Southern Oak Bush-cricket

Meconema meridionale

This pale green bush-cricket measures 14 to 17 mm in length and features a creamy-yellow stripe on its back along with two reddish-brown spots positioned just behind the head. Both males and females possess wings that are nonfunctional, rendering them incapable of flight. The female is identified by her long, slightly upward-curving ovipositor, while the male has long, curved cerci. This species inhabits oak, horse chestnut, other deciduous trees, and hedgerow shrubs during the summer months. It is a carnivorous predator of the moth species known as the Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner.