Eocene Green River Cricket
Pronemobius tertiarius (Scudder)
Green River Formation
Parachute Creek Member
Middle Eocene
Uintah County, Utah
Green River Formation
Parachute Creek Member
Middle Eocene
Uintah County, Utah
Here is a very good specimen of the cricket family Orthoptera. The head, thorax and abdomen are very well preserved. Several legs are present. With additional microscopic preparation more of this specimen could be revealed.
The name Orthoptera is sometimes used for all the insects in the "orthopteroid" assemblage, including roaches, earwigs, mantises, and many others. However, it is more usual to restrict the Orthoptera (Greek for "straight-wing") to the crickets, grasshoppers, katydids, and their kin. These insects are instantly recognizable by their long hind legs, which are modified for jumping. Most orthopterans can generate noise by rubbing special organs together on their legs or on their wings, a habit known as stridulation.
The name Orthoptera is sometimes used for all the insects in the "orthopteroid" assemblage, including roaches, earwigs, mantises, and many others. However, it is more usual to restrict the Orthoptera (Greek for "straight-wing") to the crickets, grasshoppers, katydids, and their kin. These insects are instantly recognizable by their long hind legs, which are modified for jumping. Most orthopterans can generate noise by rubbing special organs together on their legs or on their wings, a habit known as stridulation.