grasshoppers and crickets and cicadas photos

not everyone will nesacerily look for grasshoppers and crickets but they are very intersting cratures. there are different types of species and each species has there own unique call 

before I identifying the species you first need to be able to tell the differance between a grasshopper and cricket. they easily get mis identified by people.

like with alot of wildlife that can be mis named, mis labeled, and given mis identification if you were to go online there will be alot of mis identifications just as there will be alot that arnt cause not everyone iis familer and this is particulalry the case with grasshoppers and crickets . wildlife can be mis identified anywhere inclding in books but things spread faster over the internet. and so if im going to do a thread on them I may aswell give you some id tips. if you ever dont know what a grasshopper or cricket is feell free to ask on the thread 

but just by sending photos and saying what we have seen it can help you learn and train your brain to recognise how to identify them and it is also enjoyable cause it is fun to see others photos. 

Im good at identifying different types of wildlifr and have come to become familer with alot thst commonly get mis identfied and have learned how to identify them in the past couple of years.

it all starts with knowing grasshopper and cricket arnt the same they are a name for 2 different animals and being able to tell which is which 

grasshoppers 

one of the most reliable features to look for are the antenaes when trying to distinguish between a grasshopper or cricket.

grasshoppers have short antennaes whereas cricket have long antennaes that go past the body and the face 

grasshoppers are active during the day and not in the evening.

grasshoppers also have a different type of call and call durations to crickets 

an important thing for me to note though is even though activity is high in the evenings and low during the day that there is a few species of crickets that can be seen during the day 

a few worth noteing the dark bush cricket 

the great green bush cricket 

and rosells bush cricket 

next each species of grasshopper also have there own unique call 

each species of cricket also have there own diticntive and unique call 

there calls are also another feature that can help you identify different species 

each species of both grasshopers and crickets  also have certain identification features that help you seperate 

one from the other aswell. 

I have hypersentive hearing cause of my autism but as challanging as it is It makes me very very in tune to the sounds of nature 

from bird calls to mammels to bees to beetles to trees to worms scuttling along in the grass and cause of my hearing and even the quitest of sounds is hard for me to miss 

and usualy the first to draw peoples atention to such noises. so even a quiet or low pictched grasshopper or cricket is hard for me to miss 

and wehenver there active I hear them in the grass and when I hear them I pin point the direction a particular call is coming from even if theres more than one calling or at least a few differnt types. some people hear them some people dont but for those that dont being able to recognise the sound is the first step cause it usualy sounds like a shaker or a high pitched or low pitched buzzing sound that starts and stops and usualy comes from the grass. there sound can help pin point where they are then you sit down and if your still and patient you may be able to spot one on a grass stem or a plant or on the ground. if you make any sudden movements you will startle them so for close ups its best to move as slowly and predictably as you can to get closer otherwise they will leap off which you dont want. as well as taking pictures of them they can be very fascinatng to observe aswell. 

I went to an orchard with my family today and managed to get a picture of a few crickets which gave me the idea of doing a thread for grasshoppers and crickets