Speckled Bush Cricket

A story lies behind the photograph of this little Speckled Bush Cricket. Our accountant was auditing the quarterly accounts today when he went to the cloakroom and came back saying they was 'a huge spider in the corridor'. He went to pick up a heavy book and I soon told him he couldn't squash it and that I would put it outside. What I found was this little Speckled Bush Cricket, so I scooped it up into a container and brought it home to photograph. Duly photographed he is now enjoying the good life amongst some 'Pinks' I have in a pot by the patio door.
The Speckled Bush Cricket is a small and rather inconspicuous green species which blends easily into the vegetation where it lives. It's preferred habitat is dense bushy undergrowth such as brambles and nettles, particularly along woodland margins and it also occurs in parks and gardens. Although common, it is usually only found by chance, especially if it wanders into a house. Its call is so quiet as to be insignificant to humans. It occurs in throughout Europe.
Almost entirely green in colour, it is finely speckled reddish-brown. The antennae are very long as with most bush crickets.