The Katydid that hitchhiked through the Caldecott Tunnel

by James K. Sayre

18 August 2004

If you sit or stand quietly in your unkempt garden in coastal California, you may see a small greenish grasshopper climbing and flying about. Locally, this often would be a Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (Scudderia mexicana). Since my front driveway is partly arched over with Roses and Blackberries, I should not have been surprised to a Katydid standing on my front windshield this morning. I assumed that it would quickly fly away as I backed out of the driveway. But no, this Katydid really did want to see the world.

As I approached the Caldecott Tunnel from the west, the Katydid was still holding on in the 40 mph breeze. I thought: hang on until we get through the tunnel and you will have a new home.

After exiting the tunnel, I pulled off the freeway and parked on the shoulder. I got a map and tried to coax the Katydid to fly away. It hopped onto the front hood. It seemed to have a strong affinity for my car. Finally, with a second coaxing, it hopped onto the gravel shoulder. Greenery was just a couple of feet away, so I assume that the Katydid is happily living in Orinda now.

End.

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