20 s of calling song; male from Nassau Co., Fla.; 24.7°C. (WTL584-8)
Click on sound bar to hear graphed song.
Sound spectrogram of 5 s of calling at 24.7°C (from WTL584-8). Dominant frequency 3.0 kHz.
Click on spectrogram to expand last 0.5 s of spectrographic image
Song at 25°C:
A melodious trill interrupted briefly at intervals of 5 sec or less. Interruptions are not synchronized, so when several males are calling the sound becomes continuous. Pulse rate 71/sec; frequency 3.0 kHz. Easily confused with the songs of two-spotted and Davis's tree crickets, but trills by these species are interrupted at longer intervals and have faster pulse rates.
Length 13–16 mm. Black mark on first antennal segment J-shaped or strongly curved toward inner side; vertex marked with orange (in fresh specimens).
Similar species:
Davis's tree cricket—black mark on first antennal segment straight; no orange on the vertex.
Habitat:
Crowns of broad-leaved trees; sometimes in understory trees and tangled undergrowth; occasionally on herbacous plants such as blackberry and goldenrod.
Season:
Early August to mid-October in Ohio; mid May to December in north Florida. One generation a year in most of its range; two in north Florida. In south Florida, adults occur year round.
Remarks:
Those delving into the scientific literature should be warned that the scientific name of this species, Oecanthus niveus, was mistakenly applied to O. fultoni (snowy tree cricket) prior to 1960.
