First, let's deal with the similarities. Both look alike because they belong to the same order, Orthoptera, which means 'straight wings'. Both have powerful back legs that enable them to jump up to 20 times their own height. The males of each are able to make noises to attract females. They usually do this by rubbing body parts against one another, in a process known as stridulation.

Unlike most other insects, grasshoppers and crickets undergo what is known as incomplete metamorphosis. They don't produce larvae and pupae. Instead, the eggs hatch straight into small versions of the grown insects, called nymphs. They moult several times until the adult finally emerges with wings, and in the case of females, ovipositors. And, like most insects, both have antennae. Although the length of the antennae are a good way to distinguish one sub-order from the other.

We are lucky to have spotted both grasshoppers and crickets at the Rec. The grasshopper is the Common field grasshopper, but no less lovely for that. The cricket was the Southern oak-bush cricket, a fairly new arrival from Europe. It was first recorded in Surrey and Berkshire in 2001 and has spread steadily north, which is pretty impressive given that it can't fly!

The Common field grasshopper [photo, left] is, as its name suggests, is probably the most ubiquitous of all 11 species that occur in the UK. They are found wherever there are warm, grassy areas, including gardens and parks.

In comparison with crickets, grasshoppers have shorter antennae, which is one of the most visible differences. The colouring of the field grasshopper varies a lot; it is generally mottled brown with barring on the sides.

And as to the sound they make, which is so redolent of summer, they produce it by rubbing their back legs against a scraper on their wings. The legs have a series of small spines along their length and it's been compared with running a thumbnail over the teeth of a comb. Not sure the latter would attract too many female grasshoppers though!! Most crickets on the other hand, stridulate by rubbing their front wings together, using their serrated edges.

Another clue as to whether you're seeing a grasshopper or cricket is the time of day: grasshoppers are active during the day and crickets at dusk. Less detectable differences are that grasshoppers are herbivorous, but crickets will also eat other insects and bugs. And perhaps the least obvious, being for serious entomologists only, is that grasshoppers have organs that detect sound, 'ears', at the base of the abdomen, whereas in crickets, these are on the front legs.

There are 23 species of cricket in the UK, including relative newcomers like the Southern oak-bush cricket. As you can see from the photos, it has very long antennae. This species is arboreal, favouring deciduous trees and shrubs, and is carnivorous and nocturnal. I found the female [two photos above] sheltering under the leaves of the hop opposite the meadow, and the male [right] turned up in our garden. This species is unable to fly as it only has vestigial wings and the male doesn't stridulate. Instead, it taps its hind legs against leaves to make a drumming sound.

The male and female of this species are easy to distinguish. The female has an obvious upturned ovipositor (for laying eggs) and the male has very prominent sensory organs at the base of the abdomen, called cerci.

These creatures aren't with us for long, and most die out as the weather gets colder. But their eggs which have been lain in the soil or under the bark of a tree, will hopefully hatch the following spring to produce yet more of these amazing insects

Friends of Portswood Rec, Southampton, UK