Animal Profiles
Insects

Cricket

Gryllidae

Living

Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.

Crickets include many chirping insects. This account follows the house cricket (Acheta domesticus), which can complete its life cycle in warm buildings.

Acheta domesticus, the representative described in this account.

Acheta domesticus, the representative described in this account.

Geyersberg, Professor emeritus Hans Schneider · CC BY-SA

At a glance

Location
House crickets use warm, sheltered places and can persist indoors.
Habitat
Towns and cities, Grassland
Diet
Omnivore
Food
House crickets are opportunistic feeders using varied organic material.

Classification

Common name
Cricket
Browse group
Insects
Scientific name or taxon
Gryllidae
Taxon rank
family
Order
Orthoptera
Family
Gryllidae
Source classification
Insecta

Taxonomy checked against GBIF. For breeds and hybrids, this describes the listed parent taxon.

Three things to know

  • Adults have long antennae.
  • Males make calling songs.
  • Warm shelter can support an indoor life cycle.

Habitat and range

House crickets use warm, sheltered places and can persist indoors. Dark crevices provide daytime shelter, while outdoor populations use suitable open habitats near available food.

Appearance and adaptations

Adults are straw-brown with three dark head bands and antennae longer than the body. Females have a long egg-laying appendage at the abdomen's tip.

Diet and behaviour

House crickets are opportunistic feeders using varied organic material. They emerge mainly at night. Males produce calling sounds by rubbing specialised parts of the forewings together.

Sources

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