Common short-tailed cricket facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Common short-tailed cricket |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Anurogryllus
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| Species: |
arboreus
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The common short-tailed cricket (also called the arboreal short-tailed cricket) is a type of cricket. Its scientific name is Anurogryllus arboreus. These crickets live in the southern and southeastern parts of the United States. They are special because they dig their own homes underground!
What They Look Like
The common short-tailed cricket is usually a light brown color. Adult crickets have a small, undeveloped part called an ovipositor. This is a tube-like organ that female insects use to lay eggs. When these crickets first become adults, they have wings. But they soon shed their wings, which means they cannot fly anymore.
Where They Live
For a long time, scientists thought most short-tailed crickets in the United States were all the same species. But in 1973, a scientist named T. J. Walker studied them closely. He found that Anurogryllus arboreus was a different species. He noticed differences in how the males called and how their bodies looked.
You can find A. arboreus mostly along the Atlantic Coast. This area stretches from New Jersey down to Florida. They also live west into southeastern Texas. Another type of short-tailed cricket, A. celerinictus, lives only in the Florida Keys.
How They Live
A. arboreus crickets live alone in burrows they dig. They use their mouthparts to carry soil out of the hole. Male crickets dig temporary burrows. Female crickets might stay in one burrow for a long time.
Their Homes
A cricket's burrow usually has a main tunnel. This tunnel is about 10 to 20 centimeters (4 to 8 inches) long. There are also smaller side rooms. The cricket rests and eats in these rooms. One room is a "refuse chamber." This is where the cricket puts its waste and old plant bits. Some tunnels are dug to let the cricket eat plant roots without coming out of its burrow. The cricket usually plugs the entrance to its burrow with soil or plants. It only leaves its burrow to find food or a mate.
Family Life
These crickets breed once a year, usually between April and June. When it gets dark, the male cricket comes out of his burrow. He climbs onto a tree or another high spot. Then he starts to call loudly to attract a female. If a female likes his call, they might mate near his perch or in a burrow.
The female cricket lays several dozen eggs in a special breeding room. She is very protective of her burrow and will fight off any males that try to enter. She takes good care of her eggs. She touches them and turns them over. She also gathers small pieces of plants for her babies to eat when they hatch. She even lays special eggs that are not fertilized. These eggs are just for the newly hatched babies to eat!
The baby crickets, called nymphs, stay together in a group. They often gather on the roof of the chamber. They follow their mother when she is nearby. The mother cricket usually dies when the nymphs are partly grown. Soon after, the young crickets spread out and dig their own burrows.
