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narrow-winged tree cricket

Oecanthus niveus (De Geer 1773)

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map male female female
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female male juvenile eggs
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oviposition scars antennal markings antennal markings antennal markings
20 s of calling song; male from Nassau Co., Fla.; 24.7°C. (WTL584-8)
spectrogram
 Click on sound bar to hear graphed song.
Sound spectrogram of 5 s of calling at 24.7°C (from WTL584-8). Dominant frequency 3.0 kHz.
Click on spectrogram to expand last 0.5 s of spectrographic image
Song at 25°C: A melodious trill interrupted briefly at intervals of 5 sec or less. Interruptions are not synchronized, so when several males are calling the sound becomes continuous. Pulse rate 71/sec; frequency 3.0 kHz. Easily confused with the songs of two-spotted and Davis's tree crickets, but trills by these species are interrupted at longer intervals and have faster pulse rates.
Song data: See Walker 1962.
Identification: Length 13–16 mm. Black mark on first antennal segment J-shaped or strongly curved toward inner side; vertex marked with orange (in fresh specimens).
Similar species: Davis's tree cricket—black mark on first antennal segment straight; no orange on the vertex.
Habitat: Crowns of broad-leaved trees; sometimes in understory trees and tangled undergrowth; occasionally on herbacous plants such as blackberry and goldenrod.
Season: Early August to mid-October in Ohio; mid May to December in north Florida. One generation a year in most of its range; two in north Florida. In south Florida, adults occur year round.
Remarks: Those delving into the scientific literature should be warned that the scientific name of this species, Oecanthus niveus, was mistakenly applied to O. fultoni (snowy tree cricket) prior to 1960.
More information:
Genus Oecanthus, subfamily Oecanthinae.
References: Allard 1930b; Fulton 1915, 1925; Shull 1907, Walker 1962, 1967. Collins 2010-date.
Nomenclature: OSF (Orthoptera Species File Online).
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