Katydids?

As I was spraying to try to control a spider mite issue I saw this guy sitting at the top of my hops. I researched and found him to be a katydid. The wiki on them say some eat plants, but some prey on insects. Sooooo, do I get rid of him, or allow him to control my spider problem?

Get rid of him....just in case.

Just speculation here, but that critter is green, right. Probably means he eats green things, so unless your spiders are green......

i say leave him.

DeafSmith said:

Just speculation here, but that critter is green, right. Probably means he eats green things, so unless your spiders are green......

Click to expand...

I don't follow that logic at all. Not saying your statement isn't true, but there are other possibilities.

He could be green to camouflage him in foliage to ambush insects or like Deafsmith said he could be green to camouflage him from preditors. From a quick search it seems that they eat oak leaves and other leaves of plants that fall in autumn. Some species exclusively eats bugs. Its a crap shoot but that is why I never kill bugs I am unsure of (in case they help control pest populations)

From Landscape-America website and confirms other sites I visited:

In the wild: Angular-winged katydids typically eat the leaves of willow, rosewood and citrus trees. Most katydids are herbivorous, consuming foliage, stems, flower petals, fruit of trees, weeds, and crops; some also eat nectar and pollen, while a few are known carnivores that prey on other insects. All katydids are capable of biting and may do so if handled roughly.

So it "might" eat your hops plants, but probably not if there are more tasty options around.