Tropical house cricket
| Tropical house cricket | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Orthoptera |
| Family: | Gryllidae |
| Genus: | Gryllodes |
| Species: | G. sigillatus |
| Binomial name | |
|
Gryllodes sigillatus (Walker, F., 1869) |
|
Gryllodes sigillatus, known commonly as the Tropical house cricket, Indian house cricket, or the banded cricket, is a small cricket probably native to Southwestern Asia, but has spread throughout tropical regions worldwide. Like its relative the House cricket, the Tropical house cricket is also raised commercially for feeding certain pets such as reptiles, birds, amphibians, and insectivorous arthropods.
The tropical house cricket is a tad bit smaller than its relative the house cricket, growing about 13–18 mm (0.51–0.71 in). These crickets are a light yellowish tan in color, and have two thick, black bands. One of the bands runs through the bottom of the thorax, while the other goes across the upper abdomen. Females are similar to males, only wingless and a long ovipositor emerging from its rear.
Tropical house crickets are relatively new to the pet trade, and are favored by many people, due to easier care requirements than the more-common House cricket or the Black field cricket. The banded crickets are said to be a lot more active than competitors, and live longer lifespans than the average house cricket. They also have a lower chitin content than average crickets, making digestibility easier. Tropical house crickets are also immune to the CrPV virus. Care is similar to that of the House cricket.
Tropical house crickets generally cause no harm, though the singing males can be a nuisance in households. If nuisances, crickets can be managed similarly with baits sold for cockroach or earwig control.
Tropical house crickets have recently become the cricket of choice for many producers in the United States, as well as Belgium and other countries around the world, in farming for human consumption. This is due to characteristics that allow them to be more resistant to certain diseases and that allow for efficient farming. Companies are producing many products for sale such as protein bars, flour substitutes and whole crickets.
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Wikipedia