Cricket Insect

Crickets are insects belonging to the family Gryllidae under the orthoptera order. The crickets belonging to Gryllidae are considered the true crickets. There are almost 2400 species under this family. Many Crickets are small-sized to medium-sized insects. The body is long, cylindrical insects with rounded heads and long antennae. The head consists of big compound eyes.

They are well adapted to many types of climatic conditions and concentrated in the tropical world. However, they are absent in higher altitudes above 55° north and south. The species richness is higher in tropical regions. In Malaysia, about 88 species of crickets are found. 

They are mainly omnivorous feeders. However, some species are completely herbivorous and feed on fruits, flowers, leaves, and seeds. Some of the species are notorious feeders and destroy crops on a large scale, and may cause significant loss to humans. The crickets are well known for their chirping sound. Males produce this typical sound to attract females for mating. Also, the sound may be produced while challenging other males for a fight.

There are many species of cricket insect. Some popular cricket species are mole cricket, bush cricket, small cricket, and house cricket. House crickets are the most common cricket bug among all.

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Habitat and Distribution 

Cricket insects have a wide range of distribution. They are found in almost all parts of the world except the higher latitudes. They are absent in latitudes above 55° N and 55° S. Large colonies of these insects are also found in many islands. It is thought that these insects reach these islands by flying or by boats used by humans.

The highest species richness and abundance are found in tropical areas. For example, in Malaysia alone, about 88 species of crickets are found. Crickets are found in a wide range of habitats. Many species are found to be present in the upper tree canopy and feed on the trees of the leaves. Some of the species also make burrows and live within the grasses and bushes. Cricket species are also found to have colonized rotting woods. In addition, some aquatic cricket creatures are also found, which can float or jump on the water surface.

Taxonomical Classification 

The Hierarchical Classification of the Cricket Insect is Given below:

• Kingdom – Animalia

• Phylum – Arthropoda

• Class – Insecta 

• Order – orthoptera 

• Suborder – Ensifera 

• Family – Gryllidae 

• Genus - Gryllus [There are many genera under the Gryllidae family. The most common genus is Gryllus. The common crickets such as field cricket and house cricket belong to this genus.]

• Species - There are a large number of cricket species. There are almost 2,400 species of crickets found.

Cricket Families 

The True insects mainly belong to the family Gryllidae. However, some other families under Ensifera may also be known as Crickets in general.

• Gryllidae – True crickets 

• Gryllotalpidae – Mole crickets

• Myrmecophilidae – Ant crickets 

• Tettigonidae – Bush crickets

Some Superfamilies are also Known as Crickets:

• Stenopelmatoidea – Sand crickets

• Rhaphidophoroidea – Cave crickets

• Schizodactyloidea – Splay-footed crickets

General Features of Cricket

Orthoptera insects are well known for their jumping nature. The crickets also jump from one place to another. They are small to medium-sized insects with cylindrical bodies. The body is vertically flattened. The head is rounded in shape with big compound eyes. They also have three ocelli on their forehead. The antennae are very long and thin. The majority of the species of crickets have the filiform type of antennae. The mole cricket insects belonging to the different families also have filiform antennae.

The first thoracic segment, known as pronotum, is robust and well-sclerotized. The femora of the hind legs are modified mainly and enlarged, which helps them in jumping. The females have long and cylindrical ovipositors for easy laying eggs onto the leaves or under the soil. Males and females both have a unique organ for sound reception on the forelegs known as tympani.

The wings are flat and may vary in size for different species. The forewings are the elytra type of wings. They are strong and protect the body. The hind wings are leathery, membranous, and may be used for flying in the flying species of cricket.

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Food Habit of Cricket

The majority of species are omnivorous. However, some species are entirely herbivorous. Herbivorous crickets may feed on leaves, fruits, flowers, and seeds. For example- the mole cricket insect and small cricket feed on leaves, roots, and shoots. Omnivorous cricket bugs eat different types of smaller insects, invertebrate eggs, larvae, and worms. Moreover, some species are also scavengers and feed on dead and decaying matter. 

Crickets have powerful jaws, and some may even bite the humans

Life-Cycle and Reproduction

There is intense competition among the male crickets for the females. They show their dominance by their aggressiveness. Males often fight using their antennae and jaws. When one of them wins, it makes the typical chirping sound to attract females. The male crickets have ridges on their wings, also known as the stridulatory organs. They rub their wings and produce high chirping noises. However, some species do not have stridulatory organs; they attract the females by some other mechanism. Females get attracted to the sound produced by males in the stridulatory species. Females generally have a long, cylindrical ovipositor. The females lay the eggs on the leaves, stems, or soil. The short-tailed small cricket digs a burrow and lays its eggs there.

Crickets develop from the eggs to adults by incomplete metamorphosis. They are hemimetabolic species. There are four developmental stages in the crickets.

1. Eggs – Females generally lay eggs at the end of the summer season or during the spring season. Eggs hatch after an incubation period of 13- 16 days.

2. Nymphal Stage/ Nymphs – The eggs hatch, and Nymphs come out of the eggs. The Nymphs go through 10 moultings and instar stages. After each molting, they look more like adults. Even in the last instar, one cannot differentiate between male and female cricket.

3. Adults - After the molting of the last instar stage, the adults come out. They have well-developed wings and genital organs. However, they are still in the juvenile phase. After a brief maturation period, they are capable of breeding.

Predators, Parasites, and Pathogens

Crickets are small-sized insects, therefore, have many natural predators. Many invertebrates like scorpions, preying mantis, and spiders feed on them. Vertebrate predators include birds, lizards, frogs, and even fishes. Another interesting predator of crickets is humans. In many countries, they are used in the diet due to their high protein content.

There are many parasites of crickets, like the red parasitic mite. They remain attached to the dorsal region of the crickets and eventually lead to their death. Another parasite is the horsehair worm which is an internal parasite.

Several pathogens attack these insects. Mainly viruses and fungus attack the crickets. Some deadly viral diseases of cricket are cricket paralysis virus, rickettsia, etc. this virus and fungus can also be used for bio-control of these insects.

Chirping 

The characteristic sound produced by the male crickets is known as chirping. It is a unique feature of crickets. The sound is produced by stridulation, which means that sound is produced by rubbing two body parts together. In the case of the crickets, the rough edges are present on the wings. They rub these wings together to produce the sound. The tegmen has a hard and thick area which helps in amplifying the sound.

Interaction with Humans

• Pets 

Crickets are kept as pets in many countries such as China because of the sound that they make. In European countries, especially in the Iberian Peninsula, they are kept as caged pets.

• Cricket Fighting 

There is a famous traditional cricket fight in China. In the earlier 16th-century cricket fighting was a luxury among the emperors. Nowadays, kids love to see crickets fighting with each other and sometimes even bet on one of them.

• Food 

In many parts of the world like southern Asia, Thailand, Vietnam, etc., crickets are used as a dietary food. They are rich sources of proteins. In Thailand, crickets are produced on farms for human consumption. Cricket flour is also used as additives in cakes, bread, kinds of pasta, etc., and also used in pet foods. 

Conclusion about Crickets 

Crickets are long, cylindrical insects under the family Gryllidae. Crickets around the big head have two compound eyes. The forehead also contains three ocelli (simple eyes). Then they have a primary filiform type antenna which means that the antennae are elongated and thin in structure. Their size may vary from 1cm to 5 cm. The colour may vary from brown to black. 

The wings are flat and remain over the back covering the body surface. They are elytra type of fore-wings which are hardened types of wings containing high amounts of chitin and protect the insect’s body. Hindwings are membranous types and remain under the elytra. The males have ridges-like structures on their wings to produce loud sounds.

They are cosmopolitan species and are adapted to a wide variety of climatic conditions. They are absent in higher latitudes and off-shore islands. Different species have different habitats. Some of the typical habitats include the top of the trees, inside the coil, stem, and leaves. Some of them can also jump on water bodies.

Male crickets make the chirping sound by stridulation to attract the females. Crickets lay eggs at the end of the summer season or spring season. Females have a long, cylindrical ovipositor, which helps lay eggs and deposit them on the leaf surface, stem surface, or the soil.

The cricket insect is a Hemimetabolic species. There are three developmental stages- egg, Nymph, and adult stage. It takes about 3-4 weeks to reach the adult stage from the egg. After the last molting, the adults are formed but have to undergo a maturation period to breed successfully.

This cricket creature mainly feeds on smaller insects, invertebrate eggs, and larvae. They can be omnivorous or entirely herbivorous. Some notable cricket species are – mole cricket, small cricket, bush cricket. The mole cricket insect is from a different family- Gryllotalpidae but is still mentioned in crickets.