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Mogumber Bush Cricket (Throscodectes xederoides)

The Mogumber Bush Cricket (Throscodectes xederoides) is a Western Australian cricket whose appearance, ecology and precise distribution are poorly documented. It is listed as DBCA Priority 3, a DBCA priority category rather than a listing under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. Development works in the Midwest, Wheatbelt and Swan regions should account for the possibility of records and use cautious, expert-led survey and clearing procedures.

Conservation status

Western Australia, WA Threatened and Priority Fauna List: Priority 3.

Seasonal planning

Species-specific activity and breeding months are unknown. Use this as a year-round planning prompt, not as evidence that the cricket is active throughout the year.

Known seasonal timing: Not documented.

Planning implication: Do not rely on a presumed season to rule out the species.

Seasonal information is insufficient to identify a preferred survey month or a period of reduced risk.

  • Survey and pre-clearance planning: Year-round planning window only. No species-specific activity period is known.

Identification: Appearance and size

The taxon is identified as a bush cricket, but little information is available for field identification.

The species is listed among Orthoptera in a 1999 publication. No description, measurements, photographs or diagnostic features are documented.

  • Do not identify a specimen as this species from the common name or general resemblance alone.
  • Seek assessment by a suitably qualified invertebrate specialist when identification matters for works planning.

Identification: Similar species

Similar species and distinguishing characters have not been documented.

  • Record images and the circumstances of any possible detection, then request expert identification.

Identification: Field signs

Species-specific calls, tracks, feeding signs, eggs, shelters and other field signs have not been documented.

  • Treat an unconfirmed cricket or potential sign as an observation requiring review, not as a confirmed record.

Distribution: Known range

DBCA lists the Midwest, Wheatbelt and Swan regions. No public WA coordinates or named confirmed record localities are available.

The DBCA list flags the Midwest, Wheatbelt and Swan regions. Atlas of Living Australia records show no public WA coordinates.

A 1999 publication described the species as known from a single museum specimen at that time. The 2025 DBCA list places it in Priority 3, described as poorly known and known from several locations. These statements refer to different dates.

Distribution: Works-area screening

The precise range, site-level distribution and confirmed localities have not been documented. The common name Mogumber Bush Cricket is not, by itself, evidence of a recorded locality.

  • Check current DBCA information and project records for the work area and its region.
  • Do not assume the species is absent because no public coordinates or previous records are available.

Habitat: Recorded habitat

Habitat use has not been documented.

The vegetation type, landform, soil, moisture conditions and other habitat used by Throscodectes xederoides have not been documented.

Habitat: Site interpretation

Do not infer suitable habitat from the common name or from general knowledge of other bush crickets. Assess the site directly and seek specialist advice where the species could be relevant.

  • Document the vegetation and ground conditions across the proposed disturbance area without assuming that any one feature is species-specific.

Foraging habitat: Diet

Foraging habitat and feeding ecology have not been documented.

Food items and feeding behaviour have not been documented.

Foraging habitat: Survey implications

Do not use presumed food plants or feeding signs as a species-specific survey target. A field ecologist can record relevant vegetation and any observed feeding activity for later expert review.

Breeding habitat: Breeding information

Breeding biology and juvenile habitat are poorly known.

The breeding season, egg placement, development and juvenile habitat have not been documented.

Breeding habitat: Precaution

Do not assume that a particular month or habitat feature is free of breeding risk. If a possible individual or breeding sign is found, pause work in the immediate area and obtain specialist advice.

Sheltering habitat: Shelter information

Sheltering sites and resting behaviour have not been documented.

Shelters, refuges, roosting locations, burrows and substrates used by Throscodectes xederoides have not been identified.

Sheltering habitat: Field approach

As general invertebrate survey practice, inspect vegetation and accessible ground features carefully. Avoid destructive searching unless it is authorised and directed by a suitably qualified ecologist.

Threats: Known pressures

Specific threats to this species have not been documented.

Species-specific threats, population trends and causes of decline have not been documented. The 2025 listing describes the taxon as poorly known and not under imminent threat.

Threats: Status context

The taxon is DBCA Priority 3 on the list dated 1 July 2025. This is a DBCA priority category, not a listing under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. No national listing is given.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Survey methods and seasonal detectability have not been documented. A 1999 publication notes that invertebrates can be difficult to assess and that trained, infrequent surveys can limit available information.

Review current DBCA information, project records and available fauna databases for the site and its region. The lack of public coordinates in the Atlas of Living Australia means desktop searches cannot provide a complete account of distribution.

Survey methodology: 2. Field inspection

Use an ecologist with appropriate invertebrate survey experience to inspect the proposed disturbance area and document observations, conditions and survey effort. As general cricket survey practice, check accessible vegetation and ground-level features methodically without assuming a species-specific search substrate or time of day.

  • Record date, location, weather and the areas and features searched.
  • Photograph possible detections where safe and practical, and retain specimens only where collection is authorised and necessary for expert identification.

Survey methodology: 3. Identification and limits

Refer possible records to a suitably qualified specialist because field diagnostic characters have not been documented. A survey without a detection does not establish absence, particularly for a poorly known invertebrate.

Vegetation associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific vegetation association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Ecosystem associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific ecosystem association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Soil and substrate associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific soil association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Water and wetland associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific water association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Fauna records and mapped habitat: Not yet analysed

Record locations can be overlaid with mapping, but record frequency alone does not measure habitat preference. No species is excluded from desktop assessments by this analysis.

No quality-controlled record-to-map analysis has been completed for this species. The existing generalised distribution dots and indicative range polygons have not been treated as precise occurrence coordinates.

A defensible run needs dated, independently attributable records, coordinate uncertainty, duplicate and captive-record checks, layer versions and regional scope. Preference and absence require additional survey-effort and detection evidence.

Habitat limitations and contrary evidence: No supported exclusion recorded

Not recorded is not the same as cannot occur. Low suitability, resident habitat, breeding habitat and occasional movement are different conclusions.

This library has not established a vegetation, ecosystem or soil-type exclusion for this species. This does not mean all habitat is suitable; the evidence needed to justify an exclusion has not been assembled.

Habitat limitations and contrary evidence: Before using a negative association

  • Confirm the taxon, geographic region, life stage and habitat function covered by the evidence.
  • Check survey methods, season, repeated effort and detectability before interpreting non-detection.
  • Investigate credible contradictory records and microhabitats absent from broad mapping.
  • Do not convert a missing map class, low record count or failed data request into species absence.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Desktop assessment

Plan for uncertainty because habitat, survey season and field signs have not been documented.

Confirm whether the project lies in the Midwest, Wheatbelt or Swan region and check for current DBCA advice and project-area records. Note that the taxon is Priority 3 and that site-level coordinates are not publicly available in the Atlas of Living Australia.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Pre-clearance survey

Arrange a suitably timed, ecologist-led inspection before disturbance. As no species-specific season or method is known, the ecologist should set the approach to suit site conditions and record the limitations of the survey.

  • Brief clearing crews on how to recognise and report an unconfirmed cricket or other unusual invertebrate.
  • Mark work boundaries and ensure there is a clear process for stopping work and seeking advice if a possible detection occurs.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Controlled clearing

Use careful, staged work practices and respond promptly to any possible detection. These are precautionary measures, not requirements based on known species behaviour.

Keep disturbance within the approved footprint and proceed in manageable stages where practicable. Have the nominated ecologist available to advise on unexpected fauna observations.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Possible detection

If a possible Mogumber Bush Cricket is found, pause work in the immediate area, protect the location from further disturbance and contact the project ecologist for identification and advice.

  • Record the precise site location and circumstances, and take photographs if this can be done without handling or harming the animal.
  • Do not relocate an animal or disturb potential shelter or breeding features without specialist direction and any required authorisation.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Record keeping

Keep a clear record of survey outcomes and any responses to possible detections.

Document survey effort, locations checked, observations, identification outcomes and any areas where work was paused. Share confirmed or credible records through the project's agreed reporting pathway and seek current DBCA guidance.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Follow-up

Where identification remains uncertain or a possible detection was made, obtain specialist advice before resuming affected work. Do not interpret a lack of detections as proof of absence.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Rehabilitation planning

Habitat requirements and rehabilitation targets for this species have not been documented.

Do not prescribe species-specific plantings, substrates or shelter features without supporting information. Ask a qualified ecologist to advise on rehabilitation using the site's recorded conditions and any confirmed taxon records.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Monitoring

If rehabilitation is undertaken in an area associated with a confirmed or credible record, retain monitoring records and use specialist advice to decide whether follow-up searches are appropriate.

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