''Platycleis grisea''
[Fabricius JC (1781) ''Species Insectorum'' 1: 359.] is a European species of
bush crickets described by
Fabricius in 1781. It is the
type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...
of the genus ''
Platycleis
''Platycleis'' is a genus of bush crickets described by Fieber in 1853, belonging to the subfamily Tettigoniinae. The species of this genus are present in Europe, North Africa and temperate Asia.
Biology
Studies conducted in 2010 at the Univer ...
'' and therefore the
tribe Platycleidini
The Tettigoniinae are a subfamily of bush crickets or katydids, which contains hundreds of species in about twelve tribes.
Distribution
The greatest diversity is in the Palaearctic region and many of the familiar European species of bush cricke ...
. This species is recorded from mainland Europe (not the British Isles or Scandinavia) and northern Africa.
[Orthoptera Species File (Version 5.0/5.0 retrieved 8 February 2021)]
/ref>
Description and Biology
''P. grisea'' has body length of 15-24 mm and are usually quite uniformly coloured grey to light brown and marbled in a darker brown, with a lighter underside. The fore-wings are usually whitish and spotted. The side lobes of the pronotum are often patterned in a coarser brown and lined with a narrow, light colour and a central keel is apparent in the front half. The pronotum is rarely green or ivory-coloured on the upper side, but is often reddish. Like all representatives of the genus ''Platycleis
''Platycleis'' is a genus of bush crickets described by Fieber in 1853, belonging to the subfamily Tettigoniinae. The species of this genus are present in Europe, North Africa and temperate Asia.
Biology
Studies conducted in 2010 at the Univer ...
'', the species is almost always long-winged, the wings clearly protrude not only over the tip of the abdomen but also the rear knees when at rest. The species is able to fly well and populations are able to disperse easily. In females, the dark-coloured ovipositor
The ovipositor is a tube-like organ used by some animals, especially insects, for the laying of eggs. In insects, an ovipositor consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages. The details and morphology of the ovipositor vary, but typical ...
is relatively short and evenly curved upwards. The cerci in the male are serrated on the inside beyond the distal half.[Harz K (1969) ''Die Orthopteren Europas. Band I'' (Series Entomologica vol. 5). W. Junk Publishers, The Hague: ''Platycleis grisea'' is on pp. 236–240]
Original at archive.org
/ref>[''Platycleis grisea'' on Orthoptera.ch (retrieved 28 February 2021)]
/ref>
This species is very similar to '' P. albopunctata'', which is practically identical in body shape and colour, and hybrids may also occur in the southern Alps. They can only be definitively distinguished by the genitalia.[ The song is also very similar, consisting of soft, four- to six-syllable chirping that continue for several minutes, which can only be heard from within a few metres.
As with the similar species, ''P. grisea'' prefers living in warm, dry grasslands and other habitats, often with patchy vegetation. It also occurs in semi-urban habitats such as railway and road embankments, and quarries. Sexually mature adults can be found from June to October.][
]
References
External links
*
{{taxonbar, from=Q11819486
Orthoptera of Europe
Tettigoniinae