Large Conehead
Ruspolia nitidula
Their stridulation is so loud and high-pitched that it resembles a constant electrical hum, often mistaken for a power line.
- Scientific name
- Ruspolia nitidula
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Orthoptera › Tettigoniidae › Ruspolia
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Tall grasslands, damp meadows, reed beds, and warm, sunny field margins.
- Diet
- Omnivorous, feeding primarily on grass seeds, foliage, and occasionally small insects like aphids.
- Range
- Southern Europe, Central Europe, North Africa, Western Asia
- Size
- 20 to 35 mm in length, with females possessing an additional 15-25 mm sword-like ovipositor
- Lifespan
- Approximately 1 year (eggs overwinter, adults live for a single season)
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Intensive agricultural mowing, habitat fragmentation, and heavy pesticide use.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to humans. You can safely observe them up close in tall grass. If handled roughly, they may pinch with their mandibles; if bitten, simply wash the area with soap and water.
Ruspolia nitidula is a species belonging to the family Tettigoniidae subfamily Conocephalinae. It is found throughout Europe...
Photo: Gilles San Martin, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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