The great green bush-cricket is the largest of European crickets. The adult, fully winged female including her egg laying ovipositor, can measure 7 cm in length. The specimen in my photograph is still fairly small.
Despite being large, the females are not easy to find. Their green bodies are perfectly camouflaged among the grasses and scrub where they are generally found. They are also reluctant to fly and, instead, move slowly through the vegetation.
Only the males sing; they are the loudest of all cricket species. Once the female has been attracted by the song of the male and mating has taken place, the female will lay her eggs with her ovipositor directly into the ground.