Tree cricket - Oecanthus

Moved

Moved from Riley's Tree Cricket. See 08/29/2010 comment regarding Riley's vs Snowy's.

… Wisconsin Oecanthinancy, 29 August, 2010 - 2:15pm

Looks like Snowy Tree Cricket to me

I grew up in Colorado, and Snowy Tree Crickets are quite common in eastern Colorado, generally in the towns and cities in cultivated trees, but also sometimes along the gallery forests of the streams and "rivers" of the northeast part of the state. There is no mistaking the song, even if you don't see the adults. I used to enjoy listening to these and Microcentrum rhombifolium making a restful chorus in the evenings during the state fair in Pueblo.

I've never seen O. rileyi in the state, and this looks like a typical O. fultoni to me. I look at the lower spot and it looks wrong(ish) for O. rileyi, and I think the overexposure of the light areas near the head may be making the spots look smaller than they actually were (but they vary in size individually anyway). Of course I could be wrong too. :0)

… David J. Ferguson, 20 August, 2010 - 1:27am

Yes, David....as mentioned in my previous posts below

they have not yet been shown to occur in Colorado, and the only true way to know the species is by the call rate of the male.

I'll move it back to the rileyi group. Based on the diagrams and explanations on SINA, however, I'm not comfortable IDing this as Snowy. There are so many plants/trees that are moved from state to state, that in my mind it is still possible that this is O. rileyi.
That top mark in the photos looks to me to be situated at the top of the segment as opposed to in the center.

Riley's
http://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/Walker/buzz/588da.htm

Snowy's
http://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/Walker/buzz/585da.htm

… Wisconsin Oecanthinancy, 29 August, 2010 - 2:14pm

Moved

Moved from rileyi group.

… Wisconsin Oecanthinancy, 18 October, 2008 - 9:01am

Moved

Moved from Oecanthus. I darkened and zoomed in on the antennal markings in Heidi G's photo of this female Oecanthus:

According to SINA, the second segment's antennal marking in Snowy TC is equal in size to that of the first segment; in Riley's the second segment's black mark is half the size of the first segment marking. Also, in Snowy, that 2d segment marking is positioned at the center of the segment; while in Riley's (according to the diagrams) the 2d segment marking is located in the upper portion of the segment. (Both appear in Heidi's photo).

While the SINA range map does not show Riley's in Colorado...ranges seem to be expanding for many species.

I'm moving this to Riley's unless additional observations show it to be Snowy. (Possible temporary congratulations, Heidi, for these first posted photos of a strongly potential Riley's Tree Cricket:D )

… Wisconsin Oecanthinancy, 18 October, 2008 - 8:43am

Correction of description

The second antennal marking is less than 1/2 the length of the segment. Additionally, the black mark is generally found near the top of the segment as opposed to in the center as in Snowy.

… Wisconsin Oecanthinancy, 18 January, 2009 - 6:05pm

Very cool!

Thanks for all your research on this. It's pretty cool to have the first BG entry for Riley's.

… Heidi Eaton, 18 October, 2008 - 2:31pm

Interesting view, Heidi

The bottom black spot appears quite a bit larger than the top spot...which is a description for Riley's Tree Cricket; however, the current range map from SINA does not show Riley's in Colorado. I'll have to do some more investigating....but may take some time.

… Wisconsin Oecanthinancy, 5 September, 2008 - 3:13pm