Long-winged Conehead Conocephalus fuscus

Species Information
Body length 14-22 mm. Ovipositor 9-13 mm. This bush-cricket is normally green with brown wings and a brown stripe on the head and pronotum. Both sexes are fully winged, and usually the wings extend beyond the abdomen tip. The ovipositor is long and straight, compared to the shorter and strongly curved ovipositor of the very similar Short-winged Conehead (Conocephalus dorsalis),  which has wings that only cover half of the abdomen which makes this species incapable of flight. The song is a quiet, high-pitched  hiss.

They are omnivorous, but mainly feed on plant material. Seen July to October. Found in rough grassland and reed-beds, especially near rivers and marshes. Widespread in southern Britain, although once considered rare it was placed on the Red Data List, it has spread as far north as Wales and the Midlands.

Classification

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Insecta (Insects)
Orthoptera (Grasshoppers & Crickets)
Ensifera (Crickets & Allies)
Tettigoniidae (Bush-crickets)
Conocephalinae
Conocephalus
Conocephalus fuscus (Fabricius, 1793)

Photographs

Long Winged Cone-head - Conocephalus discolor female
Aug. 2017. Local field, South Staffordshire
Long Winged Cone-head - Conocephalus discolor female
Aug. 2017. Local field, South Staffordshire
Long-winged Conehead (Conocephalus discolor) female
July 2015. Local field, South Staffordshire
Long Winged Cone-head - Conocephalus discolor female
Aug. 2017. Local field, South Staffordshire
Long-winged Conehead (Conocephalus discolor) male
Aug. 2015. Local field, South Staffordshire
Long-winged Conehead (Conocephalus discolor) female
July 2015. Local field, South Staffordshire

All photographs copyright © Peter Hillman
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