Species: Long-winged Conehead (Conocephalus discolor)
Family: Bush Crickets (TETTIGONIIDAE)
Category: Insects (Other)
Location: Widespread
A. Insects (Other)
More extensive information on insects can be found in a separate blog post.
B. Bush Crickets (TETTIGONIIDAE)
Bush-crickets are a large family that includes the bush-crickets and katydids, formerly called the long-horned grasshoppers. Although Bush-crickets and Grasshoppers are related, there are distinct differences between the two families. Crickets stridulate by rubbing their wings together at dusk, their 'ears' being on their front legs. (In contrast, Grasshoppers stridulate by rubbing their hind legs against their wings, their 'ears' being at the base of their abdomen.) Whereas Grasshoppers are mostly herbivores, Crickets are omnivores. Bush-crickets have long, thin antennae (in contrast to the shorter, stockier ones that Grasshoppers have).
We have a photograph-filled blog post about all the grasshoppers and bush-crickets that we have seen in the Cemetery that may be worth your time.
C. Long-winged Conehead (Conocephalus discolor)
This conehead has full length wings, a brown stripe on the head, and a straight ovipositor. (This is a straight, sword-shaped appendage that only female crickets have, which is used to insert eggs into the hollow stems of grasses - after an entry hole has been bitten into the stem.)
Images
Long-winged Conehead
The Long-winged Conehead has full length wings, a brown stripe on the head, and a straight ovipositor. (This is a straight, sword-shaped appendage that only female crickets have, which is used to insert eggs into the hollow stems of grasses - after an entry hole has been bitten into the stem.)
Long-winged Conehead
This (almost upside-down) Conehead has full length wings, a brown stripe on the head, and a straight, blade-like ovipositor so is an adult female.
Long-winged Conehead
Nymphs of the Long-winged Conehead cricket have short, undeveloped wings. The black (not brown) stripe also identifies them. This individual lacks an ovipositor so is a male.
Long-winged Conehead
Nymphs of the Long-winged Conehead cricket have short, undeveloped wings. The black (not brown) stripe also identifies them. This individual has an undeveloped blade-like an ovipositor so is a female.
Long-winged Conehead
This Long-winged Conehead is a female (note the long ovipositor) nymph (note the short undeveloped wings).
Long-winged Conehead
This Long-winged Conehead is a female (note the long ovipositor) nymph (note the short undeveloped wings).
Long-winged Conehead
The Long-winged Conehead is a bush-cricket that lives up to its name. Here you can see how its wings - when folded - are longer than its body, protruding beyond the end of this male's abdomen.
(Photo credit: Stuart MA Ball.)
