Irene Casey, age 7, of Providence, R.I., for her question:

HOW DOES THE KATYDID MAKE ITS SOUND?

The katydid is a large green insect with long feelers. It is a type of long horned grasshopper. Its n e come from the love call of a certain male species in the eastern  United States.

Katydids rub the bases of their f oings together to make their sounds. Little file like ridges on the wings form a sort of scraper.

Many katydids start their songs at twilight and sing all night. Katydids are heard most often during the late summer and the autumn.

Most katydids are about two inches long. They have long hind legs and large wings that fold over their backs.

Most katydids live in trees and bushes and feed on leaves and young twigs. Katydids lay their flat, oval, slate gray eggs from early fall until the frost appears. Many of them lay their eggs in double, overlapping rows on the edges of leaves and twigs. The eggs hatch the next spring.