Long-winged Conehead

This Bush Cricket was photographed on the 27th of July at Brush Hill near Monks Risborough. Although I initially identified it as a Long-winged Conehead Conocephalus discolor my field guide gave its distribution in the UK as restricted to the South Coast. I have since found out that these interesting crickets, which were first discovered on mainland England in 1945, have spread rapidly and are now widespread across Southern Britain and into Wales. Although in Europe they are found in a variety of habitats including marshes and reedbeds, in England they prefer drier rough grassland. This individual is a female, identified by the virtually straight ovipositor almost as long as the body and is also an extra long winged form with wings extending to the end of the ovipositor. Short-winged Conehead Conocephalus dorsalis, which is found in reedbeds, bogs and damp grassland is identified by its very short wings and a sharply curved ovipositor. There is also a long-winged or macropterous form burri, sometimes found in hot summers, which could cause confusion with Long-winged Conehead.

Female Long-winged Conehead Conocephalus discolor