Fun Speckled Bush-cricket Facts For Kids
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A speckled bush-cricket (scientific name-Leptophyes punctatissima) is a nocturnal, flightless insect found in most of Europe, ranging from France and Belgium in the west to Russia in the east, and from Scandinavia in the north to southern Italy, Bulgaria and Greece.
It is also common in southern Wales and England. With the tiny black speckles and a pale brown stripe on its body, covered in grass and hidden away in the bushes and hedgerows, having an excellent camouflage, it lives a very secretive life.
Females lay their eggs under the bark of trees as the egg-laying tube has a saw-like edge just for cutting right into the bark.
Nymphs emerge in May and become fully grown, adult crickets in the late summer, around August before dying in the early winters.
Sounds made by this insect are so ultrasonic and brief, you can hear almost nothing. It is small in size as compared to the other species but the female species are still bigger than the males.
One of the interesting facts about this insect is that it shows a lot of variation in its diet and it can be easily spotted looking for the characteristic damage that is visible on the leaves after it is done feeding on them.
For more relatable content, check out these Jerusalem cricket facts and Mormon cricket facts for kids.
Speckled Bush-Cricket Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a speckled bush-cricket?
It is a flightless species of crickets that belongs to the kingdom of Animalia.
What class of animal does a speckled bush-cricket belong to?
It belongs to the Insecta class of the Tettigoniidae family.
How many speckled bush-crickets are there in the world?
More than 6,400 species of the Tettigoniidae family are known to be found but there is no specific information provided for the speckled bush crickets. However, they are very common so their conversation is of Least Concern to us.
Where does a speckled bush-cricket live?
Bush crickets can be easily found in most of Europe, England, and southern Wales. It can also be found in the Nearctic realm.
What is a speckled bush-cricket's habitat?
These nocturnal species occur in dry and shrubby environments, like woodland margins, hedgerows, bushes, in gardens, with bramble, birch and gorse, and green parks.
Who do speckled bush-crickets live with?
Bush crickets prefer to live alone and males and females meet each other only for mating.
How long does a speckled bush-cricket live?
They have a very short life span, from three to six months.
How do they reproduce?
A duetting mating system is common among the bush crickets, where the male species call and the female species respond. However, it is the only species where both males and females call each other.
Their sounds are ultrasonic so the calls are very brief. After getting close to the female body, the male becomes a little nervous and hesitant so he sweeps his antennae around, pretending to find her.
After this, the adult mating takes place and the female cricket lays eggs via the ovipositor or the egg-laying tube in her body. The newly hatched eggs form the Nymphs, which later on turn into fully formed adult crickets, around August.
What is their conservation status?
The conservation status of bush crickets is of Least Concern as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN); they are very common throughout Europe as well as England.
Speckled Bush-Cricket Fun Facts
What do speckled bush-crickets look like?
Covered in tiny black speckles, the speckled bush crickets are small and grass-green insects. Their antennae are long and thin and when fully mature, the crickets have a pale brown stripe on their backs.
How cute are they?
This answer varies from person to person. An insect keeper will find bush crickets cute, whereas some other human beings might end up calling for pest control.
How do they communicate?
Unlike other cricket species, both species communicate with each other, by making ultrasonic sounds, also known as chirps that are very short-lived. These chirps can travel over a distance of five meters.
How big is a speckled bush-cricket?
It is one of the smallest insects and it is around 0.39-0.90 in long, which is half as much as the Io Moth Cricket.
How fast can a speckled bush-cricket move?
Whilst it cannot fly, it can jump long distances relying to its powerful back legs, though the exact speed at which they move is unknown.
How much does a speckled bush-cricket weigh?
Due to no official records, the exact weight of a speckled bush cricket is currently unknown.
What are the male and female names of the species?
There are no specific names given to both the species; their common scientific name is Leptophyes punctatissima, and they are otherwise referred to as male bush crickets and female bush crickets.
What would you call a baby speckled bush-cricket?
The baby bush-crickets would be called nymphs because after the hatching during the overwintered period, it takes a nymph six instars to reach sexual maturity.
What do they eat?
Bush crickets are herbivores in nature so they only eat green leaves and flowers, unlike most of the other crickets. However, they are preyed on by birds, amphibians, and reptiles.
Are they dangerous?
No, bush crickets have not been considered harmful or dangerous.
Would they make a good pet?
A bush cricket is not intuitive and does not like being cuddled at all. And in fact, they stop chirping when anyone comes nearby.
Due to its extremely small size, it is also very hard to make sure that you don't step on them. But as far as experienced insect keepers go, having bush crickets as a pet is a feasible option.
Did you know...
The tiny black speckled bush crickets are very selective and it gets very hard to spot them. They are usually seen in late summer, around August until they die before the winter season arrives.
Do speckled bush-crickets bite?
Although they can bite, it is very uncommon for them to do so because of their inability to puncture the human skin. And even if bush crickets do end up biting, it is not fatal.
Nonetheless, they do carry a large number of diseases, like soreness and skin rashes which are very painful and can be spread through their bite marks or if one comes into any direct physical contact with them.
Can speckled bush crickets fly?
No, they cannot fly due to the absence of hindwings in the nymphs of both species. They can jump relying on their long and powerful back legs.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these camel cricket facts and mole cricket facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Speckled bush cricket coloring pages.
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Bachelor of Arts and Law specializing in Political Science and Intellectual Property Rights
Anusuya MukherjeeBachelor of Arts and Law specializing in Political Science and Intellectual Property Rights
With a wealth of international experience spanning Europe, Africa, North America, and the Middle East, Anusuya brings a unique perspective to her work as a Content Assistant and Content Updating Coordinator. She holds a law degree from India and has practiced law in India and Kuwait. Anusuya is a fan of rap music and enjoys a good cup of coffee in her free time. Currently, she is working on her novel, "Mr. Ivory Merchant".
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