Grasshoppers, Crickets and other Orthoptera

This page looks at the grasshoppers, crickets and allied creatures such as cone-heads and ground-hoppers - members of the Order Orthoptera - which are known from the area. At the beginning of 2012 eleven species were listed here.

The latest to have been identified was the Stripe-winged Grasshopper, Stenobothrus lineatus, found in the Aldersbrook Exchange Lands - once the old sewage works site. The Lesser Marsh Grasshopper Chorthippus albomarginatus has only been recorded twice, both times near to Alexandra Lake on Wanstead Flats. In this case it was only recognised in 2011, but a photograph taken in 2007 is of this species. The Common Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus does seem to be relatively common, although records are only present from the Exchange Lands and the cemetery. The Meadow Grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus is common in a variety of areas.

We seem to have only one species of conehead, the Long-winged Conehead Conocephalus discolor (also known as C. fuscus), which has been seen in the Exchange Lands, on Wanstead Flats particularly near Angell Pond and in Wanstead Park particularly at the west end of the Heronry Pond and at the south edge of the Shoulder of Mutton.

The Oak Bush-cricket Meconema thalassinum is a common species, often being found seemingly attracted to the lights of houses by Wanstead Flats and on the south edge of Wanstead Park. Similarly, the Speckled Bush-cricket Leptophyes punctatissima is quite common, having been seen onnumerous occasions in Wanstead Park, and a pair on the leaves of a rose bush in my Capel Road garden.

A surprise on 24th April 2009 in Wanstead Park was what appeared to be a grasshopper, but very early in the year. It was a specimen of Slender Ground-hopper Tetrix subulata, found in rough vegetation on south side of Heronry Pond. Another was seen on 6th May 2013, again by the Heronry Pond but this time at the extreme east end. On 31st May an adult and some younger specimens were seen in the same location.

The Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera has been seen once in Wanstead Park and once on the east bank of the Roding, which suggest it isn't very common. The dramatic Roesel's Bush-cricket Metrioptera roeselii on the other hand is quite common, having been seen on Wanstead Flats, in Wanstead Park, in the Exchange Lands and in the City of London Cemetery.

One last member of the Orthoptera which was present but now sadly seems to be missing, is the House Cricket Acheta domestica. Colonies of these were present in the waste dumped from Aldersbrook Riding School just at the edge of Aldersbrook Allotments, and in the rubbish tip known as the shute in the City of London Cemetery. Although very difficult to see, their calls could be heard from both these places up until about 2006, and I recall hearing them once or twice in Capel Road at the edge of Wanstead Flats and even in Earlham Grove, Forest Gate. 

If you subtract 40 from
the number of cricket
chirps a minute, divide
the result by 4 and add
50 to the result, you can
tell the temperature

    Ivor Cutler 

Records from other sources

Records gleaned from other sources include mention of the distribution of the Common Green Grasshopper (Omocestus viridulus) compared to Lesser Marsh Grasshopper (Chorthippus albomarginatus). In the archives of the Essex Field Club (http://www.essexfieldclub.org.uk/archivetext/s/110/o/0108) the former is said to be found mainly in the north of the Forest whilst the latter is virtually confined to grasslands in the south, including Wanstead and Leyton Flats. This may well agree with present findings - I have no records of Omocestus viridulus locally, but C. albomarginatus has been seen.

In a further archive page (http://www.essexfieldclub.org.uk/archivetext/s/124/o/0044), Roesel's Bush Cricket (Metrioptera roeselii) is mentioned as not being particularly common in Epping Forest, but is found on Wanstead and Leyton Flats.  The Short-winged Conehead (Conocephalus dorsalis) is mentioned: "uncommon, having been recorded only at Wanstead Flats, but it may well be in other areas close by." This has not been found in the area recently, as far as I know, although the Long-winged Conehead (C. discolor) has.

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