Gryllacrididae

Definition

A family of wingless or short-winged orthopteran insects in the suborder Ensifera, commonly called leaf-rolling crickets or raspy crickets. Members are distinguished by their ability to produce silk independently evolved from other insects, which they use to sew folded leaves into daytime shelters, line burrows in sand or soil, or reinforce galleries in wood. The family is distributed worldwide and is primarily nocturnal. Historically, the family was broadly circumscribed to include Stenopelmatidae (Jerusalem crickets) and Rhaphidophoridae (cave crickets), but these are now treated as separate families.

Etymology

From Gryllacris, the type genus (Greek gryllos 'cricket' + acris 'locust, grasshopper'), + -idae (family suffix).

Example

Australian raspy crickets in the genus Ametrus use silk to bind living leaves into tubular shelters that remain green and functional for weeks, providing both concealment and favorable microclimate.

Synonyms

• leaf-rolling crickets
• raspy crickets

Related Terms

• Ensifera
• Orthoptera
• Stenopelmatidae
• Rhaphidophoridae
• Gryllacridinae
• Hyperbaeninae
• silk production
• captive silk

Usage Notes

The common name 'raspy crickets' refers to the stridulatory sound produced by some species; 'leaf-rolling crickets' describes the characteristic shelter-building behavior. The family has been redefined multiple times—older literature may use Gryllacrididae in the broad sense including Stenopelmatidae and Rhaphidophoridae. When encountering historical references, check whether the modern narrow or historical broad circumscription applies. The convergent evolution of silk production in this family (unrelated to Lepidoptera, Trichoptera, or Embioptera) makes Gryllacrididae significant in studies of silk evolution and biomaterial convergence.