Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County

Gardener's request:  I've just caught and identified what looks like a California Angle-wing Katydid. Is this insect destructive or should I just let it fly away? 

Help Desk Response: Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk. We appreciate your concern about whether or not the Katydid (Microcentrum californicum) that you caught is a problem.

Katydids can be damaging to a number of plants including trees, and they are frequently found in our area but are not of real concern to plant damage or nuisance unless you have a high population. So, with an assessment of your garden, I think if you would like to release it there should be no overall harm done!

Here is some more information from UC:
http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/PLANTS/INVERT/katydids.html 

Congratulations on your interest in bugs!

Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (SMW)

Notes: Contra Costa MG's Help Desk is available almost year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays (e.g., last 2 weeks December), we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 2380 Bisso Lane, Concord, CA 94520. We can also be reached via telephone:  (925) 608-6683, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at  http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/. MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog.