THE UK’S largest cricket has been spotted in Worcestershire and staff from a local charity are urging people to report any sightings they have.
The Great green bush crickets can grow up to 7cm (2.7ins) in length which makes them one of the largest insects in the country.
The species are usually found in the south and east but around 10 years ago, a great green bush cricket was found in the far south of Worcestershire.
Despite that, experts have not been able to find anymore in the county – until now.
In spring, a nymph (a young cricket) was discovered in the north of the county.
It takes a minimum of two years for the crickets to develop from the egg to becoming an adult.
This means the egg would have been laid in 2023 or earlier.
Staff at Worcestershire Wildlife Trust would like to know whether this means the species is present elsewhere in the county.
The male Great green bush cricket. Picture by Wendy Carter from the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust. sWendy Carter from Worcestershire Wildlife Trust said “I’ve had the pleasure of seeing these crickets in Suffolk before, so the idea that they might be living right here in Worcestershire is very exciting. They particularly like hanging out in tall vegetation, from meadows and hedgerows to gardens and allotments.
“It’s so intriguing that one was found in the south of the county 10 years ago and now we have nymphs in the north of Worcestershire.
“Where else might they be?“
Spotting them
According to the trust, the Great green bush crickets are unmistakable – in size, they are more like a grasshopper or a crickets that might be found abroad.
Wendy added: “This makes it much easier to know when you’ve found one and we’d love to hear from anyone who does.”
Adults are large and green with very long wings, a brown stripe running along the back and very long antennae.
Females have a long egg-laying organ, called an ovipositor, at the end of their body that they use to lay their eggs into soil.
Readers may hear the males ‘singing’ to the females, which they do by rubbing their wings together to create a long loud whirring sound.
“They can be frustratingly difficult to spot – their colouring provides perfect camouflage as they hunt through the vegetation looking for flies, caterpillars and other insects to eat.”
The team at Worcestershire Wildlife Trust is encouraging residents to help them put more dots on the map to help them understand whether these giants of the cricket world are here to stay.
Anyone who spots a great green bush-cricket while out and about should take a photo and visit: worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/wildlife-sightings to send the details and picture via the short online form.
