Insect · GBIF taxon 1690432
Oak Bush-cricket
Meconema thalassinumAlso known as Drumming Katydid, Oak Bush Cricket
Oak bush-crickets are delicate, lime-green insects distinguished by their nocturnal habits and silent courtship calls. Lacking the vocal stridulatory organs typical of other katydids, males communicate by rapidly drumming one hind leg against a leaf to vibrate the foliage and attract mates. During the day, they remain hidden beneath broad deciduous leaves, emerging after dark to hunt soft-bodied insects like aphids in tree canopies.
NocturnalArborealInsectivore
1 / 7—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Aphids
- Small caterpillars
- Scale insects
Predators
- Insectivorous birds
- Bats
- Orb-weaver spiders
ThreatsPesticide application and canopy habitat destruction
HabitatsDeciduous woodlands, oak canopies, suburban gardens, and parks
Life span1 year
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderOrthoptera
- FamilyTettigoniidae
- GenusMeconema
- SpeciesMeconema thalassinum
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Nighttime searching: Scan the undersides of oak leaves at night using a torch or headlamp.
- Listening for vibrations: Listen for subtle tapping sounds on quiet summer evenings near tree trunks.
- Attracted to light: Check near outdoor porch lights or illuminated windows where night-flying adults settle.
Co-Occurring Bush-Cricket Close Relative 
Larger Relative (c) Lennart Hudel, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Lennart Hudel · cc-by
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Mystic Meadows
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