Wood-crickets are small dark brown crickets. They do not have any hind wings at all and the forewings are reduced. In the male, the forewings cover about half of the abdomen. The female (pictured above) has wings which are just short lateral lobes. Females also have a long ovipositor (this is the long spear-like structure at the back which looks like a sting) which is used for egg-laying.
Wood-crickets like warm sunny clearings in broadleaf woodland, or woodland edges where there are deep leaf litter layers. They are often found under oaks, Holly and Bracken. They feed on decaying leaf litter and possibly the associated fungi.
This species is classified as Nationally Scarce. It is apparently found in very few places in Britain and has three main centres of distribution. These include Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and South Devon. The largest population of Wood-crickets is found in the New Forest in Hampshire. In Devon, It is found near Chudleigh, as well as around Harpford, near Sidmouth.
Permission to hide this cache in Ojibway Park has been given by Woodbury Park and Rec staff.