|
| Insects of Britain and Ireland: the genera of Orthoptera |
Adults 11–15 mm long (the females only slightly the longer); pinkish beige (yellowing when dried), with dark markings; fully apterous.
The antennae long, with well over 30 segments. Forewings absent. Hindwings absent (the insects flightless). 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; 10–12 mm long (slightly up-curved). The males mute. Auditory organs absent.
British representation. 1 species. Tachycines asynamorus (Greenhouse camel-cricket: a Cave cricket). Established alien (living in moist conditions in heated greenhouses, and being carnovorus, potentially useful; but usually eliminated by pesticides). Southern Scotland, northern England, English Midlands, East Anglia, southeast England, central southern England, southwest England, Isle of Wight, and Ireland.
Probably omnivorous but principally carnivorous; in human habitations and in hothouses (mostly the latter).
Classification. Suborder Ensifera; Superfamily Gryllacridoidea; Raphidophoridae.
Comments. Fore- and mid-tibiae with ventral articulated spines; the palps and cerci long, and the legs with particularly long, laterally compressed tarsi.
We advise against extracting comparative information from the descriptions. This is much more easily achieved using the DELTA data files or the interactive key, which allows access to the character list, illustrations, 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. See also Guidelines for using data taken from Web publications.
Cite this publication as: ‘Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. Insects of Britain and Ireland: the genera of Orthoptera. Version: 14th April 2022. delta-intkey.com’.