Although there are several kinds of crickets and tree
crickets living in southeastern Pennsylvania and through much of the eastern
United States, four of them are my favorites. They are snowy tree crickets,
field crickets, camel crickets and mole crickets; each species of which
inhabits a niche different from its relatives. Each species eats vegetation in
its particular niche. And males of all species make cheery noises by rubbing
their wings together to attract females of their kinds for mating. Each
species of cricket has a distinctive chirping that females of their kinds, and
we, can identify. Some of these crickets are eaten by toads, frogs, skunks,
small snakes, a variety of birds, and other creatures.
Snowy Tree crickets are pale-green for camouflage in the bushes they inhabit on lawns and the edges of woodlands. They have large, transparent wings that allow them to fly from danger and to seek new food sources.
Snowy tree crickets are heard during evenings from late July through fall until the first hard frost kills them. This kind of cricket produces a loud, measured chirping that tells us the temperature, thus it is also called the "temperature cricket." To determine the temperature fairly accurately at any one time, count the number of chirps from this type of cricket in 13 seconds, and add 40.
Field crickets are familiar to many people. They are the small, dark, abundant crickets we see among grass and other vegetation in fields and along roadsides. Males of this species begin chirping toward the end of May and continue to do so all summer. Their chirping is a happy sound that many people enjoy listening to.
Camel crickets live under logs, rocks, and trash barrels in woodlands and wooded parks. They are pale-brown with darker markings and hunch-backed, giving them their common name. They generally are not seen until the objects they hide under are lifted or rolled over.
Mole crickets are the most unusual, uncommon and interesting of this grouping of local crickets. They live in burrows they dig themselves in the moist soil of pastures and eat plant roots hanging down from the ceilings of those holes.
Snowy Tree crickets are pale-green for camouflage in the bushes they inhabit on lawns and the edges of woodlands. They have large, transparent wings that allow them to fly from danger and to seek new food sources.
Snowy tree crickets are heard during evenings from late July through fall until the first hard frost kills them. This kind of cricket produces a loud, measured chirping that tells us the temperature, thus it is also called the "temperature cricket." To determine the temperature fairly accurately at any one time, count the number of chirps from this type of cricket in 13 seconds, and add 40.
Field crickets are familiar to many people. They are the small, dark, abundant crickets we see among grass and other vegetation in fields and along roadsides. Males of this species begin chirping toward the end of May and continue to do so all summer. Their chirping is a happy sound that many people enjoy listening to.
Camel crickets live under logs, rocks, and trash barrels in woodlands and wooded parks. They are pale-brown with darker markings and hunch-backed, giving them their common name. They generally are not seen until the objects they hide under are lifted or rolled over.
Mole crickets are the most unusual, uncommon and interesting of this grouping of local crickets. They live in burrows they dig themselves in the moist soil of pastures and eat plant roots hanging down from the ceilings of those holes.
Male mole crickets begin chirping early in September. Their
sounds are loud, harsh and almost sound like the croaking of some kind of frog.
Some people think they are hearing a frog.
Mole crickets are actually built like moles. Their front pair
of legs are large for digging in the soil. And unlike their relatives, the
grasshoppers, katydids and other types of crickets, their back pair of legs are
small because they can't jump in those burrows anyway.
Crickets are interesting little critters that make music during summer. Although they are difficult to spot, we can hear several kinds of them chirping.
Crickets are interesting little critters that make music during summer. Although they are difficult to spot, we can hear several kinds of them chirping.
Photo courtesy of Dmitry Baranovskiy
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