Dark bush-cricket
Pholidoptera griseoaptera
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Type
Insect: OrthoptersStatus
CommonWidespreadSeason
Spring
Summer
Autumn In the hedgerows at the sides of the towpath, especially where there are brambles.
You're more likely to hear the Dark Bush-Cricket than see it; Its irregular chirpings and chirrupings are one of the quintessential sounds of summer.
Deep brown or reddish in colour, the Dark Bush-cricket is one of 23 species of cricket (along with 11 species of grasshopper) in the UK.
It can be found in woodlands, hedgerows and gardens from May until November, though they are maters of disguise and blend in with their surroundings.
More common across South Wales and southern England, this noisy invertebrate can be seen in quite large numbers, sunbathing on bramble patches.
Males are very aggressive, defending their territories against intruders. Females lay their eggs in late summer in rotting bark or wood crevices. The young emerge 18 months later, so odd-year and even-year Dark Bush Crickets never meet!
While the Dark Bush-Cricket may provide the soundtrack to late summer in the countryside, some of the higher pitched noises of crickets and grasshoppers are inaudible to humans and can only be heard using a bat detector.
The Dark Bush-Cricket can be identified by its dark brown/reddish colour, its yellow-green belly and its patch of paler brown along the top of its thorax. The female also has an up-curved ovipositor (a spiky looking structure used to deposit eggs).