Great green bush-cricket

Systematic position: The great green bush-cricket (Tettigonia viridissima) belongs to the order Orthoptera and the family Tettigoniidae. It is one of the largest orthopterans in Europe, easily recognizable by its vibrant green body, long hind legs designed for powerful jumping, and very long, thread-like antennae.

Crops attacked: While they are predominantly predatory, feeding on smaller insects, they are opportunistic feeders that can cause significant damage to agriculture. They frequently infest vineyards, fruit orchards, grain fields, and vegetable gardens, targeting soft plant tissues, including leaves, flowers, and tender shoots.

Biology and life cycle: The species undergoes incomplete metamorphosis. Eggs are deposited into the soil by the female using a blade-like ovipositor. Nymphs emerge in the spring and go through several instars, feeding actively throughout the summer months. There is only one generation per year, and the eggs serve as the overwintering stage within the ground.

Damage patterns and economic importance: The damage is characterized by ragged holes in leaves and gnawed edges. In intensive horticultural production, bush-crickets can cause economic losses by damaging developing fruits, which often results in fruit drop or susceptibility to secondary rot infections due to the physical injury to the plant tissue.

• Deep cultivation of soil to destroy buried egg clusters.
• Elimination of wild vegetation on field margins to reduce habitats.
• Encouraging biological control agents such as predatory birds and wasps.
• Localized insecticide application if population levels exceed economic thresholds.

Protection measures: Effective management relies on cultural practices such as late-autumn soil tilling, which destroys the eggs deposited in the soil. Maintaining field margins free of tall weeds limits their shelter. Insecticides should be used judiciously as a last resort, prioritizing selective products to avoid harming pollinators and other beneficial predatory insects.