Riley's Tree Cricket
Oecanthus rileyi
This record describes Oecanthus rileyi (species). Recorded family: Oecanthidae. Recorded order: Orthoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Riley's tree cricket is pale green with pale antennae and limbs. It has a black spot on both the first and second antennal segments (scape and pedicel). The black spot on the 2d segment is less than half the length of the segment. It also has an orange area on the top of the head -- but no orange extends down the pronotum. A great source for 'everything you ever wanted to know about tree crickets' is an article written in May 1915 by Bentley B. Fulton in a Technical Bulletin for the New York Agricultural Experiment Station. The Tree Crickets of New York: Life History and Bionomics
Wikipedia reference for Oecanthus rileyi: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oecanthus_rileyi.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Orthoptera (Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids)
- Suborder
- Ensifera
- Family
- Oecanthidae (Tree and Bush Crickets)
- Subfamily
- Oecanthinae
- Genus
- Oecanthus (Common Tree Crickets)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
w US to BC - Map , Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and Idaho. Also found in British Columbia.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
Undergo a paurometabolous development (Gradual Metamorphosis). Nymphs resemble small adults and gradually develop external wing buds. They live in the same habitat as adults, typically taking the same food.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Oecanthus rileyi Baker, 1905
About Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids: the wider group
Order-level background for Orthoptera, the group containing Oecanthus rileyi. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Orthoptera includes ~28,000 described species of grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids. Desert locusts can form swarms covering 460 square miles containing up to 80 million individuals per square kilometer.
Ecological role of the group
Grasshoppers and crickets are a primary food source for birds, reptiles, and small mammals. Cricket farming is a growing industry - crickets require 12× less feed than cattle to produce the same amount of protein, using 2,000× less water.
Economic and practical significance of the group
A single large locust swarm can consume the same amount of food in one day as 35,000 people. The 2019-2021 East Africa locust crisis affected food security for 42 million people across multiple countries. Global crop losses from locusts can reach billions annually.
Recorded sources for this group: FAO, UN World Food Programme, research publications. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Riley's Tree Cricket (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by Wisconsin Oecanthinancy; Additional contributions by Mike Quinn , David Ferguson
Frequently Asked Questions About Riley's Tree Cricket
What is Riley's Tree Cricket?
Riley's Tree Cricket (Oecanthus rileyi) is a species in the family Oecanthidae, within the order Orthoptera.
How do you identify Riley's Tree Cricket?
Riley's tree cricket is pale green with pale antennae and limbs. It has a black spot on both the first and second antennal segments (scape and pedicel). The black spot on the 2d segment is less than half the length of the segment. It also has an orange area on the top of the head -- but no orange extends down the pronotum.
Where is Riley's Tree Cricket found?
Range: w US to BC - Map , Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and Idaho. Also found in British Columbia.
What is the life cycle of a Riley's Tree Cricket?
Undergo a paurometabolous development (Gradual Metamorphosis). Nymphs resemble small adults and gradually develop external wing buds. They live in the same habitat as adults, typically taking the same food.