Orthoptera and allied insects of Essex 2003
Species Records 2003
The 2003 seasonyielded 356 records of 13 species of Orthoptera. However, records were collected
from only 11 people. It is hoped that in future years a wider distribution of recorders will send in
their observations. All 10km sightings refer to records collected since 1980. The records that
follow are by the author unless otherwise stated. Nomenclature follows Haes & Harding (1997).
The mean number of species per 10km square in Essex has now reached 10 (from data collected
since 1980). The maximum number of species recorded is 14(TQ58) whilst all 10km squares have
at least five species recorded. The most species poor 10km squares are located in the north-west of
the county (TL 43,44,64,74) which may reflect the absence of suitable habitat in the predominantly
arable landscape but also a lack of recording in these areas.
Notable Records in 2003
Great Green Bush-cricket Tettigonia viridissima (L.)
This scarce Essex species was recorded in P. MacGregor's shed in Rowhedge (TM0222) on 5th
August. T. viridissima was also located in its Essex strongholds at Belton Hills, Leigh-on-Sea
(TQ8385; J.P. Bowdrey) and Hadleigh Castle Country Park (TQ7885; 8086). At the latter location
this species was extremely abundant and the song was heard from many patches of scrub or tall
grass on an Essex Field Club field trip on 2nd August.
Roesel's Bush-cricket Metrioptera roeselii f. diluta (Hagenbach)
Whilst decorating at my home in Galleywood (TL7102) on 9th July I noticed a large insect on the
window. Closer inspection revealed it to be the long-winged form of M. roeselii (f. diluta). Upon
tapping the pane with my finger, it shot off like a bullet in a straight line at about head height. It
must have travelled some distance to arrive at my abode as most of the surrounding grassland is
closely mown. The long winged form is particularly prevalent in long, hot summers and this
adaptation may have aided the range expansion of this species away from its coastal strongholds to
inland areas in the 1980s and 1990s.
Long-winged Conehead Conocephalus discolor (Thunberg)
Since first being recorded in the extreme west of the county in 1995, this species has colonised
twenty-five 10km squares. There were 12 new 10km records for 2003: Galleywood Common
(TL70), Hadleigh Castle Country Park (TQ88), Matching Green (TL51; M.J. Heywood), Mill
Meadows (TQ69), Newland Grove (TL71; M.J. Heywood), Pleshey (TL61; M.J. Heywood), by
the River Roding (TL50; M.J. Heywood), Springfields Sand Pit (TQ68; RR. Harvey), Tilbury near
the power station (TQ67; R. Payne), Tiptree Heath (TL81), West Thurrock PFA lagoons (TQ57;
P.R. Harvey), and the first record forthe north-east of the county near Dedham Hall (TM03). The
wide distribution of records shows that this species lias probably colonised much of Essex and the
author expects to be able to fill in many of the gaps in 2004.
Martin Heywood found a bat detector particularly useful in detecting this species, whose stridulation
is largely inaudible to all but the keenest pair of ears. I tended to find Illis species in nearly every
patch of tall grass I visited in August and September, indicating that C. discolor is worth searching
for anywhere in the county and is not particularly fussy about habitat.
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 21 (2004)
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