What family do crickets belong to, and how big are they?
Family Gryllidae. They range from 3-50 mm in size.
How many cricket species are found in India?
About 231 species from 72 genera, with Acheta domesticus and Gryllus bimaculatus among the common ones.
How do you identify a cricket?
Long antennae near the head, enlarged hindlegs for jumping, a pair of "rear radar" appendages called cerci, and a body that's usually grey, brown, or green with strong camouflage.
Where are crickets found?
On every continent except Antarctica, especially abundant in tropical regions — in grasslands, forest edges, leaf litter, crevices, soil burrows, agricultural fields, and gardens.
How do crickets make their chirping sound?
Only males chirp. They rub their forewings together — one wing has ridges called a "file," the other has a hard edge called a "scraper" — and specialised wing areas amplify the sound. This is called stridulation.
What is the cricket insect called in Hindi?
The cricket insect is widely known as झींगुर (Jhingur) in Hindi. This term refers to the nocturnal orthopteran insects famous for their distinct, rhythmic nocturnal chirping.
About the Authors
Femi Ezhuthupallickal Benny
Femi is a PhD student at University College London (UCL), working on the ecology and behavior of Asian giant hornets. Passionate about insects, especially wasps, she loves fieldwork in underexplored places, studying how insects interact with their environment and discovering new species while at it!
