Tree crickets are found around the world and live in trees, shrubs, bushes, plants and grasses. If you’ve ever been outdoors in summer or autumn, day or night, chances are that you have heard the loud and beautiful chirping or trilling songs of male tree crickets. There are approximately 303 different species of tree crickets throughout the world; 22 species have been documented in the continental United States. This male Two-spotted tree cricket has raised his wings to sing. Male tree crickets raise their two front wings (forewings) in order to sing.  The dark cavity visible in this photo is the ‘honey pot.’  Female tree crickets sip secretions from this gland during the mating process. This male Alexander’s tree cricket has his wings at a resting position. When not singing, the wings of males lay flat atop their abdomen and are shaped like a paddle. This female Davis’ tree cricket is grooming one of her antennae. Note how her wings hug the sides of her abdomen. Forbes’ tree crickets vary in color. This pair is preparing to mate. This female is mostly yellow, while the male has a lot of deep black. This female Two-spotted tree cricket is ovipositing her eggs into a branch of an apple tree. These five raised areas were made by a female tree cricket whose eggs are embedded in this plant stem. This stem was split open and shows how the eggs are nestled in the pith of stems. This little nymph is less than one hour old, and is less than 1/4 inch long from the tip of his face to the tip of his abdomen. His antennae are longer than his body. Most species of tree crickets have black markings on the first two segments of their antennae. These markings can help tell which … Continue reading Basics