research but not the specific 'first demonstration' claim or the journal name.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Proceedings of the Royal Entomological Society was a peer-reviewed scientific journal of entomology established in 1926 by the Royal Entomological Society. A history is presented below.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proceedings_of_the_Royal_Entom…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Proceedings of the Royal Society is the main research journal of the Royal Society. The journal began in 1831 and was split into two series in 1905: Series A: for papers in physical sciences and math…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proceedings_of_the_Royal_Socie…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Society_of_Edinburgh
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 2: “When these calls were played to females, lower-pitched calls from males with their "leafy" sections intact were preferred.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided for this claim.
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Claim 3: “They also call in the ultrasound range, which makes it difficult for humans to hear them.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that many katydids produce ultrasonic calls (above 20 kHz), which are beyond the range of human hearing.
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web search NEUTRAL — The calling frequencies used by most katydids range between 5 kHz and 30 kHz. But these insects were found to produce the highest ultrasonic calling songs known in nature, with males reaching 150 kHz …
https://earthsky.org/earth/new-insect-with-natures-highest-p…
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web search NEUTRAL — Katydids have thin antennae that are as long or longer than the body, often much longer as in this brown Costa Rican katydid. The antennae are covered with sensory receptors that help them find their …
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/katydids/
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web search NEUTRAL — Today, only a minority of katydids sing in the audible range, while about 70 percent have ultrasonic songs and a few have extraordinarily high-pitched songs. The record holder, so far, is the recently…
https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/living-world/20…
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Claim 4: “New research from the University of St Andrews has discovered that insects who conceal themselves as leaves also use their leafy camouflage to amplify mating calls, making themselves more attractive to the opposite sex.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web search results confirm that research from the University of St Andrews discovered leaf-mimicking insects use their camouflage to amplify mating calls.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This list of alumni of the University of St Andrews includes graduates, non-graduate former students, and current students of the University of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_alumni_of_the_Universi…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of Dundee is a public research university located in the city of Dundee, Scotland. It was founded as a university college in 1881 with a donation from the prominent Baxter family of tex…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Dundee
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of St Andrews (Scots: University o St Andras, Scottish Gaelic: Oilthigh Chill Rìmhinn; abbreviated as St And in post-nominals) is a public research university in the town of St Andrews …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_St_Andrews
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 5: “Researchers looked at a species of katydid called Viadana brunneri and found that if the "leafy" portions of the male wings were removed, it changed the pitch and loudness of their songs.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists only of dictionary definitions for the word 'removing' and does not mention Viadana brunneri or the experiment described.
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web search NEUTRAL — Jun 23, 2026 · Recent Examples of Synonyms for removing. Use something that contains hydrating ingredients and is mild and fragrance-free, to avoid allergic reactions and stripping the natural oils th…
https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/removing
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web search NEUTRAL — REMOVING definition: 1. present participle of remove 2. to take something or someone away from somewhere, or off…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/removing
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — REMOVING meaning: 1. present participle of remove 2. to take something or someone away from somewhere, or off…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/remov…
schedule
Claim 6: “Naturally-selected and sexually-selected wing structures synergistically enhance attractiveness of katydid acoustic signals, Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences (2026). DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2026.0952”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 7: “estimates suggest they call for only a total of two seconds in a single night.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence consists only of dictionary definitions for the word 'female' and contains no data regarding the duration of female katydid calls.
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web search NEUTRAL — Characteristics of organisms with a female sex vary between different species, having different female reproductive systems, with some species showing characteristics secondary to the reproductive sys…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female
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web search NEUTRAL — 6 days ago · In the 14th century, female appeared in English with such spellings as femel, femelle, and female. The word comes from the Latin femella, meaning "young woman, girl," which in turn is bas…
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/female
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web search NEUTRAL — FEMALE definition: 1. belonging or relating to women or girls: 2. belonging or relating to the sex that can give…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/female
info
Claim 8: “females indicate their interest by replying with short clicks.”
SINGLE SOURCE
One source mentions that unlike most katydids, some females can produce a 'weak clicking/rustling', but it does not explicitly confirm this as a standard indicator of mating interest across the group.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Unlike most katydids and crickets, the females also can produce sound - a weak clicking/rustling. Among the katydids sounds are perceived by means of a typanum located on the tibia of the front legs (…
https://webdoc.agsci.colostate.edu/bspm/Hexapoda+(Insects)/B…
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web search NEUTRAL — Like a female cicada, the katydid also provided a visual clue to its whereabouts, though instead of flicking its wings, the katydid flexed its legs with a jerky bounce. Hill and Marshall suspected tha…
https://www.sott.net/article/193998-Monster-insect-mimic-lur…
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web search NEUTRAL — These cricket and grasshopper relatives are fairly large insects, but often overlooked because they come in colors and shapes that blend in with their environment to prevent predation. Learn about the…
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/katydids/
info
Claim 9: “in many tropical species, the leaf-mimicking portion makes up the majority of the wing surface.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists only of dictionary definitions for the word 'many' and does not contain any biological information about katydid wing surface area.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The meaning of MANY is consisting of or amounting to a large but indefinite number. How to use many in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/many
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web search NEUTRAL — We use the quantifiers much, many, a lot of, lots of to talk about quantities, amounts and degree. We can use them with a noun (as a determiner) or without a noun (as a pronoun). …
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/many
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web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago · Synonyms for MANY: numerous, multiple, several, countless, some, all kinds of, quite a few, multitudinous; Antonyms of MANY: few, limited, countable
https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/many
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Claim 10: “Katydids create songs by rubbing specialized structures on their wings together”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that male katydids produce sound by rubbing specialized forewings together (stridulation).
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web search NEUTRAL — Jun 2, 2026 ... Usually used as a means of camouflage, male katydids appear to use their leafy disguise to amplify mating calls and make themselves more ...
https://www.popsci.com/environment/katydid-mating-songs-pana…
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web search NEUTRAL — Male Katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) rub together their specialised forewings to produce sound, a process known as stridulation. During wing closure ...
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S00221…
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web search NEUTRAL — Sep 29, 2022 ... Insects vary a great deal in creating a symphony but often utilize rubbing their wings, legs, and tympanal organs to make some noise. Different ...
https://www.facebook.com/KansasWildlifeExhibit/posts/katydid…
help
Claim 11: “The team also discovered that these leafy portions of the male katydid wing vibrate so that they amplify the songs males produce”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided for this claim.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.