Metrioptera roeselii (Hagenbach, 1822)

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

Status: British Isles native species.

Description: Usually dark brown and yellow but sometimes tinged green or rarely completely green. Broad cream-coloured margin all the way around the sides of the pronotum, and three pale yellow spots on the sides of the thorax.

Size: 13-26 mm

Wings: Usually short-winged (brachypterous) and flightless, but a fully winged form able to fly (f. diluta) is not uncommon in hot summers

Stridulation: Penetrating and continuous high pitched buzzing like the crackle of overhead electricity cables

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

Calling song.
Source: Baudewijn Odé

Food: Omnivorous, but feeding mostly on grass and other vegetation.

Habitat: Saltmarshes and dunes in coarse vegetation but currently expanding its range west and north to urban wasteland and agricultural set-aside.

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

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.