Description and photo of field cricket

Field cricket is a classic representative of the Orthoptera. He owes his name to the ability make specific soundsreferred to as chatter and habitat. For life, the insect chooses areas of fields, steppes and meadows warmed up by the sun. You can meet him in warm regions. The largest populations are found in southern and central parts of Europe and western Asia. Also representatives of this species are widely known in North Africa and Malaysia.

External features

Adult field cricket has a small size, which rarely exceeds a couple of centimeters. Body color is black. Each individual has 3 pairs of legs, 2 pairs of wings. In the photo of a field cricket you can clearly see a pair of antennae. They are used for orientation in space, as well as a sense of touch, allowing to feel the world around. The body consists of the head and abdominal. It is covered with a protective chitinous layer.

On a note!

The wings of an individual are not adapted for flight, therefore the insect prefers to move on the ground or with the help of jumps. For making jumps it has developed long hind legs.

Nutrition

Field cricket

The black cricket feeds mainly on plant food. He loves juicy and fleshy stems. When hit on the garden plot turns into a real disaster for gardeners and gardeners. Insect can destroy a large number of crops.

On a note!

The field cricket is especially dangerous for seedlings, which have a softer structure.

In the photo you can see the development of the oral apparatus, which is called the mandibles. With it, the cricket easily bites through even the root of the plants.

In the diet of an insect that adapts to live near a person’s dwelling, food remains appear: bread crumbs, vegetables, fruits. In this they have great similarity with cockroaches. Less commonly, representatives of this species crickets may eat smaller ones of their own kind or destroy the clutches of their females.

Breeding

The puberty male attracts the female with a specific sound - chirping. Music making can last the whole day until the female responds. The louder the sound, the greater the chance of success.

Interesting!

Only males have the ability to make chatter.

After fertilization, the female lays eggs with the help of a special oviposition into holes dug in the ground. The larva appears from the egg in 15-30 days. Until she reaches adulthood, she will use the plant root system as food. Until full maturity, the cricket passes 3 molts.

Field cricket

Lifestyle

Representatives of orthopterans lead a very warlike way of life. Each male occupies a certain area and rejects it from other fellows. Feeling a stranger on his land, he first makes a loud and aggressive chirping. If it does not work, it goes on the attack.

They overwinter in holes and only after the earth warms up sufficiently, they come to the surface. Crickets do not tolerate coolness so it is extremely important for them to maintain a high average daily air temperature. For their ability to chatter all day and night, some lovers prefer to grow them at home.

On a note!

In captivity, the insect can sing at any time. In nature, it is more often possible to hear chatter at night, when the danger of an attack by predators is minimized.

Despite its belligerence, the field cricket itself often becomes the food of larger insects, as well as birds, and lizards. In order to have time to escape and hide in their own hole, the field cricket has well developed organs of touch.