Snowy Tree Cricket, Thermometer Cricket
Oecanthus fultoni (Note: This is an insect, not a spider)
Gryllidae (Crickets), Order Orthoptera
Physical Description
A delicate, slender insect with a flattened, elongated body. It features long filiform antennae and large, paddle-shaped hind wings that are held flat over the back in males. The body is soft-textured and appears somewhat translucent.
Size Estimate
Body length typically ranges from 12 to 18 mm. This specimen appears to be an adult based on wing development.
Coloration & Markings
Pale lime-green to creamy white. It has a distinctive orange or yellowish wash on the head and the first few segments of the antennae. There is a single black dot on the first and second antennal segments.
Web Type
None. As an insect (Orthoptera), it does not spin webs, though it lives among foliage and structures.
Eye Arrangement
Two large compound eyes situated on the sides of the head, typical of crickets, rather than the eight simple eyes found in spiders.
Leg Characteristics
Six legs in total. The hind legs are significantly longer and adapted for jumping (saltatorial), while the front and middle legs are used for walking. They lack the spination and claw structures of spiders.
Venom & Safety Information
Venom Information
Non-venomous. They lack venom glands and have no way to inject toxins into humans or prey.
Medical Significance
Completely harmless to humans. They do not bite or sting, and they carry no known diseases of medical concern.
Safety Recommendations
No safety measures are required. They are beneficial to have around homes and gardens for pest control and can be safely moved by hand if they fly indoors.
Habitat & Behavior
Habitat & Range
Found throughout North America, including the United States and southern Canada. They prefer deciduous trees, shrubs, tall weeds, and occasionally the exteriors of wooden buildings.
Behavior & Temperament
Known for its rhythmic chirping, which varies in speed with temperature. They are nocturnal and shy, usually retreating or remaining motionless to blend in with their surroundings when approached.
Diet & Prey
Omnivorous. They feed on aphids, scales, and other small insects, as well as plant matter like leaves, fruit, and fungi.
Seasonal Activity
Most active from late summer through the first frost of autumn when the males sing to attract mates.
Description
The Snowy Tree Cricket is a ghostly, pale green insect famous for its musical contribution to summer nights. Often mistaken for a spider due to its long legs and antennae when viewed from a distance, it is actually a beneficial insect that provides natural pest control. Its song is so rhythmic that it can be used to estimate the temperature.
Key Features
Pale green/white coloration, six legs (not eight), long antennae, and paddle-shaped wings. Lack of silk-producing spinnerets or a two-part spider body (cephalothorax/abdomen).
Similar Species
Other tree crickets in the genus Oecanthus like the Four-spotted Tree Cricket, or various 'long-legged' spiders like Cellar Spiders (Pholcidae), which have eight legs and two body segments.
Life Cycle
Incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult). Females use an ovipositor to drill holes in plant stems to lay eggs, which overwinter and hatch in spring. They live for one season.
Ecological Importance
Significant predator of garden pests like aphids and scale insects. They also serve as a vital food source for birds, bats, and larger predatory insects.
Conservation Status
Not evaluated by the IUCN, but generally widespread and common across its range.
Interesting Facts
Dolbear's Law states you can determine the temperature in Fahrenheit by counting the number of chirps in 15 seconds and adding 40.
Photography Tips
Photograph from the side to show the profile and legs, or from directly above to see the wing shape and antennal markings which are diagnostic for species identification.
Identified: 2026-07-19T05:10:03.254301