Keeping Giant Hooded Katydids as pets

Learn about keeping Katydids as pets, read our care guide, watch videos, and explore our collection of pictures

Unfortunately This seems a really difficult way to do it,the females bury their eggs in a particular way and unless they are transported incredibly carefully in the undisturbed 'soil' they have a really low chance of hatching. It is best to start with recently hatched nymphs or older.

Primary Choices: Bramble (blackberry bushes) and other Rubus species such as Rose (ensure no pesticides) and Raspberry.
Additional Options: Oak, Beech and apple tree leaves are also favored. In fact Beech is their overall favorite.
Variety: While they prefer the above, you can experiment with other plants. Ensure they always have access to their preferred leaves to prevent them from consuming something unsuitable.
Protein and calcium: We also offer fish flakes and calcium carbonate powder occasionally
Fruit and veg: Ours really like apple slices, we buy organic ones to avoid pesticides, and add the fish flakes as a topping! Only some seem to like the fish flakes. We stick the apple chunks onto sticks and stand them securely upright in the cages.

Optimal Range: We recommend maintaining a temperature of 24-26°C. Too hot and humid and mould can be a problem.
Tolerance: They can tolerate slightly higher or lower temperatures.
Heating Setup: We use these Inkbird thermostats and heat mats such as these attached to the outside of the glass enclosure. We insulate the outside of the cages with this foam roll and even put it over the heating mats but do that at your own risk - it's not advised! We also use these foam strips to modify cages and seal larger gaps around the doors of the cages but find the strips don't last indefinitely without needing resticking etc.
Winter Care: If your house gets particularly cold in winter, insulate the enclosure further with blankets or similar materials to maintain a stable temperature.

Ideal Humidity: Maintain a humidity level of 70-85%. Higher end of this range for the young ones even into the 90's for first instar.
Humidity Control: Use a humidity sensor (available very cheaply online) to monitor levels. Mist the enclosure lightly with non chlorinated water as needed to maintain humidity and perhaps give the insects a drink. Ensure good ventilation and cleanliness to prevent mold growth.

Size: Adult Siliquofera grandis can grow up to 15 cm (6 inches) in length, making them one of the largest katydid species. They can have a 25cm wingspan but to be honest you wouldn't know, they don't set off flying around.
Growth Stages: They undergo about 6 molts as they grow, each stage increasing their size until they reach maturity. The warmer it is the faster they grow, they can be adult in 3-4 months!

Material: To maintain humidity and keep heat in we use tall glass cages with plenty of airflow. See the giant hooded katydid cages they use at www.giantinsects.co.uk in their care videos (scroll through the videos on on their katydid packages with sound turned on)
Size: Big is better, we use converted Ikea Detolf display cabinets but commercial cages will be fine too of course. Glass cages help to maintain humidity and keep warmth in.
We'd raise a small number in this cage or more in this or a much larger colony in this lovely cage. In the past we've built cages using sheets like these.
Make sure there are loads of things for them to climb on and shed their skins from. You can even buy things like this.

Lifespan: In captivity, they can allegedly live up to 2 years with proper care, but from hatching you're typically expecting a year, we think the males grow up a bit faster and die a little bit sooner.
Lifecycle: Their life cycle includes multiple moults from nymph to adult. Providing optimal conditions can help maximize their lifespan. The warmer they are the faster they grow and perhaps the sooner they die but we're not going to do experiments to find out.

Handling: They can be handled, but with care. Handle them gently to avoid causing stress or injury.
Best Practices: Allow them to walk onto your hand rather than picking them up directly. Limit handling to reduce stress although they learn to be fine with it. They can get spooked and remain agitated for a while, if this happens leave them to calm down for a good while.

Mating: Adult Siliquofera grandis have a little mating dance which if you're really lucky or patient you may get to witness (or see the nsfw video further down this site). Then the male will mate with the female depositing a huge sticky white ball containing sperm and other goodies onto her. He then does a little excited up and down dance before they perhaps part ways until next time.
Egg laying: you're in for a freaky treat watching this, if you've seen the film Aliens then you may get deja vu. Unlike mating you're much more likely to see this, typically when it's early morning or evening but it can be at any time. Provide a pot of damp cocoa coir, or vermiculite or peat for the female to lay them in and then wait maybe 3 months for hatching.

Sound Production: Adult Siliquofera grandis can produce a clicking sound, typically used for communication during mating season. They can also rustle their wings when disturbed.
Are they noisy: No unlike some species of katydids you'll only notice these infrequent noises if you're really quiet

Beginner Suitability: They can be suitable for beginners who are willing to maintain specific environmental conditions required for their care. If you've kept Jungle Nymph stick insects (available at www.giantinsects.co.uk) these are about the same level of difficulty and in fact enjoy the same conditions and we've found can even share a cage. If you look carefully you will see a photo with both an adult female katydid and an adult Heteropteryx dilatata (jungle nymph) together in our garden below.
Care Requirements: Ensure you are prepared to manage humidity, temperature, and provide appropriate food to keep them healthy.
I'm ready...where can I get some?
Online shops: If you're in the UK the best place is usually www.giantinsects.co.uk (there are links below or visit the site for more info like shipping info - Mondays at time of writing). There are other online stores that occasionally have them in stock but those tend to be more expensive and are probably from smaller colonies.
Invertebrate Fairs: These can be a good place to get them, if you get there early enough, and for other invertebrates of course
The links in the above article that take you to Amazon could earn us a few pence if you purchase after clicking it - but that's not why we do this - we love our Katydids!