This critter was in the porch at Dempsey Towers this afternoon...now although I enjoy a good Roesel's Bushcricket party as much as the next bloke on Beacon Lane, I'm not too up on my grasshoppery crickety things (Short Winged Conehead aside of course).
However this looks like an Oak Bushcricket to me - any insect folk out there able to confirm that?
Looking online, Ainsdale appears to be a bit north of the normal species range?
Slight damage to one of its feet was nothing to do with me your honour (an injury the bug happily chewed at repeatedly), but long wings, big pointy ovipositor thing, light green colour, pale line on head etc all seem to fit the species.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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You should have put a tanner next to it so we could judge its size. Looks like a monster.
Ron
Kingfisher showing well on the Leeds /Liverpool canal behind the B/Q store in Aintree.
Great White Egret at Hesketh Out Marsh at dusk on Thursday.
This is indeed a female Oak Bush-cricket and an excellent record, being apparently the first for Sefton.
The nearest seem to be in north Cheshire, south Manchester and east of Preston. This insect is usually associated with broad-leaved trees, such as oak, in woodlands, hedgerows and, sometimes, gardens.
We had to look twice - Charlie found a similar-looking species in our garden the other day but that turned out to be a speckled bush cricket. Seems to be heading north too.
Just to confirm that this is the first record that we have for North Merseyside. There are just a couple in our database that originate from a recordset supplied by the Lancashire & Cheshire Fauna society:
David Mackie
1955
Morley - on a Sycamore tree
SJ8282
One of only two records from the county
W Buckley
1922
SJ900981
Droylsden - in a station yard
This is one of only two records of this species from the county
Both these records are well to the east of Merseyside.
Very interesting record John. We will all have to keep our eyes peeled for it from now on.
oak bush cricket it is! Great record John! Nice one!