Numbers
Nearctica.com lists 14 species.
Species in the U.S. are listed under four groups: nigricornis, niveus, rileyi and varicornis.
Nigricornis group: O. nigricornis, O. argentinus, O. forbesi, O. celerinictus, O. pini, O. laricis and O. quadripunctatus
Niveus group: O. niveus, O. exclamationis, O. leptogrammus
Rileyi group: O. rileyi and O. fultoni
Varicornis group: O. varicornis, O. californicus, O. latipennis.
(Two species are currently in the process of being officially named - one will be under the varicornis group and one will be under the rileyi group).
No Taxon nigricornis group
... Species argentinus - prairie tree cricket
... Species celerinictus - Fast-calling tree cricket
... Species forbesi - Forbes' tree cricket
... Species nigricornis - black-horned tree cricket
... Species pini - pine tree cricket
... Species quadripunctatus - four-spotted tree cricket
No Taxon niveus group
... Species exclamationis - Davis' tree cricket
... Species niveus - narrow-winged tree cricket
No Taxon rileyi group
... Species nspb - Alexander's tree cricket
... Species fultoni - snowy tree cricket
... Species rileyi - Riley's tree cricket
No Taxon varicornis group
...Species californicus - western tree cricket
... ... Subspecies californicus - pale or brown form
... ... Subspecies pictipennis - pictipennis form
... Species latipennis - broad-winged tree cricket
... Species varicornis - different-horned tree cricket
No Taxon Unidentified nymphs / instars
Identification
Most North American species of
Oecanthus can be identified by markings on the ventral surface of the first two
antennal segments
(1), see especially fig. 61 of that reference.
An online key to species is available
here.
Examples of photos in guide with antennal markings:
1. Prairie Tree Cricket
2. Black-horned Tree Cricket
3. Four-spotted Tree Cricket
4. Pine Tree Cricket
5. Western Tree Cricket
6. Broad-winged Tree Cricket
7. Narrow-winged Tree Cricket
8. Davis' Tree Cricket
9. Snowy Tree Cricket
10. Riley's Tree Cricket
11. Forbes' Tree Cricket
Life Cycle
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.
Remarks
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 BionomicsPrint References
Capinera et al., pp. 205-209
(1)Internet References
http://oecanthinae Tree Crickets - information and photos
