Fun Field Cricket Facts For Kids

All of us are probably quite familiar with the chirp of a field cricket (gryllus campestris) on a hot summers night. Field Crickets, from family gryllidae, are so common that for many of us, they've become background nature’s sound, which we tend to ignore. However, if we all knew more about these insects, we might not let them mix in with nature ignorantly, because Field Crickets are wonderfully bizarre but are regarded as a nuisance everywhere in their habitats. If you observe closely, you'll recognize that the common Field Cricket from family gryllidae is one of the most captivating, peculiar, and important critters in the world today.

Here are some of the most interesting facts about the Field Cricket (gryllus campestris) for your perusal. Afterwards, do check out these black carpenter ant facts and ambush bug facts.

What type of animal is a Field Cricket?

Field Cricket (order orthoptera) is a species of leaping insects, which are particularly popular because of the musical chirruping of male crickets.

What class of animal does a Field Cricket belong to?

Field Crickets are arthropods, which also means that these chirping insects don't have a bone structure like fishes or mammals but rather a strong, hard exoskeleton that covers their body.

How many Field Crickets are there in the world?

There is no way to calculate the population of Field Crickets because of their widespread nature.

Where does Field Cricket live?

Field Cricket habitat comprises logs found in meadows, under rocks, along with roadside corners, and in pastures. The majority of cricket species live on the ground, but some live underground, in trees, or in caves.

What is Field Cricket's habitat?

Field Crickets (order orthoptera) can be found all over the world, excluding cold regions in North and South. The most common type of cricket in America is the Black Field Cricket.

Who do Field Crickets live with?

Field Crickets (order orthoptera) are predominantly solitary creatures with no social interaction with their own species. They often engage in quarrels with their own species on account of competition in catching their prey.

How long does Field Cricket live?

Field Cricket life cycle extends to about 8-10 weeks as developed adults and die of old age. Their life cycle follows a 2-3 month period of being a larva or egg followed by life as an adult insect. However, their average life expectancy is not more than a week.

How do they reproduce?

The male Field Cricket (order orthoptera) announces his willingness to mate by singing a song. Males put on a high energy song display, and those crickets that sing the loudest attract the most females. Those who sing the loudest also attract the most predators though! There is, thus, an incredibly fine balance between the success of a singing male cricket's quest for a partner and his sudden annihilation by a hungry predator.

Female Crickets lay their eggs in moist sand or soil after breeding. Eggs are typically laid in clusters of fifty. A female Field Cricket can lay up to 400 eggs. These larvae develop into nymphs after hatching from eggs and being nurtured in the soil for two to four weeks. These nymphs eat voraciously and grow quickly as they mature into adult forms. These nymphs as well as adults all look almost the same with only slight differences in their body sizes. The adult stage is attained in around 12 weeks, but only a tiny proportion of them reach this stage: the average life expectancy of a Field Cricket is just one week.

What is their conservation status?

Field Cricket (gryllus campestris) is not considered to be an endangered species in terms of its existence and its conservation status has been listed as that of not extinct, indicating that their population is stable across various habitats..

What do Field Crickets look like?

Adult Field Crickets are dark or light black and brown in color and range in length from half to one inch. They have six legs, long antennae, and prevalent cerci at the ends of their abdomens. The Cricket's hindmost legs are very enlarged, which are used for powerful and rapid jumping. The Field Cricket's hind wings are large and brightly colored.

How cute are they?

Field Cricket insect is anything but cute in terms of its appearance. A Field Cricket in the house is considered to a nuisance by most people, as they find these chirping insects irritating and sometimes scary.

How do they communicate?

Field Crickets (order orthoptera) communicate by chirruping.  Crickets chirrup in order to attract females or to repel other males. Stridulation is the technical term for cricket chirrupping. The Field Cricket sound is created by rubbing their wings together. To produce the sound, one wing has a set of fifty to three hundred teeth like grooves that are brushed against the upper rear edge of the other wing.

How big is a Field Cricket?

The Field Cricket is about 1.5-2 in (3-5 cm) long. To compare it with a human hand, it's barely the size of the index finger joint!

How fast can Field Crickets move?

Although Field Crickets can jump a significant distance, they move pretty fast when they move on their hindlegs. They reach speeds of up to 5 ft in one second or a speed of 3.4 mph (5.4 kph).

How much does a Field Cricket weigh?

An average Field Cricket weighs around 0.02 oz (0.5 g). To compare that with a paperclip, which weighs 0.03 oz (0.8 g), the cricket is still lighter!

What are the male and female names of the species?

Males are known as male Field Cricket and females are known as female Field Cricket.

What would you call a baby Field Cricket?

A baby cricket is called a nymph.

What do they eat?

Field Crickets eat a variety of food products that features plants and other insects. For their food requirements, they consume dried plant materials, fresh plant matter, small fruits and seeds, and both living and dead insects. Plants like crabgrass, ragweed, and chicory are also popular food sources. Field Crickets feed at night and spend the majority of the day in warm, dark habitats. Every day, a Field Cricket must consume the equivalent of its body weight in food (plants and insects) to sustain itself.

Are they harmful?

Crickets are not dangerous. They can, however, bite. However, a Field Cricket bite would rarely actually pierce your skin. The most serious threat these insects cause is making a racket by chirping loudly when you're trying to sleep.

Would they make a good pet?

Field Crickets can make very good pets for families or school classrooms. Although this plant pest species has a very short lifespan, they can make a good training pet for kids and insect keepers. This species is very low maintenance, and they only demand to keep them dry and well-fed during its short life cycle.

Did you know...

While the name Field Cricket sounds very common, the creatures have incredibly unique and interesting facts about them. Firstly, these Crickets do not have lungs. Instead, crickets breathe through holes in their bodies called spiracles. Also, they have their auditory organs on their forelegs for listening to chirps. Lastly, crickets chirp faster in a hotter climates. Some people also believe you can estimate the outside temperature by measuring the frequency of the cricket chirps.

How far can Field Cricket go?

Field Crickets can jump up to 3 ft (0.9 m).

What kills a Field Cricket instantly?

Field Crickets are considered pests, and there are many ways to get rid of them. The most effective do-it-yourself method is to use molasses. Chemical bait to kill these pests is readily sold at home improvement and hardware stores. There are all-purpose insect sprays or repellants specifically made for crickets. If you find the place where crickets are flocking, you can make common sticky traps to catch them.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these stink bug facts, and dung beetle facts.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Field Cricket coloring pages.

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