Conocephalus fuscus, the long-winged conehead, is a member of the family Tettigoniidae, the bush-crickets and is distributed through much of Europe and temperate Asia.

These two species are phenotypically similar; however, the distinguishing factor between the two is the fully developed set of wings the long-winged conehead possesses that allows for flight.

[10][11][3][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][2][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27] [excessive citations] The body of bush-crickets is covered by a protective exoskeleton and is divided into three parts: the head, thorax, and abdomen.

Bush-crickets are also equipped with large hind legs for jumping and biting mouth parts for grip and protection.

The phenotypic aspects that are characteristic to this family of insects are the antennae, which typically exceed the length of their body, and the straight sword shaped ovipositor that the females use for laying eggs.

[30] C. fuscus can be found in parts of France, Italy, and the Netherlands, but it has made is biggest appearance in the United Kingdom.

When the species was first discovered in Britain in the 1940s it was confined to the South Coast[3] but in the 1980s there was dramatic population growth and its range expanded more than 150 miles in 20 years.

[31][verification needed] Today the long-winged conehead can be found in northwestern parts of the country beyond the River Thames and as far west as Wales.

However, the major expansion did not occur until 1980 when global warming caused a significant increase in temperature in the northern hemisphere.

This latitudinal region includes the United Kingdom and southern Europe, which explains why the long-wing conehead, and other European fauna, has responded most readily to the warming climate and expanded its range.

The long-winged individuals would engage flight for short periods of time if disturbed but would more readily seek cover.

This suggests that there may be genetic differences between the two range populations and that the effect density on the formation of one phenotype or another is a plastic response; however, this evidence is not definitive.

It is clear that macropterous individuals have a selective advantage due to their capability for sustained flight,[30] allowing them to form new colonies and benefit from habitats that have opened up farther north.

The individuals that now inhabit the area do not have to compete for resources such as food and shelter, and therefore can put more time and energy into ensuring the reproductive success of their offspring and the prorogation of their own genes.

The eggs develop over the winter months and the nymphs will begin to emerge in mid May and will reach adulthood between July and late October.

The delay in maturation and lower egg production reduces the amount of extra weight on the insect allowing it to be capable of longer flight.

The dispersal and flight capability of macropterous individuals provides them with an increased chance of finding a new habitat and colonising a new territory, at the cost of reproductive ability.

Therefore, more changes in distribution can be anticipated if the global climate continues to rise and areas farther north become suitable habitats for C.