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Pink Katydids

Most katydids are green, but not all. These grasshopper-like insects with the loud mating call are found in a variety of colors, including yellow, orange, and an eye-popping pink. While some scientists believe these standout colors are the result of a genetic mutation known as erythrism, others see it as a type of camouflage that allows them to feed on a different type of bloom. More recently, researchers at New Orleans's Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium have proposed that pink may be the katydids' dominant genetic color, but because of directional selection—in which survival dictates that one gene be favored over another, even if the favored gene is recessive—green is more prominent in the wild.