Crickets

Crickets are grasshopper like insects and are often misidentified as such. Both grasshoppers and crickets belong to the order Orthoptera. Like grasshoppers, crickets possess powerful rear legs, making them strong jumpers. Crickets can be distinguished from grasshoppers by their long antenna, usually longer than their body.

Crickets are heard more than they are seen. They “sing” by rubbing the base of their wings together, a method known as stridulation. It is generally the males that “sing” however females will during the breeding season. Females can be identified by their curved prominent ovipositor.

Great Green Bushcricket Tettigonia viridissima

This is a large cricket reaching over two inches in length. Both sexes have large wings. The female has a long slightly downcurved ovipositor. The species overwinter as eggs.

Female Great Green Bushcricket Note The Long Slightly Downcurved Ovipositor

Speckled Bushcricket Leptopyhtes punctatissima

Both sexes of the speckled bushcricket are flightless.

The females have a stubby upturned ovipositor, as seen in the picture on the right.