Gryllinae
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Gryllinae, or field crickets, are a
subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...
of
insects Insects (from Latin ') are hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of jointed ...
in the
order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...
Orthoptera Orthoptera () is an order of insects that comprises the grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets, including closely related insects, such as the bush crickets or katydids and wētā. The order is subdivided into two suborders: Caelifera – gras ...
and the
family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
Gryllidae The family Gryllidae contains the subfamilies and genera which entomologists now term true crickets. Having long, whip-like antennae, they belong to the Orthopteran suborder Ensifera, which has been greatly reduced in the last 100 years (''e.g ...
. They hatch in spring, and the young
crickets Crickets are orthopteran insects which are related to bush crickets and more distantly, to grasshoppers. In older literature, such as Imms,Imms AD, rev. Richards OW & Davies RG (1970) ''A General Textbook of Entomology'' 9th Ed. Methuen 886 ...
(called
nymphs A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...
) eat and grow rapidly. They shed their skin ( molt) eight or more times before they become adults. Field crickets eat a broad range of food: seeds, plants, or insects (dead or alive). They are known to feed on
grasshopper Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are amongst what are possibly the most ancient living groups of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago. Grassh ...
eggs, pupae of
Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...
(
moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...
s and
butterflies Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...
) and Diptera (
flies Flies are insects of the Order (biology), order Diptera, the name being derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwin ...
). Occasionally they may rob
spider Spiders (order (biology), order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude spider silk, silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and ran ...
s of their prey. Field crickets also eat grass. In the British Isles "field cricket" refers specifically to ''
Gryllus campestris ''Gryllus campestris'', the European field cricket or simply the field cricket in the British Isles, is the type species of Grylloidea, crickets in its genus and tribe Gryllini. These flightless dark colored insects are comparatively large; t ...
'', but the common name may also be used for '' G. assimilis'', '' G. bimaculatus'', '' G. firmus'', '' G. pennsylvanicus'', '' G. rubens'', and '' G. texensis'', along with other members of various
genera Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...
including '' Acheta'', '' Gryllodes'', ''
Gryllus ''Gryllus'' is a genus of field cricket (Orthoptera, Gryllidae, Gryllinae). Members of the genus are typically 15–31 mm long and darkly coloured. The type species is ''Gryllus campestris'' L.: the European field cricket. History Until ...
'', and '' Teleogryllus''. '' Acheta domesticus'', the House cricket, and ''Gryllus bimaculatus'' are raised in captivity for use as pets.


Identification

Field crickets are normally in size, depending on the species, and can be black, red or brown in color. While both males and females have very similar basic body plans, each has its own distinguishing feature(s). Females can be identified by the presence of an
ovipositor The ovipositor is a tube-like organ used by some animals, especially insects, for the laying of eggs. In insects, an ovipositor consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages. The details and morphology of the ovipositor vary, but typica ...
, a spike-like appendage, about long, on the hind end of the abdomen between two cerci. This ovipositor allows the female to bury her fertilized eggs into the ground for protection and development. In some female field crickets, species can be distinguished by comparing the length of the ovipositor to the length of the body (e.g., ''G. rubens'' has a longer ovipositor than ''G. texensis''). Males are distinguished from females by the absence of an ovipositor. At the end of the abdomen there are simply two cerci. Unlike females, however, males are able to produce sounds or ''chirps''. Thus, males can be identified through sound while females cannot. Diagram A shows the male cricket with its wings raised for the purpose of chirping. Diagram B shows the female cricket, identified via the long protruding ovipositor at the end of the abdomen. D and E show the female using the ovipositor to deposit the fertilized eggs into the ground. Diagram C shows a topical and side view of nymphs with no protrusion at the hind of the abdomen.


Behaviour

In ambient temperatures between and sexually mature males will chirp, with the acoustical properties of their calling song providing an indicator of past and present health. Females evaluate these songs and move towards the ones that signal the male's good health. When the male senses the presence of a female he will produce a softer courting song. After mating, the female will search for a place to lay her eggs, preferably in warm, damp (though not wet) soil. Field crickets prefer to live in outdoor environments with high humidity, warm temperatures, moist rich soil, and adequate food, but will migrate into human structures when environmental conditions outside become unfavorably cool. They often gain entry into buildings via open doors and windows as well as cracks in poorly fitted windows, foundations, or siding. Unlike House crickets, which can adapt themselves to indoor conditions, populations of field crickets living in human structures and buildings and without access to warm moist soil for depositing their eggs tend to die out within a few months. Consequently, field crickets in temperate regions exhibit
diapause In animal dormancy, diapause is the delay in development in response to regular and recurring periods of adverse environmental conditions.Tauber, M.J., Tauber, C.A., Masaki, S. (1986) ''Seasonal Adaptations of Insects''. Oxford University Press It ...
.


Tribes and selected genera

The following
tribes The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...
have been identified in this subfamily:


Cephalogryllini

Auth.: Otte & Alexander, 1983 - Australia * '' Apterogryllus'' Saussure, 1877 * '' Cephalogryllus'' Chopard, 1925 * '' Daintria'' Otte, 1994 * '' Notosciobia'' Chopard, 1915


Eurygryllodini

Auth.: Gorochov, 1990 - Australia * '' Eurygryllodes'' Chopard, 1951 * '' Maluagryllus'' Otte, 1994


Gryllini GrylliniLaicharting (1781) ''Verzeichnis und Beschreibung der Tyroler Insecten'' 1. is a tribe of crickets (Orthoptera: Ensifera) and typical of the family Gryllidae. Species are terrestrial, carnivorous or omnivorous and can be found in all con ...

Worldwide, selected genera include: * '' Acheta'' Fabricius, 1775 * '' Brachytrupes'' Serville, 1838 * ''
Gryllodinus ''Gryllodinus'' is a genus of crickets in tribe Gryllini; species are recorded from Africa, the Iberian peninsula, the middle East and western Asia. Taxonomy The genus contains the following species: *'' Gryllodinus abditus'' Gorochov, 1979 *' ...
'' Bolívar, 1927 * '' Gryllita'' Hebard, 1935 * '' Gryllodes'' Saussure, 1874 * ''
Gryllus ''Gryllus'' is a genus of field cricket (Orthoptera, Gryllidae, Gryllinae). Members of the genus are typically 15–31 mm long and darkly coloured. The type species is ''Gryllus campestris'' L.: the European field cricket. History Until ...
'' Linnaeus, 1758 * '' Gymnogryllus'' Saussure, 1877 * '' Loxoblemmus'' Saussure, 1877 * '' Melanogryllus'' Chopard, 1961 * '' Miogryllus'' Saussure, 1877 * '' Teleogryllus'' Chopard, 1961


Modicogryllini

'' Velarifictorus micado'' front Worldwide except the Americas, selected genera include: * '' Eumodicogryllus'' Gorochov, 1986 * '' Lepidogryllus'' Otte & Alexander, 1983 * '' Modicogryllus'' Chopard, 1961 * '' Velarifictorus'' Randell (1964)


Sciobiini

Auth.: Randell, 1964 - NW Africa, Iberian peninsula * '' Sciobia'' Burmeister, 1838


Sclerogryllini

Auth.: Gorochov, 1985 - Asia and extinct (2 subtribes) * '' Sclerogryllus''


Turanogryllini

Auth.: Otte, 1987 - Africa, SE Europe, Middle East, southern Asia through to Korea and Indo-China * '' Neogryllopsis'' Otte, 1983 * '' Podogryllus'' Karsch, 1893 * '' Turanogryllus'' Tarbinsky, 1940


Genera ''

incertae sedis or is a term used for a taxonomy (biology), taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertainty ...
''

* '' Allogryllus'' Chopard, 1925 * '' Apiotarsus'' Saussure, 1877 * '' Callogryllus'' Sjöstedt, 1910 * '' Coiblemmus'' Chopard, 1936 * '' Comidoblemmus'' Storozhenko & Paik, 2009 * '' Cryncus'' Gorochov, 1983 * '' Danielottea'' Koçak & Kemal, 2009 * '' Gryllodeicus'' Chopard, 1939 * '' Grylloderes'' Bolívar, 1894 * '' Hispanogryllus'' Otte & Perez-Gelabert, 2009 * '' Itaropsis'' Chopard, 1925 * '' Jarawasia'' Koçak & Kemal, 2008 * '' Mayumbella'' Otte, 1987 * '' Meristoblemmus'' Jones & Chopard, 1936 * '' Nemobiodes'' Chopard, 1917 * '' Oediblemmus'' Saussure, 1898 * '' Oligachaeta'' Chopard, 1961 * '' Omogryllus'' Otte, 1987 * '' Platygryllus'' Chopard, 1961 * '' Parasciobia'' Chopard, 1935 * '' Qingryllus'' Chen & Zheng, 1995 * '' Rubrogryllus'' Vickery, 1997 * '' Songella'' Otte, 1987 * '' Stephoblemmus'' Saussure, 1877 * '' Stilbogryllus'' Gorochov, 1983 * '' Svercoides'' Gorochov, 1990 * '' Taciturna'' Otte, 1987 * '' Thiernogryllus'' Roy, 1969 * '' Zebragryllus'' Desutter-Grandcolas & Cadena-Castañeda, 2014


References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q633301 Orthoptera subfamilies