Ruspolia nitidula (Scopoli, 1786)

Large Conehead

Taxonomy: 

  • Orthoptera›Ensifera›Tettigonioidea›Tettigoniidae›Tettigoniinae›Ruspolia nitidula

Status: 

MI

Recordings

  • A recording with a bat detector of the first natural UK occurrence of the Large Conehead
  • Calling song.

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: 

Large slender bright green bush cricket with a conical head. Cream coloured band running across the apex of the head and back through the eyes. Wings are the same bright green colour as the body. Black stripe down the tibia of each leg. The species is active only at night.

Size: 

32 - 60 mm

Wings: 

Both sexes have wings extending well beyond the end of the abdomen.

Stridulation: 

Penetrating high-pitched electrical buzz.

Habitat: 

Native range is central and southern Europe where the species occurs on riverbanks and in other wet habitats with long grass. In Britain it is a scarce vagrant in the south and an accidental import.

Phenology: 

Native range adults occur July to October.