Pholidoptera griseoaptera (De Geer, 1773)

Dark Bush Cricket

Taxonomy: 

  • Orthoptera›Ensifera›Tettigonioidea›Tettigoniidae›Decticinae›Pholidoptera griseoaptera

Status: 

UK

Distribution

Recordings

  • The Dark Bush-Cricket makes a familiar 'chip' call to the ear but sounds like a short croak here, recorded with a bat detector.
  • Calling song.
  • The Dark Bush-Cricket makes an agression call when two males meet. Recorded with a bat detector.
  • Calling song at lower temperature.

Colours show the year of the last record -

  up to 1987   1988-97   1998 up to present

Only Recording Scheme datasets are included. Other datasets on the Gateway may hold additional information.

Open the NBN Atlas interactive map in a new window.

Description: 

Dark brown with yellow underside.

Size: 

11-21 mm

Wings: 

Almost wingless.

Stridulation: 

Brief, penetrating chip, performed throughout the day and into the night.

Food: 

Omnivorous, feeding on a range of vegetation and small insects.

Habitat: 

Wasteland, bramble thickets, old hedges, woodland edges and rides, thickets on sea cliffs and scrub on the edges of saltmarshes and dunes. Eggs are laid into rotting wood or bark crevices.

Phenology: 

Nymphs appear at the end of April. Adults appear in late June to early July and survive until winter.