Steel-blue Cricket Hunter vs Katanga Squeaker
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Steel-blue Cricket Hunter | Katanga Squeaker |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chlorion aerarium | Brachytrupes membranaceus |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Orthoptera |
| Family | Sphecidae | Gryllidae |
| Size | 18-28 mm | 35-55mm |
| Habitat | Deserts & Drylands | Deserts & Drylands |
| Diet | Predators | Herbivores |
| Regions | North America | Africa |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Steel-blue Cricket Hunter
A large metallic blue wasp that hunts field crickets and mole crickets. It drags paralyzed prey into burrows to provision its nest cells.
Did You Know?
It enters cricket burrows headfirst to sting and extract its prey from underground.
Katanga Squeaker
A very large burrowing cricket with a broad head and powerful jaws. It digs deep vertical burrows up to 50cm deep. Males call loudly from their burrow entrances at dusk.
Did You Know?
It pulls leaves down into its burrow to eat and plugs the entrance with a ball of soil during the day.