| Natula averni | |
|---|---|
 | |
| N. averni, male | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Orthoptera |
| Suborder: | Ensifera |
| Family: | Trigonidiidae |
| Genus: | Natula |
| Species: | N. averni |
| Binomial name | |
| Natula averni (A. Costa, 1855) | |
Natula averni is one of the smallest and most elusive species of cricket living in the Mediterranean Basin.
The species was found in several coastal regions of Italy, mostly on the Thyrrhenian coast, as well as in Sardinia and Sicily. N. averni was also found in Corsica, in the Balearic Islands, in the Canary Islands and in Turkey. [1]
The taxonomic status of this species is still controversial. Even though currently its range is considered to include southern Europe and Turkey, it may be synonymous with Natula longipennis, in which case its range would include Africa and Asia. Furthermore, it could be a species complex, consisting of more species even in southern Europe.
The adult males grow up to 4.1–4.3 millimetres (0.16–0.17 in) long, while females reach 4.5–5 millimetres (0.18–0.20 in). The overall color is yellowish. Forewings cover entirely the abdomen, hind wings are much longer.
The song is a harmonious trill that can be heard from April to the late summer, and is disproportionately strong for a cricket just a few millimeters long: the position of the singing animal is very difficult to locate.
The biology of this species is poorly known. Adults can be found in spring and summer in the reeds (hence the popular name «Reed cricket») from the most seaward tract of the estuaries and of the deltas, [2] where this species seems to prefer marsh vegetation 1.5–3 metres (4 ft 11 in – 9 ft 10 in) high, such as Phragmites australis or similar reeds. Its tiny size and its color make it almost impossible to catch, but it can be attracted to light or found in pitfall traps.
Its elusiveness is the reason why this species is most probably underrecorded, and may prove less rare and more widespread than expected.
Savi's warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus Locustella. It breeds in Europe and the western Palearctic. It is migratory, wintering in northern and sub-Saharan Africa.
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Gryllomorpha dalmatina, common name wingless house-cricket, is a species of cricket belonging to the family Gryllidae subfamily Gryllomorphinae.
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Leptophyes laticauda is a species of bush-crickets belonging to the family Tettigoniidae.
Ephippiger perforatus, the North Apennine saddle bush-cricket, is a species of insect in the family Tettigoniidae.
Tessellana lagrecai, known as La Greca's slender bush-cricket, is a species of bush-cricket in the family Tettigoniidae. Described by Messina in 1979, the species is found in grasslands and shrublands in Sicily, Italy. It is considered a vulnerable species by the IUCN.
Eyprepocnemis plorans, the lamenting grasshopper, is a species of insect in the family Acrididae. It is the type species of the genus Eyprepocnemis, and is found in Africa, parts of the Middle East, and southern Europe. It typically inhabits wetlands and other moist habitats.
Ephippiger terrestris, common name Alpine saddle-backed bush-cricket, is a bush cricket species belonging to the family Tettigoniidae, subfamily Bradyporinae.
Pamphagus sardeus is a large species of Pamphagidae and one of the most massive Italian Orthoptera.
Svercus palmetorum is a small species of cricket, and the sole member of the genus Svercus.
Oecanthus dulcisonans is a species of cricket sparsely but widely distributed in the Mediterranean Basin and in the Middle East.
Barbitistes vicetinus, the Vicentine saw-tailed bush-cricket, is a species of katydids crickets in family Phaneropteridae endemic to Italy. The species was originally described by Antonio Galvagni and Paolo Fontana. It is found in vineyards and woody vegetation in the regions of Veneto and Trentino, in particular in the province of Vicenza. In 2016, it was listed as a Near Threatened species by the IUCN due to its restricted geographic range and extreme fluctuations in its population: its current extent of occurrence (EOO) is about 580 km2 (220 sq mi), and its area of occupancy (AOO) is between 50–100 km2 (19–39 sq mi). Formally described as a new species only in 1993, unexpected population outbreaks have severely impacted forests and crops in northern Italy in recent years.
and the 3rd record in Sicily
Data related to Natula averni at Wikispecies
Media related to Natula averni at Wikimedia Commons