Tettigonia viridissima (Linnaeus, 1758)

Photos: Click on a thumbnail to see a larger picture.

Status: British Isles native species.

Description: Very large, leaf green cricket with a brown stripe along the back. The female has a long, slightly down-curved ovipositor.

Size: 40 - 55 mm

Wings: Both sexes have long wings that extend beyond the tip of the abdomen.

Stridulation: Loud and penetrating song that can be heard over a long distance. It is performed from the late afternoon into the night, often from bushes or trees.

Recordings: Note, your ability to play these recordings depends upon the configuration of your computer and browser.

Calling song.
Source: Baudewijn Odé

Calling song at lower temperature.
Source: Baudewijn Odé

The typical sound of the Great Green Bush-Cricket recorded with a bat detector
Source: Malcolm Lee

The faster sound of the Great Green Bush-Cricket heard in hot weather, recorded with a bat detector.
Source: Malcolm Lee

Food: Omnivorous, eating a variety of plants and insects.

Habitat: Overgrown hedges, bramble and bracken. Coastal scrub. Eggs are laid in the ground where they overwinter.

Phenology: Nymphs emerge in May and June. Adults present from late July until early winter.

Distribution: The records held by the National Biodiversity Network are shown in the map below.

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Only the following datasets are included:

• Biological Records Centre - Grasshopper and Cricket (Orthoptera) and related species records from Britain and Ireland to 2007

Other datasets on the gateway may hold additional information.