Insect
Southern Field Cricket
Gryllus bimaculatusAlso known as Two-spotted Cricket, African Field Cricket, Mediterranean Field Cricket
Southern field crickets are robust ground-dwellers famous for the loud, rhythmic courtship chirps produced when males rub their modified forewings together. They establish territories beneath stones, cracked soil, or leaf litter, defending their micro-burrows against rival males with vigorous antennae lashing and wrestling. Because of their accessible nervous system and straightforward breeding cycle, they are also standard model organisms in physiological research.
NocturnalVocalTerritorial
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyTender seedlings, Fallen seeds, Insect carcasses
Predators
- Insectivorous birds
- Geckos
- Wolf spiders
ThreatsBroad-spectrum insecticides, agricultural expansion, and intensive soil cultivation.
HabitatsGrasslands, scrublands, rocky fields, agricultural borders, and semi-arid terrain.
Life span6–12 months
Classification
- FamilyGryllidae
- SpeciesGryllus bimaculatus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Audio tracking: Follow the pulsed calling songs of solitary males near burrows at dusk.
- Night searching: Use a red-tinted flashlight to spot adults roaming on bare ground without scaring them.
Close Relative (c) Gilles San Martin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Same Family (c) Scott Lewis, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Scott Lewis · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Declan McCabe, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Declan McCabe · cc-by
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