Field cricket

Field cricket
Common black cricket, Gryllus assimilis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Orthoptera
Suborder:	Ensifera
Family:	Gryllidae
Subfamily:	Gryllinae Saussure, 1893
Genera
Many, see text

Field crickets are insects of order Orthoptera. These crickets are in subfamily Gryllinae of family Gryllidae.

They hatch in spring, and the young crickets (called nymphs) eat and grow rapidly. They shed their skin (molt) eight or more times before they become adults.

Field crickets eat a broad range of feeds: seeds, plants, or insects (dead or alive). They are known to feed on grasshopper eggs, pupae of Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) and Diptera (flies). Occasionally they may rob spiders of their prey. Field crickets also eat grass.

"Field cricket" is a common name for Gryllus assimilis, G. bimaculatus, G. campestris, G. firmus, G. pennsylvanicus, G. rubens, and G. texensis, along with other members of various genera including Acheta, Gryllodes, Gryllus, and Teleogryllus.

Acheta domesticus, the House cricket, and Gryllus bimaculatus are raised in captivity for use as live food for exotic pets.

Identification

Field crickets are normally 15–25 millimetres (0.6–1.0 in) in size, depending on the species, and can be black, red or brown in color.^[1] While both males and females have very similar basic body plans, each has its own distinguishing feature(s).

Females can be identified by the presence of an ovipositor, a spike-like appendage, about 0.75 inches (19 mm) long, on the hind end of the abdomen between two cerci. This ovipositor allows the female to bury her fertilized eggs into the ground for protection and development. In some female field crickets, species can be distinguished by comparing the length of the ovipositor to the length of the body (i.e. G. rubens has a longer ovipositor than G.texensis^[2]).

Males are distinguished from females by the absence of an ovipositor. At the end of the abdomen there are simply two cerci. Unlike females, however, males are able to produce sounds or chirps. Thus, males can be identified through sound while females cannot.

Diagram A shows the male cricket with its wings raised for the purpose of chirping. Diagram B shows the female cricket, identified via the long protruding ovipositor at the end of the abdomen. D and E show the female using the ovipositor to deposit the fertilized eggs into the ground. Diagram C shows a topical and side view of nymphs with no protrusion at the hind of the abdomen.

Behaviour

In mid to late summer, males begin chirping. The acoustical properties of their calling song provide an indication of past and present health. Females evaluate each song and move towards the one they prefer. When the male senses a female is near, he will produce a softer courting song. After mating, the female will search for a place to lay her eggs, preferably in warm, damp soil.

Field crickets prefer to live outdoors, but will move inside when environmental conditions become unfavorable. Their method of entry into buildings include open doors and windows as well as cracks in poorly fitted windows, foundations, or siding.

Unlike House crickets, which can adapt themselves to indoor conditions, the field cricket will die by early winter. Consequently, field crickets in temperate regions exhibit diapause.

The calling song of a field cricket

Tribes and genera

Subfamily has the following 7 tribes and 30 genera, not placed within those tribes:^[3]

Tribe Cephalogryllini Otte & Alexander, 1983 Apterogryllus Saussure, 1877 Cephalogryllus Chopard, 1925 Daintria Otte, 1994 Notosciobia Chopard, 1915 Tribe Cophogryllini Ichikawa, Murai & Honda, 2000 Cophogryllus Saussure, 1877 Goniogryllus Chopard, 1936 Parasongella Otte, 1987 Tribe Eurygryllodini Gorochov, 1990 Eurygryllodes Chopard, 1951 Maluagryllus Otte, 1994 Tribe Gryllini Laicharting, 1781 Abmisha Otte, 1987 Acanthogryllus Saussure, 1877 Acanthoplistus Saussure, 1877 Acheta Fabricius, 1775 Agryllus Gorochov, 1994 Anurogryllus Saussure, 1877 Apterosvercus Gorochov, 1992 Clearidas Stål, 1876 Conatrullus Gorochov, 2001 Conoblemmus Adelung, 1910 Conogryllus Gorochov, 2001 Crynculus Gorochov, 1996 Damaracheta Otte, 1987 Depressogryllus Gorochov, 1988 Doroshenkoa Gorochov, 2004 Eogryllus† Gorochov, 2012 Ganoblemmus Karsch, 1893 Gialaia Gorochov, 1994 Gryllodinus Bolívar, 1927 Gryllus Linnaeus, 1758 Gymnogryllus Saussure, 1877 Hemitrullus Gorochov, 2001 Holoblemmus Bolívar, 1925 Kurtguentheria Gorochov, 1996 Loxoblemmus Saussure, 1877 Macrogryllus Saussure, 1877 Megalogryllus Chopard, 1930 Melanogryllus Chopard, 1961

Mimicogryllus Gorochov, 1994 Natalogryllus Gorochov & Mostovski, 2008 Paraloxoblemmus Karny, 1907 Pezoloxoblemmus Karny, 1907 Phonarellus Gorochov, 1983 Plebeiogryllus Randell, 1964 Pronemobius† Scudder, 1890 Scapsipedoides Chopard, 1936 Scapsipedus Saussure, 1877 Sigagryllus Otte & Cade, 1984 Sphecogryllus Chopard, 1933 Squamigryllus Gorochov, 2001 Svercus Gorochov, 1988 Tarbinskiellus Gorochov, 1983 Tartarogryllus Tarbinsky, 1940 Teleogryllus Chopard, 1961 Trullus Gorochov, 1999 Tympanogryllus Gorochov, 2001 Vietacheta Gorochov, 1992 Tribe Modicogryllini Otte & Alexander, 1983 Acophogryllus Gorochov, 1996 Angolagryllus Otte, 1994 Apedina Otte & Alexander, 1983 Apterocryncus Gorochov, 1990 Aritella Otte & Alexander, 1983 Astrupia Otte, 1987 Cyrtoprosopus Chopard, 1951 Eumodicogryllus Gorochov, 1986 Faguagryllus Cadena-Castañeda, 2011 Geogryllus Otte & Perez-Gelabert, 2009 Gryllodes Saussure, 1874 Gryllopsis Chopard, 1928 Kazuemba de Mello, 1990 Lepidogryllus Otte & Alexander, 1983 Miogryllus Saussure, 1877 Mitius Gorochov, 1985 Modicogryllus Chopard, 1961 Modicoides Otte & Cade, 1984 Mombasina Otte, 1987 Nimbagryllus Otte, 1987 Pictorina Otte & Alexander, 1983 Rufocephalus Otte & Alexander, 1983

Svercacheta Gorochov, 1993 Tugainus Gorochov, 1986 Tumpalia Otte & Alexander, 1983 Velarifictorus Randell, 1964 Tribe Sciobiini Randell, 1964 Sciobia Burmeister, 1838 Tribe Turanogryllini Otte, 1987 Neogryllopsis Otte, 1983 Podogryllus Karsch, 1893 Turanogryllus Tarbinsky, 1940 Genera Incertae sedis Allogryllus Chopard, 1925 Apiotarsus Saussure, 1877 Brachytrupes Serville, 1838 Callogryllus Sjöstedt, 1910 Coiblemmus Chopard, 1936 Comidoblemmus Storozhenko & Paik, 2009 Cryncus Gorochov, 1983 Danielottea Koçak & Kemal, 2009 Gryllita Hebard, 1935 Gryllodeicus Chopard, 1939 Grylloderes Bolívar, 1894 Hispanogryllus Otte & Perez-Gelabert, 2009 Itaropsis Chopard, 1925 Jarawasia Koçak & Kemal, 2008 Mayumbella Otte, 1987 Meristoblemmus Jones & Chopard, 1936 Nemobiodes Chopard, 1917 Oediblemmus Saussure, 1898 Oligachaeta Chopard, 1961 Omogryllus Otte, 1987 Parasciobia Chopard, 1935 Qingryllus Chen & Zheng, 1995 Rubrogryllus Vickery, 1997 Songella Otte, 1987 Stephoblemmus Saussure, 1877 Stilbogryllus Gorochov, 1983 Svercoides Gorochov, 1990 Taciturna Otte, 1987 Thiernogryllus Roy, 1969 Zebragryllus Desutter-Grandcolas & Cadena-Castañeda, 2014

References

1. "Field Cricket". InsectIdentification.org. 2005. Retrieved January 15, 2009.
2. Gray, D.A.,Walker, T.J.,Conley, B.E., Cade, W.H. 2001. "A Morphological Means of Distinguishing Females of the Cryptic Field Cricket Species, Gryllus Rubens and G. Texensis (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)". Florida Entomologist, 84:314-315
3. "Subfamily Gryllinae Laicharting, 1781". Orthoptera Species File. Retrieved 11 June 2015.