Saddle-backed bush cricket

The Saddle-backed bush cricket (Ephippiger terrestris) is an insect belonging to the family Tettigoniidae, order Orthoptera. Known for its stocky appearance and vestigial wings, this species is flightless and primarily dwells on the ground or in low-lying vegetation. It is a significant pest in various agricultural and horticultural environments.

This species is highly polyphagous, causing substantial damage to vegetable crops, orchards, and vineyards. Both nymphs and adults consume leaves, buds, and fruit tissue. Their feeding behavior often leads to significant defoliation and mechanical injury to young plants, which can jeopardize the vitality of crops and reduce overall yield quality.

The life cycle of Ephippiger terrestris consists of three stages: egg, nymph, and adult. Eggs are laid directly into the soil, where they remain throughout the winter period. As temperatures rise in spring, nymphs emerge and begin feeding on early vegetation. The insects undergo several molts before reaching maturity, with their development highly dependent on local climatic conditions.

Damage assessment shows that the pest utilizes its powerful mandibles to gnaw irregular holes in foliage and sever soft stems. During outbreak years, large populations can strip plants of their leaves entirely, causing severe stress to the vegetation. The impact is most severe in areas where dry weather conditions force the insects to migrate into cultivated fields from surrounding wild habitats.

Effective management requires an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy to minimize population density. Key protection measures include:

• Deep soil cultivation during late autumn to expose and destroy overwintering eggs.
• Application of approved insecticides when nymphal populations exceed economic thresholds.
• Removal of weeds and wild vegetation strips near crop borders to reduce shelter.
• Strategic use of toxic baits in high-infestation areas.
• Encouraging natural predators such as birds and predatory beetles to populate the field margins.