Michael Foley: Natural History ©: Metrioptera roeselii

Friday, 7 September 2012

Roesel's Bush-crickets (Metrioptera roeselii) in Lancashire

August 10 & 31, 2012:
A small population of Roesel's Bush-crickets was first located near the coast at Fleetwood about twenty years ago. This is well to the north of the normal British range of this usually southern species and had presumably originated by individuals having been brought into the area accidentally with the help of man.

Female

A recent search of the site on the above dates indicated it to be now well established and likely to have extended its local range appreciably. Males were singing regularly amongst rough grasslend and bramble over a 200 metres stretch of a low sheltered embankment.

A male flexing his antennae

These are quite attractive crickets, easily recognised by the prominent broad cream-coloured edge to the side plates of the pronotum. At one point at least four separate individuals were seen in a small 15cm diameter area within a bramble patch, one male rapidly flexing his long antennae to ward off another intruder.

Close-up views of a male (above)

A late nymphal stage female

Monday, 13 August 2012

French Jura: Orthoptera

July 17-21, 2012:

Much of this area of central France is rich in Orthoptera, especially crickets and grasshoppers. Most grassland and even roadside verges have a large number of individuals, often with a range of species represented. Sub-alpine grassland at the Foret du Risoux was particularly rich. Altogether, at least eight species of grasshopper and four species of cricket were seen and photographed during a five-day period of warm sunny weather. These are shown below.

An adult female Upland Green Bush-cricket (Tettigonia cantans) which is a relative of the Great Green Bush-cricket found in southern England but with broader more rounded wings - Lac de Bellefontaine. A male nymph is shown below.