End of the cricket season…

I’ve struggled to identify a critter observed a couple of months back on Graveney Marshes. Its not helped by my rubbish photos!

Lesser Marsh Grasshopper Chorthippus albomarginatus

It was a lot easier to identify this chap on Maggie’s hand in the garden. I’ve seen a few there, but this was the first that wasn’t camera-shy!

Southern Oak Bush-Cricket Meconema meridionale

Having heard of crickets and grasshoppers all my life this led me to wonder what the difference is between the two… and a Google enquiry led me to the explanation:

The main difference between a grasshopper and a cricket is that crickets tend to have long antennae, grasshoppers have short antennae. Crickets stridulate (“sing”) by rubbing their wings together, while grasshoppers stridulate by rubbing their long hind legs against their wings.

Rant it out!
This entry was posted in Lockdown Diary. Bookmark the permalink.