Returning to Falklands Way dunes, Ainsdale, in August 2019, I easily located male, female and immature Speckled Bush-crickets (Leptophyes punctatissima) close to where they were first noted in 2018. Trevor Davenport also found them again in his Freshfield garden.

This is one of the commonest UK bush-crickets but most records come from the Midlands and Southern England. However, nbn atlas now shows scattered sightings as far north as south-west Scotland. Despite being effectively wingless, this species is clearly on the move and is surely more widespread in our region than records suggest.

Male Speckled Bush-cricket (Leptophyes punctatissima) – Phil Smith