Illinois Crickets (Orthoptera) Compiled by Carie Nixon Illinois Natural History Survey Field Crickets (Superfamily Gryllinae) most are in the genus Gryllus Photo by Philip L. Nixon Photo by Philip L. Nixon Field Cricket (most are in the genus Gryllus). House Cricket (Acheta domesticus). Field crickets are black and live on the ground. House crickets are not native to North Song is often used to identify species. Field America, but are often used as fishing bait crickets commonly enter the house, but do not or food for pets and often escape or are reproduce indoors. released. They can reproduce indoors. Tree Crickets (Superfamily Oecanthinae) Bush Crickets (Superfamily Eneopterinae) Photo by Michael R. Jeffords Snowy Tree Cricket (Oecanthus fultoni) Photo by Philip L. Nixon Tree cricket live in trees, shrubs, and other vegetation. All are wonderful singers. The wings of the males are usually much wider and Bush crickets live in vegetation ranging more rounded than thoses from low growing herbaceous plants to tree of the females. canapies. Photo by Michael R. Jeffords Black-horned Tree Cricket (Oecanthus nigricornis) Mole Crickets (Family Gryllotalpidae) Mole crickets have strong digging legs and spend most of their lives underground. However, when they are above ground, they Photo by Philip L. Nixon are strong flyers. Camel Crickets (Superfamily Gryllacridoidea) Camel crickets have short, often humped bodies, and do not have wings. There are many species. Photo by Michael R. Jeffords Photo by Philip L. Nixon Photo by Michael R. Jeffords Illinois Natural History Survey Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability 1816 S. Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820 www.inhs.illinois.edu.