Pest profile

Snowy Tree Cricket

Oecanthus fultoni · Orthoptera: Oecanthidae[2]

The snowy tree cricket is a frail, pale green cricket with a regular, melodious chirp; females drill rows of small egg holes in canes, which can make them break.[1]

Snowy tree cricket, a slender pale green cricket with long antennae
Snowy tree cricket, a slender pale green cricket with long antennae. (c) Don Loarie, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0

How to identify it

  • Adults are frail, light green to whitish crickets 12 to 20 mm long.[1]
  • Nymphs and adults have a very regular, melodious chirp.[1]
  • Look for egg punctures in canes, often in straight parallel lines up and down the cane.[1]

Where it lives

The PNW Insect Management Handbook covers it on blackberry and raspberry canes in the Pacific Northwest.[1]

US map: public records from 37 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

Adults mate and females lay eggs in canes in early fall; eggs hatch in spring and young crickets grow through summer, maturing by early fall.[1]

It feeds on the foliage of many plants, and there's one generation a year.[1]

Damage and signs

  • Canes may break at the egg punctures, and disease can enter through them, but it isn't a common caneberry pest.[1]

Health risk

It feeds on plants; the PNW Insect Management Handbook mentions no risk to people.[1]

Control

Prevention

Plantings near weeds, neglected fence rows or natural areas are most likely to be infested; good weed management helps.[1]

Pesticides

The handbook lists carbaryl and zeta-cypermethrin for home use.[1]

Common questions

What makes rows of tiny holes in my raspberry canes?
Snowy tree crickets drill small egg holes, often in straight lines up and down the cane.[1]
What cricket makes a steady, musical chirp at night?
The snowy tree cricket is known for its very regular, melodious chirping.[1]

Sources

  1. Pacific Northwest Pest Management Handbooks (OSU, WSU, University of Idaho), “Blackberry and Raspberry: Snowy tree cricket (Insect Management Handbook).” pnwhandbooks.org/insect/small-fruit/blackberry-raspberry/blackberry-raspberry-snowy-tree-cricket (accessed 2026-10-06)
  2. iNaturalist, “Oecanthus fultoni taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/130356 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-14. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.