Gryllidae
Guides
Acheta
house crickets, field crickets
Acheta is a genus of field crickets (Gryllidae) containing approximately 17 described species, with Acheta domesticus (house cricket) being the most widely known and economically significant. The genus is distributed across the Palaearctic realm and North America, with A. domesticus achieving cosmopolitan distribution through human activity. Species in this genus are characterized by their stridulatory communication, with males producing species-specific calling songs to attract females. The house cricket serves as a major source of animal feed, fish bait, and increasingly as human food, though its cultivation faces challenges from Acheta domesticus Densovirus (AdDNV).
Calliscelio
Calliscelio is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Scelionidae, comprising 97 described species worldwide. The genus was erected by Ashmead in 1893. Members are egg parasitoids of crickets (Gryllidae), with at least one species, C. elegans, recognized as a widespread "tramp species" likely dispersed by human commerce.
Gryllinae
Field Crickets
Gryllinae, commonly known as field crickets, is a subfamily of true crickets in the family Gryllidae. These insects are characterized by their ability to produce sound through stridulation of the forewings, with males generating species-specific calling songs to attract females. Field crickets exhibit hemimetabolous development, with nymphs undergoing multiple molts before reaching adulthood. The subfamily includes numerous genera distributed worldwide, with many species serving as important model organisms in studies of behavioral ecology, neurophysiology, and evolutionary biology.
Gryllita
Gryllita is a genus of crickets in the family Gryllidae, subfamily Gryllinae, established by Hebard in 1935. The genus contains at least 26 described species, with most described by Otte & Perez-Gelabert in 2009. Species are distributed in the southwestern United States and Mexico, with some Caribbean records. The type species is Gryllita arizonae, commonly known as the Arizona cricket.
Gryllita arizonae
Arizona cricket
Gryllita arizonae, known as the Arizona cricket, is a species of cricket in the subfamily Gryllinae. The species was described by Hebard in 1935 and is found in North America. It is a member of the genus Gryllita, which belongs to the family Gryllidae. Available information on this species is limited, with only 19 observations recorded on iNaturalist as of the source date.
Gryllus alogus
Gryllus alogus is a species of field cricket described by Rehn in 1902. It is currently recognized as a synonym of Gryllus vocalis (Gryllus (Gryllus) vocalis). The species was originally described from specimens collected in California. As a member of the genus Gryllus, it shares the general characteristics of field crickets, including acoustic communication through stridulation.
Gryllus saxatilis
Western Rock-loving Field Cricket
Gryllus saxatilis is a species of field cricket described in 2019. It belongs to the genus Gryllus, which includes several North American field cricket species. Like other Gryllus species, it is expected to share characteristics such as chirping communication, ground-dwelling habits, and annual life cycles. The specific epithet "saxatilis" (rock-loving) suggests an association with rocky habitats.
Gryllus thinos
Texas Beach Field Cricket
Gryllus thinos is a field cricket species described in 2019 from Texas coastal habitats. Commonly known as the Texas Beach Field Cricket, it inhabits sandy beach environments, distinguishing it from other Gryllus species that typically occupy inland grasslands and fields. The species is characterized by its specialized coastal habitat association and relatively recent taxonomic recognition.
Gryllus vernalis
Northern Wood Cricket
Gryllus vernalis, the northern wood cricket, is a species of field cricket endemic to deciduous woodlands of the midwestern United States. It is distinguished by its predominantly black exoskeleton, occasionally marked with red patches on the femora, and a notably wide pronotum. The species inhabits leaf litter and shows evidence of reproductive isolation mechanisms, particularly strong female discrimination against heterospecific mates in sympatric populations.
Hapithinae
Hapithinae is a subfamily of crickets within the family Gryllidae, established by Gorochov in 1986. The group contains small, often colorful crickets, including the well-documented genus Phyllopalpus. Members are characterized by arboreal habits, occupying foliage and shrubs rather than ground habitats. The subfamily is primarily distributed in the Americas, with some species showing northward range expansion in recent decades.
Hapithus brevipennis
Short-winged Bush Cricket, Short-winged Meadow Katydid
Hapithus brevipennis is a small bush cricket species in the family Gryllidae, native to the southeastern United States. Adults are distinguished by their abbreviated wings, which give the species its common name. Males produce a distinctive song consisting of buzzes and ticks interspersed with pauses to attract females. The species is active in late summer and autumn, with females using a prominent ovipositor to deposit eggs in protected locations.
Miogryllus lineatus
Western Striped Cricket
Miogryllus lineatus, commonly known as the western striped cricket, is a cricket species in the family Gryllidae. It is native to North America and has been recorded from the southwestern United States. The species is relatively poorly documented compared to other North American crickets, with limited published information on its biology and ecology.
Miogryllus saussurei
eastern striped cricket
Miogryllus saussurei, commonly known as the eastern striped cricket, is a cricket species in the family Gryllidae. It is native to the eastern United States. The species was described by Scudder in 1877.
Oecanthus californicus
Western Tree Cricket
Oecanthus californicus, the Western Tree Cricket, is a species of tree cricket in the family Oecanthidae. It is found in western North America, including the southwestern United States and Mexico. The species is one of five tree cricket species recorded in Colorado. Males produce songs by stridulating their forewings to attract females, and engage in courtship feeding involving a metanotal gland secretion. The species has been observed in habitats ranging from coniferous woodlands to grassy fields and meadows.
Oecanthus nigricornis
black-horned tree cricket, common tree cricket
Oecanthus nigricornis, commonly known as the black-horned tree cricket, is a species of tree cricket in the subfamily Oecanthinae found across North America. Males produce a distinctive courtship song using modified forewings and offer nutritional glandular secretions from a metanotal gland as nuptial gifts during mating. The species has been documented as a host for the parasitoid fly Stylogaster neglecta, with juvenile parasitism rates varying considerably across its range.
Oecanthus texensis
Texas Tree Cricket
Oecanthus texensis is a tree cricket species described in 2013 from Texas. It belongs to a genus known for distinctive courtship behaviors, including male singing and metanotal gland secretions that females feed upon during mating. Like other Oecanthus species, it is likely small, green, and cryptic in vegetation. The species was distinguished from congeners based on morphological and acoustic characteristics.
Pentacentrinae
Silent Litter Crickets
A subfamily of crickets (family Gryllidae) distributed across tropical Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Members are commonly known as 'Silent Litter Crickets,' though the basis for this common name is not explicitly documented in available sources. The subfamily comprises four recognized tribes (Aphemogryllini, Homalogryllini, Nemobiopsini, Pentacentrini) and several unplaced genera, including fossil taxa. The tribe Lissotrachelini was moved to Nemobiinae.
Rhopalosoma nearcticum
Rhopalosoma nearcticum is a parasitoid wasp in the family Rhopalosomatidae. Its larvae develop as ectoparasitoids on crickets, with documented hosts including multiple Hapithus species and the Anaxipha exigua species-group. The species is found in the Americas from the United States to Brazil, though phylogenetic studies suggest at least two genetically distinct Rhopalosoma clades exist in America north of Mexico.
parasitoidectoparasitoidcricket-parasitewaspshymenopterarhopalosomatidaenearcticumbrues-1943americasunited-statesbrazilmid-atlantictennesseehapithusanaxiphagryllidaetrigonidiidaebarcodingphylogeneticsgenetic-cladeslarval-developmenthost-specificityinsect-parasitoidaculeatavespoideaapocritahexapodaarthropodainsectaanimaliametazoaeukaryotacypress-grove-nature-parkjackson-tennesseeopen-journal-of-animal-sciencesjournal-of-hymenoptera-researchgbifinaturalistcatalogue-of-lifencbi-taxonomywikipediadna-barcodingnew-host-recordspecies-complexcryptic-speciesnorth-americacentral-americasouth-americamexicomexican-statesutahdistribution-recordsobservations327-observations737475767778mxcmxemxgmximxnmxsmxtutaacceptedexact-matchspecies-rank1943bruesrhopalosoma-cressonhymenoptera-rhopalosomatidaeamerica-north-of-mexicocricket-parasitizing-wasphabitat-abundancesmid-atlantic-parkectoparasitoid-larvaehost-speciesgryllidae-hapithinaetrigonidiidae-trigonidiinaegenetic-evidencesecond-speciesphylogenetic-analysesgenetically-distinct-cladesat-least-two-speciesdocumented-specieslarvae-collectedcollection-sitenature-parkconservativefactualaccuratestructuredentomologyguidetaxon-recordjson-schemahigh-level-overviewphysical-descriptiondistinguishsimilar-taxaenvironmentconditionsgeographic-rangetimingactivityfeedingdevelopmentalstagesnotableactionshabitsecosysteminteractionmeaningfuladditional-contextcleardirectconcretenon-overlappinguniquecautiousobservedknownnullsupportedjustifiedinferredmediumlowsparsewell-supportedpartialreliablecritical-rulesfield-intentstyle-rulesquality-rulesoutput-formatstrictly-matchno-extra-fieldsno-commentaryprioritycorrectnesscompletenessclarityverbosityusefulnessspeculationvaguegeneralizationsfabricatebehaviorsdiet-detailslife-cycle-detailshost-relationshipsflufffillertaxonomyprosetechnical-jargonconcrete-statementsabstract-descriptionsTrigonidomimus
Belfrage's cricket (for T. belfragei)
Trigonidomimus is a genus of crickets in the family Gryllidae, subfamily Pentacentrinae, established by Caudell in 1912. The genus comprises five described species distributed across the Americas, from the southern United States through Central America to South America. Members are classified among the 'anomalous crickets,' a group characterized by distinctive morphological features that set them apart from more typical gryllids. The genus includes the species T. belfragei, commonly known as Belfrage's cricket.
Velarifictorus
Velarifictorus is a genus of crickets in the family Gryllidae, tribe Gryllini. Species occur naturally across Australia, Asia, and Africa, with at least one species introduced to eastern North America. The genus includes both wing-dimorphic species exhibiting trade-offs between flight capability and reproduction, and species with discrete life cycle modes adapted to different climatic conditions.