Lots of these Great Green Bush Crickets currently on our Bowers Marsh reserve, why not join tomorrow's 'Sneak Preview' guided walk which starts at 10.30 am. Call 01268 498621 to book a place.
The Great Green Bush Cricket is the largest insect found in England and can only be found in limited areas in the south around July to October. It prefers to live on rough grassland and on uncut fields which have long tall grass, but it still needs bare patches of grass in its environment so it can lay its egg in the soil.
The Great Green Bush Cricket is about five centimetres in length and is mainly a grass green colour. It has a cone-shaped head with a brown stripe on the top and two long antennae. The Great Green Bush Cricket also has six green legs and its hind legs are very long which help this cricket to jump. It can jump up to a metre in the air. Its wings are green and quite long and they are usually placed over the body when this cricket rests.
Great Green Bush Crickets can often be heard before they are seen, particularly on hot summer afternoons and at night when the males want to attract females. The males sing very loud high-pitched songs and the songs are produced by the male crickets rubbing their hind legs very quickly against their forewings. This action is called ‘stridulation’. Male Great Green Bush Crickets can sing different songs to attract females and the females can listen to the songs by using ears which are situated on their front legs.
Images by Marc Outten taken on Bowers Marsh yesterday