Eastern Saddle Bush-cricket

Ephippiger ephippiger, the saddle-backed bush cricket, is a species belonging to the family Tettigoniidae subfamily Bradyporinae. It is found primarily in central Europe, with the closely related species Ephippiger diurnus in the west. The habitat consists of relatively dry and sparse areas with scarce vegetation, such as heather with a few trees, where it can be found both close to the soil and higher up in the vegetation.

The saddle-backed bush cricket mainly eats insects and other small animals, but also plant parts. For arable farmers, it is a useful animal because it lives in plants but mainly hunts for plant-dwelling (pest) insects. It is active during the months of August to October; the males are mainly heard between eleven o'clock in the morning and nine o'clock in the evening....

Inhabits warm, dry grasslands, scrublands, and forest edges with dense herbaceous vegetation, particularly favoring areas with tall grasses and shrubs in Mediterranean and temperate regions. Requires specific microhabitat conditions including adequate vegetation height for shelter and egg-laying sites in plant stems.