| Oecanthus dulcisonans | |
|---|---|
 | |
| O. dulcisonans, male | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Orthoptera |
| Suborder: | Ensifera |
| Family: | Gryllidae |
| Genus: | Oecanthus |
| Species: | O. dulcisonans |
| Binomial name | |
| Oecanthus dulcisonans Gorochov, 1993 | |
Oecanthus dulcisonans is a species of cricket sparsely but widely distributed in the Mediterranean Basin and in the Middle East.
The species can be found in several Thyrrhenian coastal regions of Italy, as well as in Sardinia and Sicily. O. dulcisonans was originally reported from Saudi Arabia and is present also in the Canary Islands. [1]
In the Mediterranean area, its range overlaps that of its congener O. pellucens. According to some studies, O. dulcisonans sings preferentially from trees while O. pellucens seems to prefer high grass such as the vegetation growing along the small streams.
This thermophilic and heliophilic species is not particularly demanding, and can be found both in wet and in xeric environments.
The adult males grow up to 13–15 millimetres (0.51–0.59 in) long, while females reach 14–16 millimetres (0.55–0.63 in). The overall color is yellowish. Long forewings cover entirely the abdomen, hind wings are decidedly longer. It can be distinguished from O. pellucens by its bigger size, by the different shape of the sternal plate, and by the male genitalia. The morphological differences were investigated by Cordero et al. [2]
Its namesake song is among the most useful characters to recognize O. dulcisonans form O. pellucens: the strong and melodious trill of the former is continuous, as opposed to the equal, discrete 0.5sec - 1sec trills of O. pellucens. Furthermore, peak frequency by O. dulcisonans is slightly higher. Both species are difficult to locate by the unaided ear: the insect can vary the elevation of the forewings making difficult to identify the provenance of the sound, reverberated by the high grass or by the reeds.
O. dulcisonans is omnivorous but mainly zoophagous, and is more active at night. Adults appear in July / August and their song can be heard until early autumn. Eggs are deposed into the stem of various herbaceous plants.
Its shape and color make captures difficult, but it can be attracted to artificial light.
This species is most probably underrecorded due to its elusiveness and its similarity with O. pellucens.
Gryllinae, or field crickets, are a subfamily of insects in the order Orthoptera and the family Gryllidae.
Melanoplus is a large genus of grasshoppers. They are the typical large grasshoppers in North America. A common name is spur-throat grasshoppers, but this more typically refers to members of the related subfamily Catantopinae.
Oecanthus is a genus of cricket in subfamily Oecanthinae, the tree crickets.
Spilostethus pandurus is a species of "seed bugs" belonging to the family Lygaeidae, subfamily Lygaeinae.
Calliptamus siciliae, commonly known as the pygmy pincer grasshopper, is a species of short-horned grasshoppers belonging to the family Acrididae subfamily Calliptaminae.
Gryllomorpha dalmatina, common name wingless house-cricket, is a species of cricket belonging to the family Gryllidae subfamily Gryllomorphinae.
Yersinella raymondi, common name Raymond's Bush-cricket, is a species of "katydids crickets" belonging to the family Tettigoniidae subfamily Tettigoniinae. The scientific name Yersinella comes from the name of the entomologist who has described the species in 1860.
Oecanthus pellucens, common name Italian tree cricket, is a species of tree crickets belonging to the family Gryllidae, subfamily Oecanthinae.
Barbitistes obtusus, common name Southern Saw-tailed Bush-cricket or Alpine Saw Bush-cricket, is a species of katydids crickets in family Phaneropteridae subfamily Phaneropterinae.
Brachytrupes megacephalus is a species of cricket in the family Gryllidae.
Grylloidea is the superfamily of insects, in the order Orthoptera, known as crickets. It includes the "true crickets", scaly crickets, wood crickets and other families, some only known from fossils.
Agraeciini is a large tribe of bush crickets or katydids in the conehead subfamily, Conocephalinae.
Ephippiger perforatus, the North Apennine saddle bush-cricket, is a species of insect in the family Tettigoniidae.
The Orthopteran subfamily Aemodogryllinae contains about sixteen genera of camel crickets. It was named after AemodogryllusAdelung, 1902 - which is now considered a subgenus of Diestrammena.
Trellius is an Asian genus of crickets in the family Phalangopsidae, subfamily Phaloriinae, tribe Phaloriini.
Micrornebius is a genus of crickets in the subfamily Mogoplistinae, tribe Mogoplistini.
The Sclerogryllinae are a subfamily of crickets, in the family Gryllidae, based on the type genus Sclerogryllus. They may be known as "stiff-winged crickets" are terrestrial insects, distributed in: tropical Asia, Korea, Japan and West Africa.
Pamphagus sardeus is a large species of Pamphagidae and one of the most massive Italian Orthoptera.
Svercus palmetorum is a small species of cricket.
Natula averni is one of the smallest and most elusive species of cricket living in the Mediterranean Basin.
