Ruspolia nitidula (Scopoli, 1786)

Status: Occasional migrant.

Description: Large slender bright green bush cricket with a conical head. Cream coloured band running across the apex of the head and back through the eyes. Wings are the same bright green colour as the body. Black stripe down the tibia of each leg. The species is active only at night.

Size: 32 - 60 mm

Wings: Both sexes have wings extending well beyond the end of the abdomen.

Stridulation: Penetrating high-pitched electrical buzz.

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

A recording with a bat detector of the first natural UK occurrence of the Large Conehead
Source: Paul Stancliffe

Habitat: Native range is central and southern Europe where the species occurs on riverbanks and in other wet habitats with long grass. In Britain it is a scarce vagrant in the south and an accidental import.

Phenology: Native range adults occur July to October.

Distribution: This species is not present in the National Biodiversity Network Database currently (October 2008).