Common Saw Bush-cricket

<em>Barbitistes serricauda</em>, the common saw bush-cricket, is a katydid or bush-cricket in the family Tettigoniidae, subfamily Phaneropterinae. The species has a restricted distribution in western Europe, with confirmed records from Belgium and Luxembourg, where it inhabits the edges of deciduous and mixed forests, shrubby woodland margins, and dense hedgerows with tall herbaceous vegetation. It is a nocturnal species, typically active from mid-summer into early autumn. The common saw bush-cricket is a medium-sized bush-cricket characterized by its predominantly green coloration providing effective camouflage among foliage, and a distinctively serrated ovipositor in females. Like other bush-crickets, it is omnivorous, typically feeding on leaves, flowers, and small invertebrates. Males produce species-characteristic stridulations to attract females, though the calls of <em>Barbitistes serricauda</em> are largely ultrasonic and barely audible to humans. The species is currently listed as Not Evaluated on the IUCN Red List, meaning it has not undergone formal global conservation assessment. Its restricted range in Belgium and Luxembourg may make it vulnerable to habitat loss through woodland clearance and agricultural intensification, though detailed population trend data are lacking. Biological traits such as average lifespan, body measurements, and detailed dietary composition remain poorly documented in standardized ecological databases.