Brown Locust vs Fall Field Cricket

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Brown Locust Fall Field Cricket
Scientific Name Locustana pardalina Gryllus pennsylvanicus
Order Orthoptera Orthoptera
Family Acrididae Gryllidae
Size 30-45 mm 15-25 mm
Habitat Heathland Underground
Diet Omnivores Seed Feeders
Regions South Africa (Karoo region), Namibia Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Brown Locust

A medium-sized brown locust endemic to southern Africa that periodically swarms in the Karoo region. Nymphs are known as voetgangers (foot walkers).

💡

Did You Know?

Swarms of brown locusts have plagued South African farmers since the 1700s and remain a major agricultural threat.

Fall Field Cricket

A common North American black field cricket whose chirping is the quintessential sound of autumn. Adults appear in late summer and die with the first hard frost.

💡

Did You Know?

You can estimate the temperature in Fahrenheit by counting its chirps in 14 seconds and adding 40.