My green friend

PeterD-2009

Out walking the dog today and came across this Great Green Bush-cricket (Tettigonia viridissima).


http://www.imageinuk.com/Recent-Photos/New-Butterflies-other-Insects/7921526_8yYSh/1/#666016809_rMcyp-A-LB
I was very pleased with this find as it is the largest Bush Cricket in the UK. I thought I would try and encourage it to be more out in the open to get a better shot. To my surprise, it obliged.

http://www.imageinuk.com/Recent-Photos/New-Butterflies-other-Insects/7921526_8yYSh/1/#666016000_6yykh-A-LB

Not satisfied, I encouraged it a little more to try and get a view of the head/jaw detail.

http://www.imageinuk.com/Recent-Photos/New-Butterflies-other-Insects/7921526_8yYSh/1/#666017909_shLua-A-LB

When I got home, I checked it's ID and learnt to my horror that it can give a very nasty bite:uhoh. Next time I shall have to take the field guide with me:rolleyes .

These are full size, uncropped images. Follow the lightbox link if you want to get closer. As usual Comments and Critique always welcome. Hope you like the images.

GOLDENORFE

very nice Peter, good compositions.
never seen one of these.
phil

Lord Vetinari

Lovely series- esp like #3
Brian v.

paddler4

Great shots. I especially like #2. But I have to ask: how does one encourage a cricket to do anything but hop away? Last time I tried something like this, I spent a good while slithering forward on my stomach, never getting anything close to this near before the critter would leap away and make me start over.

PeterD-2009

GOLDENORFE wrote:

very nice Peter, good compositions.
never seen one of these.
phil

Thanks Phil. This one surprised me too. I had not realised how large these are but shall be more careful in handling them in future .

PeterD-2009

Lord Vetinari wrote:

Lovely series- esp like #3
Brian v.

Thanks Brian.

PeterD-2009

paddler4 wrote:

Great shots. I especially like #2. But I have to ask: how does one encourage a cricket to do anything but hop away? Last time I tried something like this, I spent a good while slithering forward on my stomach, never getting anything close to this near before the critter would leap away and make me start over.

Thanks for your comments. I think that the fact that yesterday was very cool helped me get close. I saw it deep amongst grass first of all - shot#1. I thought I might lose it but took the risk in slowly moving a finger towards it and touched it's wings gently. I think it was irritated by this but did not see it as a threatso all it did was climb higher. Took another series of shots #2 and #3 plus another 5 as I continued to encourage it into the open. I had hoped that it would take off when it reached the top but it never did so I could not get a shot with its wings open - next time perhaps.
Although these are fully winged, they are not great fliers.