Orthoptera recording

Some years ago I answered a call from the UK orthoptera recorder for volunteers to fill vacant county recorder positions. The vice county of Monmouthshire happened be without a recorder so I stepped up to the breach and put my name forward. I started with enthusiasm visiting sites across the vice county building my knowledge and developing a picture of local grasshoppers and crickets with the aspiration of organising and preparing a provisional county atlas. It eventually became apparent that taking on this task, whilst holding down a demanding job along with family obligations, was a challenge too far. My recording of orthoptera has therefore tapered off. I am still the county recorder and I still record where possible, so when a grassland site in Hollybush, Cwmbran showed promise I visited to see what was on offer.

First up was the now ubiquitous long-winged conehead, This a now one of the most widespread and expanding crickets in Monmouthshire. Another recent coloniser that was present at this site was Roesel's bush cricket this species is also expanding its range very quickly.