Grasshoppers and crickets
Post categories: wildlife
| 11:56 UK time, Tuesday, 3 August 2010
We had an email into the wales.nature@bbc.co.uk inbox this morning from our regular contributor Mike Davies, who asked us whether this insect is a grasshopper or a cricket.
(By the way, I'm James McLaren, covering for our usual blogger Gull)
Well, insects are as confusing, if not more so, than , the annoying birds who look identical and can only be told apart by their songs. So I got in touch with the in Cardiff and spoke to expert John Deeming.
"The main difference to look for is in the length of the antennae," he explains. " have short antennae, sometimes only as long as their head. have much longer ones, sometimes longer than the length of their whole body.
"There are two types of cricket, the Gryllidae, known as 'true crickets' which look quite like grasshoppers, and the Tettigoniidae which are known as 'bush crickets'. If you really want to see the differences, search on the web for images of Acrididae, the grasshoppers, Gryllidae and Tettigoniide.
"I'm afraid colours are no help in identifying a grasshopper from a cricket!"
So there we go then, Mike's insect is a grasshopper, with its short antennae. Hope that helps all us budding entymologists.
Comment number 1.
At 3rd Aug 2010, Mike wrote:Thank you James. I've been wondering that for ages and have tried several internet searches without managing to find this sort of info.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 1)
Comment number 2.
At 3rd Aug 2010, Mike Davies wrote:Thanks very much James we had a good debate on my photo forum about this
so I guess that info clears it up
Complain about this comment (Comment number 2)
Comment number 3.
At 6th Aug 2010, cardiff_gareth wrote:Hello, I'm hoping you can help me work out what just frightened the life out of me !
I'm sat in the front room and next thing there is a uber large black thing next to me with long antennaes. We put it in a cup and put it in the garden but now we're wondering what it was and why it was in the living room of the house ?
All I can describe it as something that looks like a grasshopper but it didn't have wings. The legs were long just like a grasshopper though. It was black and it looked to have a large stinger in the end of it. It was around 3 inches long !!
Any idea's what it is?
It came from behind the sofa, should we be worried about more and are they harmless or can they bite / sting ???
Complain about this comment (Comment number 3)