# Two-spotted Tree Cricket (*Neoxabea bipunctata*) The Two-spotted Tree Cricket is a small, green insect known for its beautiful singing. They love to hide in trees and bushes, making music at night during the warm months. - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Forests ![Two-spotted Tree Cricket](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Neoxabea_bipunctata_-_Two-spotted_Tree_Cricket_%2830874429898%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Neoxabea_bipunctata_-_Two-spotted_Tree_Cricket_%2830874429898%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Two-spotted Tree Cricket is slender, pale green, or yellowish, allowing it to blend perfectly with foliage. It is easily recognized by two distinct small black spots located on its translucent forewings near the base, which differentiates it from other tree crickets. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Orthoptera - **Family:** Gryllidae - **Genus:** Neoxabea ## Interesting facts - A group of crickets is sometimes called an 'orchestra' because of their musical calls! - Did you know tree crickets hear with their legs? They have tiny 'ears' on their front knees! - Their songs are like a thermometer; the hotter it is, the faster they chirp! - Unlike many insects, these crickets lay their eggs inside plant stems for safekeeping. ## Special abilities - **Chirp Composer:** Two-spotted Tree Cricket can produce a rhythmic, trilling song by rubbing its wings together, which helps them attract mates in the dark. - **Leafy Disguise:** Two-spotted Tree Cricket has a pale green body that perfectly blends with leaves and stems, helping them hide from hungry birds. - **Vibration Radar:** Two-spotted Tree Cricket can detect tiny vibrations in leaves and branches using special leg sensors, helping find food or sense danger. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 25-35 mm - **Size:** 12-18 mm - **Lifespan:** 60-90 days - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding This cricket enjoys a varied diet, munching on soft plant parts and tiny insects like aphids. - **Primary Foods:** plant leaves, nectar, pollen, aphids, small soft-bodied insects - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) — Birds like jays prey on crickets. - **Eaten by:** [Garden Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-spider) (*Araneus diadematus*) — Spiders capture crickets in their webs. - **Eaten by:** [Carolina Mantis](https://www.snappit.app/explore/carolina-mantis) (*Stagmomantis carolina*) — Praying mantises ambush and consume crickets. - **Eats:** Cotton Aphid (*Aphis gossypii*) — Crickets feed on small, soft-bodied insects like aphids. - **Eats:** [White Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-oak) (*Quercus alba*) — Feeds on the leaves and sap of various trees. ## Traits - [Spotted](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spotted): Marked with spots or patches of a different color. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Miniature](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/miniature): Pertaining to species that are significantly smaller than typical or average for their kind. - [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Crickets are harmless and fun to watch, but it's best to leave them in their homes. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Two-spotted Tree Cricket? Look for six legs, antennae, three body sections and the shape of the wings. Beetles have hardened front wings; flies have just one working pair. Tiny insects may need a close view before their group is clear. Insect Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### What is Two-spotted Tree Cricket's wingspan? 25-35 mm ### How big is Two-spotted Tree Cricket? 12-18 mm ### How long does Two-spotted Tree Cricket live? 60-90 days ### What does Two-spotted Tree Cricket eat? This cricket enjoys a varied diet, munching on soft plant parts and tiny insects like aphids. ### Where is Two-spotted Tree Cricket usually found? Forests ### How does Two-spotted Tree Cricket hunt? Foraging ### How many legs does Two-spotted Tree Cricket have? 6 ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [Two-spotted Tree Cricket: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/two-spotted-tree-cricket)