Cicada ?

Hey! My first reply! Does this mean ive joined the gang?
Thankyou Pimpernel,but Him inside sayes iam wrong about the size of the little beastie,and in fac t its only 4 inches long! trust me to get that wrong!! thanks

Ladies usually underestimate inches.....!

LOL! Pimpernel, now, you know that's not true, its men who over estimate...;-)))

Lol

Welcome to the Gang... Sorry I lowered The tone........But Oooer!

I fully understand the temptation to make that response, Pimpernel - it was irresistible! And anyway, you gotta have a laugh... Even so, I've no idea what those insects might be, Lyndaarnott

I instantly thought Locust too Lyndaarnott, Sorry, im noo help, we do need pics :)
LoL Pimpernel and Bamboo, you talking fishing there :)))

Wow! Have i started the dirty gardeners club? Seriously, thankyou all for taking the time to reply. none the wiser, but had a good giggle !! Btw, just call me Lynda

A friend in Cyprus regularly gets what they call solitary locusts (as opposed to the swarming ones) and your beastie sounds a bit like what I've seen there. Worth a google?

Locusts do look almost exactly like grasshoppers, but a little leaner, and usually tan instead of green. There are solitary species, and those with very small swarms. Any insecticide labeled for grasshoppers will work on them, including some bacterial, fungal, and nematode preparations--especially if they are juveniles. However, if they are flying, then they are adults. A suet feeder might attract enough insectivore birds to the garden to deal with them.

Is this your beast ?

http://spainlifestyle.blogspot.com/2009/08/spanish-cicada.html

Cicadas don't directly eat leaves, though. Sometimes they will drink a little sap, like their cousins the Aphids, but rarely enough to damage plants. The main damage that they do to plants is to chisel out holes in soft woody twigs to lay their eggs. When the eggs hatch, the babies drop to the ground and burrow in for the next 3-11 years, but the holes in the twigs often damage them enough so that you see "flags"--dead twigs with dead leaves attached--sticking out around the bush or tree. The babies will suck some of the water from small roots, but it is rare for there to be enough of them to distress their host. That thin diet also accounts for how long it takes for them to mature, leave the ground, grow wings, and start buzzing.

hi again
definately not cicads! this beastie demolishes the plant its on! Even dining out on the flowers of the dahlia, after eating their leaves. these horrors feed 24/7 and are not skinny, with serrated long back legs , slightly alien shaped heads,they hear you approaching the plant and hide!!
I havnt seen small ones,ie.youngsters,and they are all beige/brown coloured. Oh, btw, they leave behind poo which is similar to a rat/mouse dropping. [soooo sorry!!] thanks everyone for all your imput, keep them coming!

Sounds like a grasshopper then, Lynda. Since they arte approaching a biblical plague, I would spray them with a strong insecticide, such as one of the pyrethroids--permethrin, bifenthrin, etc.--carbaryl, or spinosad--if available in Spain. Some prevention, such as Nosema spores or the like, might be in order for next spring.

hi and thanks for the advice Tugbrethil [is that Welsh? ] I have tried a few insecticides but to no avail. I also tried pulling the beasties off and they clung to the branch like glue! left a leg or two iam ashamed to say. Will look for your recommendations when next in UK

hi and thanks for the advice Tugbrethil [is that Welsh? ] I have tried a few insecticides but to no avail. I also tried pulling the beasties off and they clung to the branch like glue! left a leg or two iam ashamed to say. Will look for your recommendations when next in UK

Yep, they do have a grip! Once they are full grown, sometimes the only thing that works is two bricks, too.
As for the name, it is Sindarin Elvish, in the Entish style. ; )

Now, Tug, Lynda's going to think you're bonkers, lol! Didn't you tell me it was something to do with the Lord of the Rings?

I do like the Lord of the Rings--the book better than the movies, though Peter Jackson's version is pretty cool--but I hope I'm not as bonkers as some of the fans that I have met! A lot of only moderately crazy people have worked up a whole Elvish Language from Tolkien's books and notes, and it is currently vying with Klingon for a place among the various "universal languages"--none of which are much used, so far as I can tell.
To translate: "tug" = fat (somewhat self descriptive, unfortunately); and "brethil" = tree. Hence my avatar. : )

Well, I guess it keeps people amused - the Klingon thing I knew about, I'm a great fan of The Big Bang Theory - one episode they were shown playing a card game using Klingon language, what a bunch of nerds, hilarious...

Hey? You have all lost me good style! What language are we talking here? Ta ever so Tug for your explanaton, Not of your name [ fascinating though, and YES i do think your all bonkers!!Good job really, i can join up !!] but for the beasties in my garden! Must learn about this computer and how to put a photo onto it , its an apple-mac.!!