Black-footed bush-cricket
Its legs turn black while the rest of its body ages from green to brown, and unlike most bush crickets, adults can live for more than a year.
| Where | Grassland edges and riverbanks |
|---|---|
| Size | 19 to 23 mm body length |
| When | June to October |
Nymphs and freshly matured adults of this bush cricket are green, but nearly all individuals turn brown within weeks, keeping only their black legs as a constant field mark among the pale green wings.
It lives along grassy forest edges and riverbanks, singing at night from vegetation, and unlike many katydids of similar size, adults are unusually long lived, some surviving for more than a year.
Traits
Habitat
Grassland
Colour
Green, Brown, Black
Active
Night
To people
Well camouflaged and rarely aggressive; calm to observe among grass and shrubs at night.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Has plain green or pale legs rather than the black legs that give this species its name.
Questions
Is the Black-footed bush-cricket dangerous to people?
Well camouflaged and rarely aggressive; calm to observe among grass and shrubs at night.
When can you see the Black-footed bush-cricket?
The Black-footed bush-cricket can be seen from June to October, at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by mister_bumble, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Crickets and grasshoppers›Bush crickets›Phaneroptera
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.