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Abstract:
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Cricket song is a sound of the Australian bush and even, in cities, the rasping calls testify of Australia's remarkable cricket biodiversity. When their population booms, some of these species become pests to agriculture and destroy crop pastures. Some introduced species are of biosecurity concern. Other crickets are important food sources for native birds, reptiles and mammals, and domestic pets. Soon you might even put them in your cake or stir-fry, as there is rapidly growing industry for cricket products for human consumption. Featuring keys, distribution maps, illustrations and detailed colour photographs from CSIRO's Australian National Insect Collection, this book allows readers to reliably identify all 92 described genera and many species from the Grylloidea (true crickets) and Gryllotalpoidea (mole crickets and ant crickets) superfamilies. Not included are the Raspy Crickets (Gryllacrididae), King Crickets (Anostostomatidae) or the so-called 'Pygmy Mole Crickets' (Caelifera), which despite their common names are not related to true crickets.
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