Ant Cricket vs South American Locust
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Ant Cricket | South American Locust |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Myrmecophilus acervorum | Schistocerca cancellata |
| Order | Orthoptera | Orthoptera |
| Family | Gryllidae | Acrididae |
| Size | 2-3 mm | 45-65 mm |
| Habitat | Woodlands | Deserts & Drylands |
| Diet | Parasites | Herbivores |
| Regions | Europe, Western Asia | Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Ant Cricket
A minute, wingless cricket that lives inside ant nests as a social parasite. It is oval-shaped and moves quickly among its host ants.
Did You Know?
It acquires its host ants' cuticular hydrocarbons to smell like them, allowing it to live undetected inside their colony.
South American Locust
A major swarming locust of South America closely related to the desert locust. It periodically forms devastating swarms across Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay.
Did You Know?
After decades of suppression, this species made an unexpected resurgence in Argentina in 2015, forming swarms not seen since the 1950s.