Crickets are insects related to grasshoppers and katydids (order Orthoptera). They have somewhat flattened bodies and long antennae. Crickets are known for the loud chirping
noises they make by rubbing their corrugated wing casings against combs on their hind legs. The females have a long needlelike
egg-laying organ (ovipositor). There are about 900 species known worldwide.
Crickets are popular pets in Asia, especially
China.
Subfamilies
- Family Gryllidae - True crickets
- Eneopterinae - Bush
crickets
- Gryllinae - Common or field crickets; brown or black; despite the
name, some of them enter houses.
- Mogoplistinae - Scaly
crickets
- Myrmecophilinae - Ant
crickets
- Nemobiinae - Ground
crickets
- Oecanthinae - Tree crickets;
usually green with broad, transparent wings; frequent trees and shrubs.
- Pentacentrinae - Anomalous crickets
- Trigonidiinae - Sword-tail crickets
- Family Gryllotalpidae - Mole crickets; thick-bodied brown insects with
forelimbs that are highly developed for burrowing.
In addition to these, several other orthopteran species are also called "crickets", although they are not strictly
crickets:
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