Tettigonia viridissima
Encyclopedia
Tettigonia viridissima, the Great Green Bush-Cricket, is a species of 'katydids crickets' belonging to the family Tettigoniidae
subfamily Tettigoniinae
. This species can be encountered from the Europe
to Mongolia
, especially in meadows, grasslands, prairies and occasionally in gardens
The adult males grow up to 28–36 mm (1.1–1.4 ) long, while females reach 32–42 mm (1.3–1.7 ). This insect is most often completely green (but there are specimens completely yellowish or with yellow legs), excluding a rust-colored band on top of the body. The organ of the stridulation
of the males is generally brown.
Tettigonia viridissima is distinguished by its very long and thin antennae
, which can sometimes reach up to three times the length of the body, thus differentiating them from cricket
s, which always carry short antennae. Possible confusion withTettigonia cantans
, whose wings are shorter than the ovipositor
of a centimeter and Tettigonia caudata whose hind femur
s bear very visible black spines.
The morphology of both sexes is very similar, but the female has an egg-laying organ (ovipositor
) that can reach a length of 23 to 32 23–32 mm (0.905511811023622–1.3 ). It reaches the end of the elytra and is slightly curved downward. The larvae
are green and as the imago
show on their back a thin brown longitudinal stripe. The ovipositor can be seen from the fifth stage, the wings appear in both genders from the sixth stage.
Tettigonia viridissima is carnivorous and arboreal. Its diet is mostly composed of flies
, caterpillars and larvae
. Unlike many grasshoppers it is essentially active in day and night, as testifyed by its endless crepuscular and nocturnal singing.
This grasshopper can bite painfully but it is not particularly aggressive. It is better to avoid holding the insect in the fist, because the bite is almost assured. They are fit to flight, but their real performances are quite modest. Most often it moves "on foot " or jump, which allows it to easily explore the bushes, trees and shrubs.
File:Grünes Heupferd ♀ Tettigonia viridissima .JPG
File:Tettigonia viridissima side view.jpg|Tettigonia virdissima, side view
File:Tettigonia virdissima nymph on Phleum pratense.jpg|Tettigonia virdissima nymph on Phleum pratense
File:Tettigonia viridissima rule.jpg|Females can be recognized by the ovipositor
File:Heuschrecke MG 6232.jpg|Males can be recognized by the absence of the ovipositor
File:Yellow-green-tettigonia.jpg|Sometimes this grasshopper is yellow
file:TettigoniaNymph-pjt.jpg|Nymph of Tettigonia sp.
File:Grande sauterelle verte - Portrait.jpg|Anatomy of the head
File:Grande sauterelle verte Mandibules.jpg|Mandibles
File:Bulle auditive Grande Sauterelle Verte.jpg|Hearing bubble on the forelimb
Tettigoniidae
The family Tettigoniidae, known in American English as katydids and in British English as bush-crickets, contains more than 6,400 species. It is part of the suborder Ensifera and the only family in the superfamily Tettigonioidea. They are also known as long-horned grasshoppers, although they are...
subfamily Tettigoniinae
Tettigoniinae
The subfamily Tettigoniinae, also called shield-backed katydids, contains hundreds of species, with 123 in North America. It is part of the family Tettigoniidae.-Examples:...
. This species can be encountered from the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
, especially in meadows, grasslands, prairies and occasionally in gardens
The adult males grow up to 28–36 mm (1.1–1.4 ) long, while females reach 32–42 mm (1.3–1.7 ). This insect is most often completely green (but there are specimens completely yellowish or with yellow legs), excluding a rust-colored band on top of the body. The organ of the stridulation
Stridulation
Stridulation is the act of producing sound by rubbing together certain body parts. This behavior is mostly associated with insects, but other animals are known to do this as well, such as a number of species of fishes, snakes and spiders...
of the males is generally brown.
Tettigonia viridissima is distinguished by its very long and thin antennae
Antenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
, which can sometimes reach up to three times the length of the body, thus differentiating them from cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
s, which always carry short antennae. Possible confusion withTettigonia cantans
Tettigonia cantans
Tettigonia cantans is a species of 'katydids crickets' belonging to the family Tettigoniidae subfamily Tettigoniinae.This cricket is present in most of Europe, in eastern Palearctic ecozone, in Near East and in North Africa....
, whose wings are shorter than the ovipositor
Ovipositor
The ovipositor is an organ used by some animals for oviposition, i.e., the laying of eggs. It consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages formed to transmit the egg, to prepare a place for it, and to place it properly...
of a centimeter and Tettigonia caudata whose hind femur
Femur
The femur , or thigh bone, is the most proximal bone of the leg in tetrapod vertebrates capable of walking or jumping, such as most land mammals, birds, many reptiles such as lizards, and amphibians such as frogs. In vertebrates with four legs such as dogs and horses, the femur is found only in...
s bear very visible black spines.
The morphology of both sexes is very similar, but the female has an egg-laying organ (ovipositor
Ovipositor
The ovipositor is an organ used by some animals for oviposition, i.e., the laying of eggs. It consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages formed to transmit the egg, to prepare a place for it, and to place it properly...
) that can reach a length of 23 to 32 23–32 mm (0.905511811023622–1.3 ). It reaches the end of the elytra and is slightly curved downward. The larvae
Larvae
In Roman mythology, lemures were shades or spirits of the restless or malignant dead, and are probably cognate with an extended sense of larvae as disturbing or frightening...
are green and as the imago
Imago
In biology, the imago is the last stage of development of an insect, after the last ecdysis of an incomplete metamorphosis, or after emergence from the pupa where the metamorphosis is complete...
show on their back a thin brown longitudinal stripe. The ovipositor can be seen from the fifth stage, the wings appear in both genders from the sixth stage.
Tettigonia viridissima is carnivorous and arboreal. Its diet is mostly composed of flies
Fly
True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...
, caterpillars and larvae
Larvae
In Roman mythology, lemures were shades or spirits of the restless or malignant dead, and are probably cognate with an extended sense of larvae as disturbing or frightening...
. Unlike many grasshoppers it is essentially active in day and night, as testifyed by its endless crepuscular and nocturnal singing.
This grasshopper can bite painfully but it is not particularly aggressive. It is better to avoid holding the insect in the fist, because the bite is almost assured. They are fit to flight, but their real performances are quite modest. Most often it moves "on foot " or jump, which allows it to easily explore the bushes, trees and shrubs.
External Links
- Catalogue of life
- Insectes-net
- Tettigonia viridissima
- Tettigonia
File:Grünes Heupferd ♀ Tettigonia viridissima .JPG
File:Tettigonia viridissima side view.jpg|Tettigonia virdissima, side view
File:Tettigonia virdissima nymph on Phleum pratense.jpg|Tettigonia virdissima nymph on Phleum pratense
File:Tettigonia viridissima rule.jpg|Females can be recognized by the ovipositor
File:Heuschrecke MG 6232.jpg|Males can be recognized by the absence of the ovipositor
File:Yellow-green-tettigonia.jpg|Sometimes this grasshopper is yellow
file:TettigoniaNymph-pjt.jpg|Nymph of Tettigonia sp.
File:Grande sauterelle verte - Portrait.jpg|Anatomy of the head
File:Grande sauterelle verte Mandibules.jpg|Mandibles
File:Bulle auditive Grande Sauterelle Verte.jpg|Hearing bubble on the forelimb