Wart-biter Cricket
(Decticus verrucivorus)
Fineliner, watercolour, pencil and gouache.
While researching for insects to add to my growing ‘Insectarium’ collection, I came across this intriguing creature. As well as having beautiful shaped bodies, their unusual name peaked my interest. Apparently, in the 1700′s these crickets were indeed used as part of an age-old practice to remove the warts off of human skin.
Unfortunately, these bush crickets are critically endangered and this is mainly due to the increase in intensive farming. They require a particular mosaic of grassland in order to reproduce and survive which due to human activity has became scarce. In the UK, they can now only be found in a number key sites around the South of England. There are conservation efforts ongoing to help understand the best ways to boost their numbers and make this wonderful cricket a permanent resident of the UK.
My ‘Insectarium’ collection showcases a number of different insect species native to Britain. Each study aims to explore their fragile ecosystems and the increasing pressure their populations are under.
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