True Crickets - Family GRYLLIDAE

This page contains pictures and information about True Crickets in Family GRYLLIDAE that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.

The True Crickets can be distinguished from other crickets by presence of long ovipositor and long cerci in females. They have very long antenna. Their body is usually slightly flattened.

They are nocturnally active. They live on the ground. They may be found in burrows, crack in soil or amongst leaf litter. Males produce complex love songs by rubbing wings together. Their hearing organs are on the front legs.



Most species are ground dwelling. Usually both male and female are winged although some species adults are wingless. Males are aggressive. In some countries some species males are kept as pets for fighting.

Subfamily Gryllinae

Slow-chirping Mottled Field Cricket

Lepidogryllus comparatus, female body length 25mm, male inside hole.
The Black Field Cricket is dark brown in colour. Female has long pin at the end of the abdomen which is its ovipositor. More pictures and information can be found in the details page.

Silent Leaf-runner

? Metioche sp., body length 10mm
We sometimes find this tiny cricket on the wall outside our house at night. The insect is wingless with shiny dark brown body. Its legs are light brown in colour. Different colour and wing length can be found in this species. Species in this subfamily are hard to distinguish even to genera level. Please check this page for more information.

Spider Cricket

Endotaria sp., male, body length 20mm
This cricket was found hiding under rotten wood during a winter day. Its body was grey in colour with dark brown patterns. The cricket is active at night and could be mistaken as a spider. Males are short-winged and females are wingless. Please check this page for more information.

Crickets in this subfamily are usually found on ground, low vegetations or under barks. This is a large subfamily.

Ground Cricket 1

? sp., Eneopterini, female, body length 15mm
Pictures were taken in Ford Road Research Area on Mar 2010. We found this cricket a few times. They were wandering on ground among the dry plant materials. Please check this page for more information.


Ground Cricket 2

? sp., Eneopterini, female, body length 8mm
This small cricket was found next to the fresh water in Carbrook Wetland. It was Nov 2009.


Ground Cricket 3

? sp., Eneopterini, female, body length 8mm
Picture was taken on may 2007 next to the small pond in Eight Mile Plains.


Silent Bush Cricket

Riatina sp. or Aphonoides sp., Podoscirtini, body length 30mm
Mid summer in Karawatha Forest, we found this Tree Cricket hiding under leaf during the day. It walked away slowly when we disturbed. It is pale brown in colour. It has very long antenna, longer than twice the body length. More pictures and information can be found in this page.


Unknown Bush Cricket 1

? sp., Podoscirtini, body length 20mm


Unknown Bush Cricket 2

? sp., Podoscirtini, body length 20mm

Scaled Cricket

Ornebius sp., body length 20mm, Male, female
Pictures were taken in Karawatha Forest during early and mid summer. We saw this cricket a few times. The cricket usually found hiding under loosen bark of gum tree. Also found resting on leaf. Please visit this page for more information.

Reference:
1. Insects of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University Press, 2nd Edition 1991, p385.
2. Grasshopper Country - the Abundant Orthopteroid Insects of Australia, D Rentz, UNSW Press, 1996, p121.
3. Northern Territory Insects, A Comprehensive Guide CD - Graham Brown, 2009.