Rhaphidophoridae

The orthopteran family Rhaphidophoridae of the suborder Ensifera has a worldwide distribution. Common names for these insects include cave crickets, camel crickets, spider crickets (sometimes shortened to "criders" or "sprickets"), and sand treaders. Those occurring in New Zealand are typically referred to as jumping or cave wētā. Most are found in forest environments or within caves, animal burrows, cellars, under stones, or in wood or similar environments. All species are flightless and nocturnal, usually with long antennae and legs. Occasionally, they prove to be a nuisance in the basements of homes in suburban areas, drains, sewers, wells, and firewood stacks. Some reach into alpine areas and live close to permanent ice, such as the Mount Cook "flea" (Pharmacus montanus) and its relatives in New Zealand.

Subfamilies and genera

Aemodogryllinae

Genera include:

tribe Aemodogryllini Jacobson, 1905 – Asia (Korea, Indochina, Russia, China), Europe
Diestrammena Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1888
Tachycines Adelung, 1902
tribe Diestramimini Gorochov, 1998 – India, southern China, Indochina
Diestramima Storozhenko, 1990
Gigantettix Gorochov, 1998

Anoplophilinae

Genera include:

Alpinanoplophilus Ishikawa, 1993 – Japan
Anoplophilus Karny, 1931 – Japan and Korea

Ceuthophilinae

cave crickets, camel crickets and sand treaders: North America

Genera include:

tribe Argyrtini Saussure & Pictet, 1897
Anargyrtes Hubbell, 1972
Argyrtes Saussure & Pictet, 1897
Leptargyrtes Hubbell, 1972
tribe Ceuthophilini Tepper, 1892
Ceuthophilus Scudder, 1863
Macrobaenetes Tinkham, 1962
Rhachocnemis Caudell, 1916
Styracosceles Hubbell, 1936
Typhloceuthophilus Hubbell, 1940
Udeopsylla Scudder, 1863
Utabaenetes Tinkham, 1970
tribe Daihiniini Karny, 1930
Ammobaenetes Hubbell, 1936
Daihinia Haldeman, 1850
Daihinibaenetes Tinkham, 1962
Daihiniella Hubbell, 1936
Daihiniodes Hebard, 1929
Phrixocnemis Scudder, 1894
tribe Hadenoecini Ander, 1939 – North America
Euhadenoecus[http://luirig.altervista.org/biology/main.php?taxon=Euhadenoecus] Hubbell, 1978
Hadenoecus Scudder, 1863
tribe Pristoceuthophilini Rehn, 1903
Exochodrilus Hubbell, 1972
Farallonophilus Rentz, 1972
Pristoceuthophilus Rehn, 1903
Salishella Hebard, 1939

Dolichopodainae

cave crickets: southern Europe, western Asia

Dolichopoda Bolivar, 1880

Gammarotettiginae

Auth. Karny, 1937 – North America

tribe Gammarotettigini Karny, 1937
Gammarotettix Brunner von Wattenwyll, 1888

Macropathinae

Gondwanan cave cricketsthumb|Pachyrhamma edwardsii from New Zealand

Genera include:

tribe Macropathini Karny, 1930 – Australia, New Zealand, South America, South Africa, the Falkland Islands
Australotettix Richards, 1964 – Australia (Queensland, New South Wales)
Cavernotettix Richards, 1966 – Australia (New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania)
Crux Trewick, 2024 - New Zealand
Dendroplectron Richards, 1964 – New Zealand
Eburnocauda Beasley-Hall & Iannello, 2024 – Australia (Victoria)
Heteromallus Brunner von Wattenwyll, 1888 – South America
Insulanoplectron Richards, 1970 – New Zealand
Ischyroplectron Hutton, 1896 – New Zealand
Isoplectron Hutton, 1896 – New Zealand
Macropathus Walker, 1869 – New Zealand
Maotoweta Johns & Cook, 2014 – New Zealand
Micropathus Richards, 1964 – Australia (Tasmania)
Miotopus Hutton, 1898 – New Zealand
Neonetus Brunner von Wattenwyll, 1888 – New Zealand
Notoplectron Richards, 1964 – New Zealand
Novoplectron Richards, 1966 – New Zealand
Novotettix Richards, 1966 – Australia (South Australia)
Occultastella Trewick, 2024 - New Zealand

Ecology

Their distinctive limbs and antennae serve a double purpose. Typically living in a lightless environment, or active at night, they rely heavily on their sense of touch, which is limited by reach. While they have been known to take up residence in the basements of buildings, many cave crickets live out their entire lives deep inside caves. In those habitats, they sometimes face long spans of time with insufficient access to nutrients. Given their limited vision, cave crickets often jump to avoid predation. Those species of Rhaphidophoridae that have been studied are primarily scavengers, eating plant, animal, and fungi material.

The group known as "sand treaders" is restricted to sand dunes, and are adapted to live in this environment. They are active only at night, and spend the day burrowed into the sand to minimize water loss. In the large sand dunes of California and Utah, they serve as food for scorpions and at least one specialized bird, LeConte's thrasher (Toxostoma lecontei). The thrasher roams the dunes looking for the tell-tale debris of the diurnal hiding place and excavates the sand treaders (the range of bird is in the Mojave and Colorado Deserts in the U.S.).

Interactions with humans

thumb|left|Drawing of the cave cricket engraving

Cave and camel crickets are of little economic importance except as a nuisance in buildings and homes, especially basements. They are usually "accidental invaders" that wander in from adjacent areas. They may reproduce indoors, and are seen in dark, moist conditions such as a basement, shower, or laundry area, as well as in organic debris (e.g., compost heaps) that serve as food. They are fairly common invaders of homes in Hokkaido and other chilly regions in Japan. They are called kamado-uma or colloquially benjo korogi (便所コオロギ, literally, "toilet cricket").

A representation of a female from the Troglophilus genus has been found engraved on a bison bone in the Cave of the Trois-Frères, showing that they were likely already present around humans, maybe as pets or pests, in caves inhabited by prehistoric populations in the Magdalenian.

Rhaphidophoridae

Subfamilies and genera

Aemodogryllinae

Anoplophilinae

Ceuthophilinae

Dolichopodainae

Gammarotettiginae

Macropathinae

Ecology

Interactions with humans

References

External links