Oecanthus pellucens
Encyclopedia
Oecanthus pellucens, common name Italian Tree Cricket, is a species of tree cricket
s belonging to the family Oecanthus
, subfamily Oecanthinae.
The colouration of Oecanthus pellucens is yellowish-brown, straw-colored. The body is very elongated and slender. The wings usually protrude out slightly above the abdomen, but can be shorter or longer. The wings of the males are larger than those of females.The antennae are longer than the body. The ovipositor of the female is long and slightly curved. The females are recognizable by the club-shaped end of the ovipositor
.
This cricket is mainly nocturnal. The males rub their wings together (stridulation) to produce a subtle but constant, fluctuating in volume sound. They sing from about five o'clock until three o'clock in the morning. After mating, the female lays her eggs in plant stems, especially in grape (Vitis vinifera
). In June the nymphs live in the tissue and leaves of the plant. A few days after the last molt the male begins to sing. These crickets are omnivorous and usually feed on leaves or delicate flower parts such as pollen and petals, but also on animal foods such as aphids, spiders and insect larvae.
, especially in the countries around the Mediterranean with a focus on Southern Europe. The northern boundary runs through northern France, Belgium, southern Germany, the Czech Republic and southern Poland. In southern Europe there is also the closely related and very similar species Oecanthus dulcisonans. It is also present in the East Palearctic ecozone, in the Near East
and in North Africa
.
Tree cricket
Tree crickets are insects of order Orthoptera. These crickets are in the subfamily Oecanthinae of the family Gryllidae.They live in trees and shrubs, for which they are well camouflaged. Like other species of cricket they produce their calling song by rubbing the ridges of their wings together...
s belonging to the family Oecanthus
Oecanthus
Oecanthus is a genus of cricket in subfamily Oecanthinae, the tree crickets.-Species:*Oecanthus adyeri*Oecanthus allardi*Oecanthus angustus*Oecanthus antennalis*Oecanthus argentinus*Oecanthus bilineatus...
, subfamily Oecanthinae.
Description
The adult males grow up to 10–13 mm (0.393700787401575–0.511811023622047 ) long, the female is slightly larger than the male, about 11–14 mm (0.433070866141732–0.551181102362205 ) long. They can be encountered from July through October.The colouration of Oecanthus pellucens is yellowish-brown, straw-colored. The body is very elongated and slender. The wings usually protrude out slightly above the abdomen, but can be shorter or longer. The wings of the males are larger than those of females.The antennae are longer than the body. The ovipositor of the female is long and slightly curved. The females are recognizable by the club-shaped end of the ovipositor
Ovipositor
The ovipositor is an organ used by some animals for oviposition, i.e., the laying of eggs. It consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages formed to transmit the egg, to prepare a place for it, and to place it properly...
.
This cricket is mainly nocturnal. The males rub their wings together (stridulation) to produce a subtle but constant, fluctuating in volume sound. They sing from about five o'clock until three o'clock in the morning. After mating, the female lays her eggs in plant stems, especially in grape (Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera is a species of Vitis, native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran....
). In June the nymphs live in the tissue and leaves of the plant. A few days after the last molt the male begins to sing. These crickets are omnivorous and usually feed on leaves or delicate flower parts such as pollen and petals, but also on animal foods such as aphids, spiders and insect larvae.
Distribution
It is present in most of EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, especially in the countries around the Mediterranean with a focus on Southern Europe. The northern boundary runs through northern France, Belgium, southern Germany, the Czech Republic and southern Poland. In southern Europe there is also the closely related and very similar species Oecanthus dulcisonans. It is also present in the East Palearctic ecozone, in the Near East
Near East
The Near East is a geographical term that covers different countries for geographers, archeologists, and historians, on the one hand, and for political scientists, economists, and journalists, on the other...
and in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
.
Habitat
The typical habitat of Oecanthus pellucens are sunny meadows with high vegetation and dry warm and nutrient-poor areas such as grasslands, sand dunes and brownfield lands.Subspecies
- Oecanthus pellucens calinensis Jannone, 1936
- Oecanthus pellucens pellucens (Scopoli, 1763)