The Sickle-bearing Bush-cricket (Phaneroptera falcata) is a slender, green insect in warm grasslands, known for its long wings, herbivorous diet (plants), and distinctive sickle-shaped ovipositor in females, used for laying eggs within leaves, with males chirping to attract mates. They are active in late afternoons/evenings, can fly long distances when startled, and are often found in gardens, shrubbery, and scrubland, sometimes mistaken for the similar Mediterranean Katydid.
Key Characteristics
Appearance: Slender, bright green body, very long antennae, and wings that extend well past the body.
Size: Adults are typically 24-36 mm long.
Distinguishing Feature (Female): A sharp, right-angled turn on the ovipositor (egg-laying tube).
Distinguishing Feature (Male): Sub-genital plates end in diverging points.
Habitat & Behavior
Habitat: Warm, dry areas like grasslands, shrubbery, gardens, and sand pits.
Activity: Most active in warm late afternoons and evenings.
Diet: Herbivorous, feeding on leaves, flowers, and pollen.
Flight: Capable of flying long distances when threatened.
Sound: Males produce chirps (stridulation) to attract females, heard via hearing organs (tympanal organs) on their front legs.
Life Cycle & Reproduction
Egg-laying: Females insert eggs into plant leaves, often blackthorn, by bending their abdomen.
Eggs: Can be laid between leaf layers, making them flat.
Often confused with the Mediterranean Katydid (Phaneroptera nana), but P. falcata has a more angular ovipositor and pronotum (body section).
