Meconema meridionale (Costa, 1860)

Southern Oak Bush Cricket

Taxonomy: 

  • Orthoptera›Ensifera›Tettigonioidea›Tettigoniidae›Meconematinae›Meconema meridionale

Status: 

NN

Distribution

Recordings

  • Calling song. Two males drumming alternately on side of container.

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: 

Small, pale green with a yellowish stripe along the back. The female has a long, slightly upturned ovipositor, the male has long curved cerci. Unlike the Oak Bush Cricket, this species only has very short wings (though beware of Oak Bush Cricket nymphs, which also have short wings).

Size: 

11-17 mm

Wings: 

Very short-winged (flightless).

Stridulation: 

Does not stridulate but drums one hind leg on a leaf, in short fast bursts.

Food: 

Predator, feeds on small insects.

Habitat: 

Arboreal – broadleaved woodland and gardens.

Phenology: 

Late - adults present from the middle of August until autumn.