Oak Bush-cricket, Meconema thalassinum

Identification

Body length; males 10mm to 20mm, females 15mm to 20mm + 10mm ovipositor. Wings extend to, or just beyond, the tip of the abdomen.

This Bush-cricket is pale green with a pale line running down the centre of the head and thorax and abdomen, which is pale yellow in immature specimens, turning brown in adults. There is a pair of brown smudges on the back of the thorax, each proceeded by a small black spot. There is also a diffuse brown patch over the folded wings about one third of the way along their length. The limbs are an almost translucent pale green. The long ovipositor of the female is upturned with a brown tip.

Behaviour and life history

The Oak Bush-cricket is nocturnal and usually not noticed during the day. At night it becomes active and is attracted to lights and so may be found in houses, on windows and under street and other bright lights. It is rarely seen during the day but can often been found when beating shrubs and lower tree branches. It is almost entirely carnivorous, feeding on smaller invertebrates. Females can often be found on tree trunks looking for suitable egg-laying sites, during late evening. The females lay their eggs in crevices in tree bark. The eggs over winter and the nymphs emerge in June of the following year becoming adult in late July or August.

Song

This species does not have a normal song but drums on leaves with a hind foot. It is just about audible to humans at about 1m.

Where to look for it

This bush-cricket is restricted to woodlands of all types and hedgerows although it may also be found on garden shrubs. It is wholly arboreal and is seldom found on the ground unless it has become dislodged. The best opportunity for viewing it is during warm evenings from August onwards when the females can be found on tree trunks in most decidious woodlands and city parks, particularly Beaumont and Central Parks.

Distribution and status

Probably common and widespread even within built-up areas.

When to look for it

Nymphs, from June to August; adults, from August to late November in warm seasons.

Similar species

This species can be easily separated form all the other bush-crickets by the length of its wings which reach the tip of the abdomen (excluding the ovipositor) but barely extend beyond. Any confusion with the Long-winged Conehead, Conocephalus discolor, is unlikely because of the very different habitat requirements.

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