Types of Crickets

Crickets are insects that belong to the order Orthoptera and the class Insecta. Crickets are an important part of the ecosystem as they help in the breakdown of plant material. They are also an important food source for other animals such as small owls, spiders, birds, mice, rats, snakes, frogs, raccoons and opossums. There are many species of crickets: house crickets, field crickets, ground crickets, cave crickets, mole crickets, camel crickets, snow tree crickets and northern mole crickets.

House crickets: these are the most commonly seen crickets. They are also very troublesome as they tend to get inside the house and cause damage. The length of an adult house cricket ranges between 3/4 inch and 7/8 inch. They are light fawn in color and have three dark bands on the head. They have long and thin antennae, which are much longer than the rest of the body. They have cerci like antennae attached to the sides of the abdomen. The female house cricket has a long tube-like structure known as an ovipositor that protrudes from the abdomen. It is used for laying eggs. House female crickets can lay an average of 728 eggs.

House crickets are commonly found outdoors in places such as landfills but tend to get indoors as the temperature outside gets colder. They can jump very high, even up to the second and third floor houses. They can also bite if agitated. They feed on silk, wool, nylon, rayon and wood and thus can cause a lot of damage in the home.

Field crickets:

Field crickets are also a very common species of cricket seen. 1/2 to 11/4 inch long. They are black in color and have long, thin antennae and a stocky body. They have large jumping hind legs. The ovipositor of the female field cricket is nearly 3/4 inch long. There are many types of field crickets and they also vary by size. Field crickets make sounds all day and night. Female crickets lay an average of 150-400 eggs.

Field crickets cause a lot of damage to field crops. They also enter the building and cause damage to the upholstery of furniture, rugs, and clothing. They can fly well and are attracted to bright light. They are commonly found in cool damp places and inside buildings.

Ground crickets:

Ground crickets are smaller than house and field crickets. Less than 1/2 inch long. They are brown with long, movable spines on the back tibiae. The sound of ground crickets is soft and high-pitched. They are nocturnal and are very attracted to light. They are commonly found in law, meadows and wooded areas.

snowy tree cricket:

this species of cricket is pale yellowish green or pale whitish green and about 5/6 to 7/8 inches long. They have one black dot on the front side of each of the first two antenna segments. The wings of the male snow tree cricket are broad and oar-shaped, lying flat on the back. The forewings of female crickets are narrow and tightly wrapped around the body.

Snow tree crickets are found in trees, shrubs, tall grassy areas and in weeds. They lay their eggs on the bark or stems of fruits and ornamental plants, causing a lot of damage. Snow tree crickets make sounds that vary according to temperature. This sound is generally very loud and is usually used for special effects in movies.

Cave Crickets:

Cave crickets, also known as camel crickets or rock crickets, are commonly found in caves and other cool damp places such as the basement of a house. They have very large hind legs, long and slender antennae, a bent head back and a femur-shaped femur. They have no wings. It is about an inch long and brownish in color. They looked stooped because of their arched backs. They are also nocturnal but are not attracted to light unlike other crickets. They also don’t chirp like house crickets. Cave crickets are usually found in wells, hollow trees, under damp leaves/rocks/trunks/boards. They generally roam the house by mistake and are basically harmless.

Mole Crickets:

Mole crickets, so called because they look like moles, live underground. They are cylindrical in shape and measure about 1.25 inches in length. They are generally brown in color and covered with fine silky hair. They have paddle-shaped forelegs, which make them suitable for digging. The legs are also very sharp to allow cutting roots. Mole crickets don’t bite or sting and don’t damage fabric or paper products unlike home crickets.

Mole crickets generally cause problems to plants because they are underground and tend to damage the root system. Female mole crickets lay hundreds of eggs, so there is a very high chance of rapid damage if not controlled. Mole cricket eggs hatch in 10 to 40 days. Although mole crickets live mostly underground, they are good fliers and are found to fly even up to 5 miles, especially during the mating period. Mole crickets feed on small insects, plant roots, tubers, vegetables, underground grass stems and earthworms found in the soil.