British Insects: the Genera of Orthoptera
| British Insects: the Genera of Orthoptera | |
Adults nocturnal (attracted to light); 13–17 mm long; pale green.
The antennae long, with well over 30 segments. The pronotum not dorsally keeled. Forewings well developed; greatly exceeding the abdomen when folded to about equalling the abdomen. Hindwings fully developed. Foreleg tarsi 4 segmented; mid-leg tarsi 4 segmented; hindleg tarsi 4 segmented. The hind femora smooth. The ovipositor relatively long, with the valves articulated along their length and forming a single structure; 8–9.5 mm long (slightly up-curved). The males stridulous. The sound production method unusual, involving drumming a hindleg against the supporting surface. Auditory organs located in the fore-tibiae.
British representation. 1 species. Mecomema thalassinum (Oak Bush-cricket). Native. Northern England, English Midlands, East Anglia, Wales, southeast England, central southern England, southwest England, Isle of Wight, Ireland, and Channel Islands.
Omnivorous but principally carnivorous; found outdoors in natural habitats (mainly associated with dicot trees and shrubs, in oak woodland, hedgerows and gardens).
Classification. Suborder Ensifera; Superfamily Tettigonioidea; Meconemetidae.
Comments. The first and second tarsal segments laterally grooved; the male with distinctive, long cerci.
Illustrations. • Leptophyes and Meconema (Lucas). • Conocephalidae, Meconematidae, Phaneropteridae, Tettigoniidae: Burr.
To view illustrations with detailed captions, go to the interactive key. This also offers full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa.
Cite this publication as: ‘Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. British insects: the genera of Orthoptera. Version: 9th April 2007. http://delta-intkey.com’.
