ORTHOPTERA > ENISFERA > Tettigoniidae (Bush-crickets)

A small, fully winged, relatively common species that has widespread distribution across southern and central Britain. Unfortunately, it is arboreal and mainly nocturnal so is seldom seen during the day as most of the time it remains in the tree canopy where it rests out of the sun on the underside of leaves. Although it lives in oak species as its name suggests, it can be found in a wide variety of deciduous broad-leaved trees. and shrubs, notably hawthorn and hazel.

The overall length (head to wingtips) averages around 14-17mm, with no great difference between the sexes other than the female has a long ovipositor that could be up to 9mm long. They have a delicate and uniform appearance that, together with their long wings, makes them pretty much unmistakable. Although the shade may vary slightly from a yellowish green to light emerald, the colouration is pretty consistent, rather like a conehead, but with a very different head shape. Adults have a yellow or pale brown stripe running centrally down their back.

Oak Bush-crickets are predatory, mainly feeding on caterpillars and aphids. Although primarily active at night they will also hunt during the day.

They are a late maturing species with adults typically not being seen until late July or early August. However, due to the previously noted lifestyle of the species, it's one that you're more likely to encounter by chance rather than design. It may be seen in woodland, areas of scrub or along hedgerows, but could just as easily turn up in gardens, particularly if there are woodlands close by, as was the case with the only two I've seen to date.

A closely related European species, known as the Southern Oak Bush-cricket [Meconema meridionale], which was first discovered in Surrey in 2001, has been spreading quickly across the south east and with many reported sightings further north and west, including a few in Dorset. Although very similar in appearance to the described native species it has very short wings so can't be confused, except with large Oak Bush-cricket nymphs, but the fact that it's flightless raises questions on how it managed to cross the channel in the first place and how its distribution range has extended during the past twenty years.