Insect Encyclopedia - Crickets

Crickets (蟀, Cricket) refer to species belonging to the superfamily Grylloidea, within the suborder Ensifera of the order Orthoptera. Although they belong to the order Orthoptera, they cannot jump very high with their hind legs, and their ovipositor is uniquely long. They are omnivorous, feeding on plants and carcasses. Females have an ovipositor, while males do not and produce sound by rubbing their wings. They are born in spring, grow in summer, mate and lay eggs in autumn, and die in winter. Their chirping fills the summer and autumn nights, and is used in treating elderly depression. The superfamily Grylloidea is divided into: Crickets (e.g., Far Eastern Cricket, King Cricket), Eneopterinae (e.g., Tree Crickets), Myrmecophilidae (e.g., Ant Crickets), Oecanthidae (e.g., Bush Crickets, Snowy Tree Crickets), and Gryllotalpidae (e.g., Mole Crickets). Over 30 species have been recorded in South Korea.