Dark Bush Cricket.
Pholidoptera griseoaptera
Decticelle cendrée
This is a species that is almost wingless. The rounded wings of the males are brown with light brown coloured edges and viens. The females are wingless or have half-round, grey-brown forewings, but they are only 1 or 2mm long. Long-winged forms do not occur with this species.
The adults are omnivorous, feeding primarily on small insects such as aphids and caterpillars, but eat also plants such as bramble, (where they are commonly to be found), dandelions and nettles. The stridulation is a brief and penetrating sound, repeatedly irregularly night and day.
The females lay their eggs in the soil, in dead branches, in bark crevices and rotting wood where they require a high moisture level. Old hedgerows and undisturbed bramble scrub are particularly useful for this species.
The larvae of this species have a Plurennial Life Cycle and require two years for their full development, with seven larval stages during which time they feed exclusively on plants. Nymphs appear at the end of April of the third year and adults will usually be seen from June onwards.
Found in all regions of France.