Wart-biter
Encyclopedia
The wart-biter is a bush-cricket in the family Tettigoniidae
. Its English and scientific
names derive from the age-old practice of using the cricket to bite wart
s from the skin.
.
The wart-biter has a song
consisting of a rapidly repeated series of short bursts of clicks, sometimes lasting for several minutes.
Wart-biters normally move about by walking; they rarely fly, except when frightened. Most can only fly 3 to 4 m (9.8 to 13.1 ft) at a time.
and heathland habitats.
Wart-biters need a mosaic of vegetation, including bare ground/short turf, grass tussocks, and a sward rich in flowering forb
s. They prefer areas that are not heavily grazed. The species is thermophilous, and tends to occur on sites with a southerly aspect.
s, bedstraws; the species also eats insects, including other grasshopper
s.
stages between April and June. The adult stage is reached in the beginning of July. Wart-biter populations peak in late July and early August.
, except the extreme south, ranging from southern Scandinavia
to Spain
, Italy
, and Greece
. It is also found in temperate Asia
, as far east as China
. Geographic features such as mountains have fragmented the species, leading to a wide range of forms and numerous subspecies
.
In Britain, the wart-biter is confined to five sites, two in East Sussex
, and one each in Wiltshire
, Dorset
and Kent
.
. The species is the subject of a United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan
.
Tettigoniidae
The family Tettigoniidae, known in American English as katydids and in British English as bush-crickets, contains more than 6,400 species. It is part of the suborder Ensifera and the only family in the superfamily Tettigonioidea. They are also known as long-horned grasshoppers, although they are...
. Its English and scientific
Binomial nomenclature
Binomial nomenclature is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin grammatical forms, although they can be based on words from other languages...
names derive from the age-old practice of using the cricket to bite wart
Wart
A wart is generally a small, rough growth, typically on a human’s hands or feet but often other locations, that can resemble a cauliflower or a solid blister. They are caused by a viral infection, specifically by human papillomavirus 2 and 7. There are as many as 10 varieties of warts, the most...
s from the skin.
Description
Adult wart-biters are 31–37 mm (1.2–1.5 ), with females being significantly larger than males. They are typically dark green in colour, usually with dark brown blotches on the pronotum and wings (a dark brown morphotype also occurs). The female has a long and slightly upcurved ovipositorOvipositor
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...
.
The wart-biter has a song
Stridulation
Stridulation is the act of producing sound by rubbing together certain body parts. This behavior is mostly associated with insects, but other animals are known to do this as well, such as a number of species of fishes, snakes and spiders...
consisting of a rapidly repeated series of short bursts of clicks, sometimes lasting for several minutes.
Wart-biters normally move about by walking; they rarely fly, except when frightened. Most can only fly 3 to 4 m (9.8 to 13.1 ft) at a time.
Habitat
The species is found in calcareous grasslandCalcareous grassland
Calcareous grassland is an ecosystem associated with thin basic soil, such as that on chalk and limestone downland. Plants on calcareous grassland are typically short and hardy, and include grasses and herbs such as clover...
and heathland habitats.
Wart-biters need a mosaic of vegetation, including bare ground/short turf, grass tussocks, and a sward rich in flowering forb
Forb
A forb is a herbaceous flowering plant that is not a graminoid . The term is used in biology and in vegetation ecology, especially in relation to grasslands and understory.-Etymology:...
s. They prefer areas that are not heavily grazed. The species is thermophilous, and tends to occur on sites with a southerly aspect.
Diet
The species is omnivorous. Plants eaten include knapweed, nettleNettle
Nettles constitute between 24 and 39 species of flowering plants of the genus Urtica in the family Urticaceae, with a cosmopolitan though mainly temperate distribution. They are mostly herbaceous perennial plants, but some are annual and a few are shrubby...
s, bedstraws; the species also eats insects, including other grasshopper
Grasshopper
The grasshopper is an insect of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. To distinguish it from bush crickets or katydids, it is sometimes referred to as the short-horned grasshopper...
s.
Life cycle
The wart-biter lays its eggs in the soil; these eggs normally hatch after two winters. It then passes through seven instarInstar
An instar is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each molt , until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or assume a new form. Differences between instars can often be seen in altered body proportions, colors, patterns, or...
stages between April and June. The adult stage is reached in the beginning of July. Wart-biter populations peak in late July and early August.
Status and distribution
This species occurs throughout continental 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...
, except the extreme south, ranging from southern Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. It is also found in temperate Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, as far east as China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Geographic features such as mountains have fragmented the species, leading to a wide range of forms and numerous subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
.
In Britain, the wart-biter is confined to five sites, two in East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, and one each in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
and Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
.
Conservation
The population of wart-biters has declined in many areas of northern Europe. In Britain, it is threatened with extirpationLocal extinction
Local extinction, also known as extirpation, is the condition of a species which ceases to exist in the chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere...
. The species is the subject of a United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan
United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan
The United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan is the governmental response to the Convention on Biological Diversity signed in 1992. When the Biodiversity Action Plans were first published in 1994, the conservation of 391 species and 45 habitats was covered. 1,150 species and 65 habitats are...
.