Speckled Bush Cricket (Leptophyes punctatissima)

OTHER NAMES: Common Speckled Bush Cricket

Latin Etymology: Leptophyes (?) punctatissima ("punctuated")

Adult female Speckled Bush Cricket (Leptophyes punctatissima) at Geddington, Northants - July 2011

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Length: 15-25mm  /  Wingspan: ? 
NO UK STATUS /IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

A fairly large and common bush-cricket species in the Southern half of England, and pretty much on the limits of it's range in Northamptonshire, it is a herbivore and lives mainly in woodland, scrub, gardens and hedgerows.  While it does "sing" like other crickets, the pitch is such that it isn't audible to the human ear, and can only be heard on a bat-detector or similar device.

Related Species:
Order: Orthoptera
Family: Phaneropteridae
Genus: Leptophyes
SUBSPECIES: none

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A common resident seen in Summer

 - Common around Geddington

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Eastern Bush Cricket* (Phaulula macilenta)

NOTE: This species does not have an official English name, therefore this name is speculative.

Latin Etymology: Phaulula (?) macilenta ("meagre")

Adult Eastern Bush Cricket (subspecies A. c. cinerea) at Kamakura, Japan - November 2014

Featured Subspecies: ?
Length: 20-25mm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

A large and dopey looking bush cricket species - this individual was found on a tree at Kamakura - right next to the famous Buddha of Kamakura - a huge bronze statue of the Buddha that survived the temple it was built inside being washed away by a tsunami.  This insect though was just on a tree behind it as we explored around the area, seemingly aimlessly plodding down the trunk.

Related Species:
Order: Orthoptera
Family: Phaneropteridae
Genus: Phaulula
Subspecies: ?

- Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese - ヒメクダマキモドキ  /  Himekudamaki-modoki ("Princess Kedah Maki Beetle")

Resident seen in Summer..

 - KYOTO/OSAKA 2013 TRIP: A single individual along the river at Kamakura.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Dark Bush Cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Pholidoptera (?) griseoaptera ("grey ?")

Adult male Dark Bush Cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera) at Geddington Chase, Northants - May 2011

Featured Subspecies: ?
Length: 13-20mm  /  Wingspan: N/A
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

In my area, probably just about the most common cricket species, being abundant in low level plants near to hedges and woods.  They are flightless and can reach up to around 2cm long. This particular individual is a male, which you can tell by the two short "cersi" which females have a long sword-like ovipositor.  They are omnivorous as adult and take two years to mature, before finally emerging as a full adult around June.

Related Species: 
Order: Orthoptera
Family: Tettigoniidae
Genus: Pholidoptera
SUBSPECIES: ?

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A common resident seen in Summer

 - Common around Geddington

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Roesel's bush-cricket (Metrioptera roeselii)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Metrioptera (?) roeselii ("Roesel's")

Adult Roesel's bush-cricket (subspecies M. r. roeselii) at Geddington, Northants - September 2011

Featured Subspecies: Metrioptera roeselii roeselii
Length: 13-26mm  /  Wingspan: N/A
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated

Rosesel's Bush Crickets are a medium sized cricket with a distinctive bright green edging to their thorax.  Named after a German entomologist called August Johann Rösel von Rosenhof, they are one of the most common species in Britain.  Mostly found on tall grasses, particularly in ungrazed fields, grass forms a significant portion of its diet along with seeds and small insects.

Related Species:
Order: Orthoptera
Family: Tettigoniidae
Genus: Metrioptera
SUBSPECIES: M. r. roeselii, M. r. vasilii

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A fairly common resident seen in Summer

 - Common around Geddington

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .