CRICKETS, GRASSHOPPERS, KATYDIDS, AND MANTIDS

Cave Cricket, Ceuthophilus maculatus

Order: Orthoptera (Crickets, Grasshoppers, Katydids, and Mantids)

Size: Up to 3⁄4"

Habitat: A wide variety of moist, dark places; under rocks and logs, caves

Range: Eastern and central North America

The Cave Cricket is part of the group known as the “camel crickets” because of its distinctive, rounded or humped back on its squat body. This cricket lacks wings and has massive rear legs and extremely long, thin antennae. Its color is light brown with darker brown spotting and mottling across the back, and dark brown striations on the lower part of the hind legs (indeed, its other common name is the Spotted Camel Cricket). Hiding during the day in sheltered, dark retreats, Cave Crickets become active at night to feed on a wide variety of plant or animal matter with their well-developed, chewing mouthparts. They are unable to produce the trilling sounds of the true crickets.