The great green bush-cricket is a noisy insect. However, only the males ‘sing’ in the afternoon and through the evening.
The sound-producing organs of the great green bush-cricket reside on the knees of the forelegs and can be recognized by two small slits. While they sing, they often sit head down on high plants and chafe their forewings on a membrane to produce the characteristic chirr. This stridulation attracts the females.
The song of great green bush-crickets is loud with very little variation. It has sudden stops at irregular intervals. On still, quiet days you can hear it up to 50 m away, sounding like a poorly oiled sewing machine. Yet the singing males are difficult to locate. They quickly go quiet as one gets too close, and they will remain motionless for a good while.