ORTHOPTERA > ENISFERA > Tettigoniidae (Bush-crickets)

Formerly a species that only occurred locally in the southeast of the country, the distinctive Roesel's Bush-cricket has been increasing its range considerably in recent years, such that it is now seen across much of southern and central England, and with scattered records both further west and north. It didn't appear in Dorset until the summer of 2005 and, even then for the following couple of years, it was only recorded from around the Christchurch area but, from 2009, it started spreading westward through the county. I can't personally vouch for how often it's seen elsewhere, but I suspect that it's now the second most frequently seen bush-cricket species in my general area.

The body length (head to tip of abdomen) averages around 14mm for the males and 17mm for the females. Their colour is typically a tawny-brown with the sides of the thorax behind the pronotum having pale-yellow or green spots. Occasionally, individuals may be found where the face and sides of the abdomen are extensively green, but the distinguishing feature of this species is the pale-yellow margin that forms a conspicuous U-shape around the side flaps of the pronotum. The females have a gently upcurved ovipositor.

Most adults are short-winged (brachypterous) and flightless, but fully winged (macropterous) individuals do occur at times particularly in hot summers when populations are higher. This long-winged form, called 'diluta', has wings about four times as long as normal.

Adults may be found from late June to the end of October in a variety of habitats such as on waste ground, roadside verges, rough grasslands and overgrown field margins.