Fauna
Insect

House Cricket

Acheta domesticus

Also known as Common House Cricket

House crickets are cosmopolitan insects famed for the rhythmic, high-pitched stridulation males produce by rubbing specialized wing scrapers together to court females. Thriving in warm, sheltered environments close to human structures, they forage opportunistically across a wide variety of grains, decaying vegetation, and food scraps. Beyond their long history as caged song-pets in East Asian culture, they serve globally as staple live food for captive reptiles and amphibians.

NocturnalCosmopolitanOmnivore
House Cricket reference1 / 7
(c) Scott Lewis, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Scott Lewis · cc-by-sa
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyPlant seedlings, Decomposing food matter, Grain scraps
Predators
  • Domestic cats
  • Jumping spiders
  • Insectivorous birds
ThreatsPesticide applications, domestic predators, and viral infections such as cricket densovirus
HabitatsHuman habitations, basements, sheds, compost piles, and grasslands
Life span2–4 months as an adult (up to 12 months total lifecycle)
Classification
  1. OrderOrthoptera
  2. FamilyGryllidae
  3. GenusAcheta
  4. SpeciesAcheta domesticus
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Night Listening: Track calling males after dark by carefully following their chirps to warm crevices.
  • Gentle Observation: Use a clear container rather than pinching their delicate hind jumping legs.
Related species
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Moonlight Marvels

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