Gryllus

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This article is about the genus of cricket. For the ancient Athenian, see Gryllus, son of Xenophon.

Gryllus
Female Gryllus campestris
Gryllus bimaculatus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Suborder: Ensifera
Family: Gryllidae
Tribe: Gryllini
Genus: Gryllus
Linnaeus, 1758 [1]
Species

Many, see text

Gryllus is a genus of field cricket (Orthoptera, Gryllidae, Gryllinae). Members of the genus are typically 15–31 mm long and darkly coloured.[2] The type species is Gryllus campestris L.: the European field cricket.

History[edit]

Until the mid-1950s, native field crickets in eastern North America were all assigned to a single species, Acheta assimilis. Although regional variation in calling song and life history were noted,[3][4] no morphological characters could be found to reliably distinguish these variants.[5] Building upon the pioneering work of Fulton,[4] Alexander [5] used male calling song, life history and crosses between putative species to revise the taxonomy of gryllines in the eastern United States, and recognized five species, although at the time they were still classified in the genus Acheta.

Description[edit]

Species in this genus often look similar to species from other genera. They can often only be distinguished by the male genitalia. The epithallus typically consists of three lobes, the middle one being longer and more slender than the rest, in American and European species. African species, however, show more variability, making it more difficult to assign species to a genus with the same degree of certainty as there is more overlap with closely related genera.[6]

This female field cricket was seen in Ohio in September.

Distribution[edit]

Gryllus is one of the most widespread cricket genera. It is found in Africa, North and South America, Europe and Asia.[6]

Species[edit]

The genus contains the following species as of March 2023:[7][8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Gryllus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
  2. ^ "Field crickets — Gryllus spp". Featured Creatures. University of Florida. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
  3. ^ Rehn, J.A.G., and Hebard, M. (1915). The genus Gryllus (Orthoptera) as found in America. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 67:292-322.
  4. ^ a b Fulton, B. B. 1952. Speciation in the field cricket. Evolution 6, 283-295.
  5. ^ a b Alexander, R.D. (1957). The taxonomy of the field crickets of the eastern United States (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Acheta). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 50:584-602.
  6. ^ a b Otte, Daniel; Cade, William (1984). "African Crickets (Gryllidae). 6. The Genus Gryllus and Some Related Genera (Gryllinae, Gryllini)". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 136: 98–122. ISSN 0097-3157.
  7. ^ "Gryllus". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  8. ^ Species common names, BugGuide
  9. ^ Long-chirp field cricket, Singing Insects of North America (SINA)

External links[edit]

  • Data related to Gryllus at Wikispecies
  • Media related to Gryllus at Wikimedia Commons
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