Roesel's Bush Cricket Identification Guide
Identify this grassland bush cricket by the pale border around its collar and its buzzing summer call.
Read the full Roesel's Bush Cricket encyclopedia entry →
Key Visual Features
Roesel's bush cricket (Roeseliana roeselii, formerly Metrioptera roeselii) is a medium-sized species best known for the pale marking around its pronotum. Key features include:
- Mottled brown-green body, generally more subdued in color than the bright green of many other bush crickets
- A distinctive cream or pale yellow border running around the edge of the pronotum (the shield-like plate covering the top of the thorax) — this is the clearest identifying mark for the species
- Medium size, adults typically 1.5–2.3 cm (0.6–0.9 inches) in body length
- Short wings in most individuals, though a long-winged form (able to fly farther) appears periodically, especially when populations are expanding
- Long, thin antennae, longer than the body
- Females show a relatively short, slightly curved ovipositor compared to some related species
Where and When You'd See It
This species is found in grasslands, meadows, road verges, and rough open ground across much of Europe, including a rapidly expanding range in the UK. It is active from early summer through early autumn. Males produce a loud, continuous, high-pitched buzzing or "sizzling" call, often compared to the sound of an electrical fault, and this song is a strong clue to the species' presence even before it is spotted visually. Roesel's bush cricket is often found basking on grass stems or low vegetation during warm, sunny weather.
Similar-Looking Bugs
- Great green bush cricket: larger, bright green overall, and lacks the pale pronotum border found on Roesel's bush cricket
- Speckled bush cricket: smaller, finely speckled with black dots, and does not have the cream-bordered collar
- Dark bush cricket: darker brown overall and lacks the pale-edged pronotum, with a different, softer call
- Meadow grasshoppers: superficially similar coloring but shorter antennae and a daytime, chirping call rather than a continuous buzz
Quick ID Checklist
- Mottled brown-green body with a pale cream border around the pronotum
- Medium size, roughly 1.5–2.3 cm long
- Mostly short-winged, occasionally long-winged individuals
- Loud, continuous buzzing "sizzling" call in summer
- Found in grasslands, meadows, and rough open ground
Frequently asked questions
What is the single best feature for identifying Roesel's bush cricket?
Look for the pale cream or yellow border running around the edge of the pronotum, the shield-like plate on top of the thorax — this marking is distinctive to the species.
What does Roesel's bush cricket sound like?
Males produce a loud, continuous, high-pitched buzzing or sizzling call, often compared to the sound of an electrical fault, heard mainly in summer.
Why do some individuals have longer wings than others?
Most Roesel's bush crickets have short wings, but a long-winged form occasionally appears, particularly during population expansions, allowing those individuals to disperse farther by flight.
Where is this species typically found?
It favors grasslands, meadows, road verges, and other areas of rough open vegetation across much of Europe.