Cricket Removal Services by Bull Run Turf & Pest Control
Camel Cricket Information
Family: Rhaphidophoridae
Common Names:
- Camel Crickets
- Camelback Crickets
- Cave Crickets
- Spider Crickets (sometimes shortened to “sprickets”)
- Sand Treaders
- Moon Hoppers (in some regions like Virginia)
Habitat:
- Association: Found in caves, animal burrows, cellars, crawl spaces, garages, under stones, in wood, and similar environments.
- Geographic Distribution: Present on all continents and many continental islands, with limited species in Africa confined to the southern Cape region.
Description:
- Size: Up to 2 inches (5 cm) long in body and 10 cm (4 inches) for the legs.
- Hind Legs: Very large hind legs with “drumstick-shaped” femora.
- Antennae: Long and slender.
- Color: Brownish; humpbacked appearance; wingless.
- Behavior: Wingless, humpbacked appearance; nocturnal or active in lightless environments.
- Jumping: Jump towards perceived threats; may turn up to 180 degrees in mid-air when threatened.
Ecology:
- Diet: Adapted to live in cool, damp environments; may face long spans of time with insufficient access to nutrients.
- Adaptations: Distinctive limbs and antennae for navigation in lightless environments; capable of devouring own extremities when faced with starvation.
Economic Importance:
- Nuisance: Generally of little economic importance, but can be a nuisance in buildings, especially basements.
- Habitat: Reproduces indoors in continuous dark, moist conditions with organic debris for food.
Specific Genus and Species:
- Genus: Hadenoecus
- Species: Hadenoecus subterraneous
- Habitat: Populates the Mammoth Cave system in central Kentucky.
Behavioral Adaptation:
- Jumping: When threatened, turns up to 180 degrees in mid-air before landing and jumping in another direction, suspected to be an adaptation to escape predators.
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Field Cricket Information
Life Cycle:
- Hatching: Field crickets hatch in spring.
- Nymphs: Young crickets (nymphs) eat and molt eight or more times before becoming adults.
- Diet: Broad range of feeds, including seeds, plants, insects (dead or alive), grasshopper eggs, moth and butterfly pupae, fly pupae; occasional cannibalism.
- Captivity: Some species raised for live food for exotic pets, fed dry pet food for nutrition.
Identification:
- Size: Ranges between 15mm and 25mm, depending on the species.
- Color: Black, red, or brown.
- Features:
- Females: Ovipositor (spike-like appendage) for burying fertilized eggs; species distinguished by ovipositor length.
- Males: Lack ovipositor; have two cerci; produce sounds or chirps for identification.
Behavior:
- Chirping: Males chirp in mid to late summer; acoustic properties of calling song indicate health.
- Courtship: Females evaluate songs, move towards preferred one; males produce softer courting song when female is near.
- Mating: After mating, female searches for a place to lay eggs in warm, damp soil.
- Habitat: Prefer outdoors but move inside when environmental conditions are unfavorable.
- Entry into Buildings: Through open doors, windows, cracks in poorly fitted windows, foundations, or siding.
- Winter Adaptation: Unlike house crickets, field crickets die by early winter; exhibit diapause in temperate regions.
