Japanese Burrowing Cricket

The Japanese Burrowing Cricket (Velarifictorus micado) is native to Asia but was introduced to the United States, where it was first recorded in 1959, from Alabama (Alexander and Walker 1962). By the mid-1970s, it was widely (if patchily) established in the southeastern states and the District of Columbia (Walker 1977). It is now found from New Jersey south to Florida.

(Alexander and Walker 1962; Walker 1977)

The Japanese Burrowing Cricket (Velarifictorus micado) was introduced from Asia to the United States, where it was first recorded in 1959, from Alabama (Alexander and Walker 1962). By the mid-1970s, it was widely (if patchily) established in the southeastern states and the District of Columbia (Walker 1977). It is now found from New Jersey south to Florida. Japanese Burrowing Crickets can be heard calling, often from the mouth of a burrow, around the grassy edges of fields, woods, and freshwater wetlands. They are often present in suburban habitats as well. The initial spread of this species may have been facilitated by the transport of ornamental plants from infested nurseries.

This small, dark brown field cricket (13 to 19 mm long) has a head that is not much wider than the pronotum (in contrast to the head of the Eastern Striped Cricket, Miogryllus saussurei, which has a head that is noticeably wider than the pronotum). The tegmina cover around three quarters of the pronotum in males, half the abdomen in females. There are seven or fewer ragged pale longitudinal stripes extending forward on the top of the head from the front margin of the pronotum. A pale transverse band connects the lateral ocelli and the pronotal disk has pale spots or blotches. The palpi are pearly white. Other eastern U.S. field crickets (subfamily Gryllinae) of similar size have dingy palps and lack the stripes and band on the head. The female's ovipositor is slightly longer than the abdomen and tilted upward.

The calling song of the Japanese Burrowing Cricket is a rapid series of chirps, similar to that of the Fall and Spring Field Crickets (Gryllus pennsylvanicus and G. veletis) but faster and more even, delivered at a rate of around 4 chirps per second.The calling songs of other eastern field crickets delivering several chirps per second have a less regular chirp rate.

Japanese Burrowing Crickets prefer moist habitats and sometimes make burrows, moving soil a mouthful at a time. There is a single annual generation in North America, with adults present from August through October.

(Capinera et al. 2004; Himmelman 2009)

Japanese Burrowing Crickets (Velarifictorus micado) prefer moist habitats, e.g., around the grassy edges of fields, woods, and freshwater wetlands, as well as some suburban habitats.

(Capinera et al. 2004; Himmelman 2009)

The calling song of the Japanese Burrowing Cricket (Velarifictorus micado) is a rapid series of chirps, similar to that of the Fall and Spring Field Crickets (Gryllus pennsylvanicus and G. veletis) with which it co-ccurs in the southeastern United States, but faster and more even, delivered at a rate of around 4 chirps per second.The calling songs of other eastern U.S. field crickets delivering several chirps per second have a less regular chirp rate.

These crickets often calls from the mouths of burrows they construct, moving soil a mouthful at a time.

(Capinera et al. 2004; Himmelman 2009)

In their introduced range in the southeastern United States, Japanese Burrowing Crickets (Velarifictorus micado) have a single annual generation, with adults present from August through October (Capinera et al. 2004).

The Japanese Burowing Cricket (Velarifictorus micado) is a small, dark brown field cricket (13 to 19 mm long) with a head that is not much wider than the pronotum. The tegmina cover around three quarters of the pronotum in males, half the abdomen in females. There are seven or fewer ragged pale longitudinal stripes extending forward on the top of the head from the front margin of the pronotum. A pale transverse band connects the lateral ocelli and the pronotal disk has pale spots or blotches. The palpi are pearly white. The female's ovipositor is slightly longer than the abdomen and tilted upward.

(Capinera et al. 2004; Himmelman 2009)

In its introduced range in the southeastern United States, Japanese Burrowing Crickets (Velarifictorus micado) bear some resemblance to several other crickets. This small, dark brown field cricket (13 to 19 mm long) has a head that is not much wider than the pronotum (in contrast to the head of the Eastern Striped Cricket, Miogryllus saussurei, which has a head that is noticeably wider than the pronotum). The tegmina cover around three quarters of the pronotum in males, half the abdomen in females. There are seven or fewer ragged pale longitudinal stripes extending forward on the top of the head from the front margin of the pronotum. A pale transverse band connects the lateral ocelli and the pronotal disk has pale spots or blotches. The palpi are pearly white. Other eastern U.S. field crickets (subfamily Gryllinae) of similar size have dingy palps and lack the stripes and band on the head.

This species, native to Japan, was first discovered in the United States in 1959 (Alexander & Walker 1962). By 1977 it had become established in the District of Columbia and at least 23 counties in 6 southeastern states (Walker 1977). Its rapid spread was probably by overwintering eggs in soil in the root balls of ornamental shrubs shipped from nurseries near Mobile, Alabama. The largely suburban and spotty distribution of V. micado agrees with this scenario.

Japanese burrowing crickets are yellowish brown with seven or fewer ragged pale longitudinal stripes extending forward on the head from the front margin of the pronotum. A pale transverse band (along the arms of the epicranial suture) connects the lateral ocelli, and the pronotal disk has pale spots or blotches. The palpi are white. Length 13-19 mm.

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Velarifictorus micado, the Japanese burrowing cricket, is a cricket in the subfamily Gryllinae (family Gryllidae). It is found in southern Asia, along with an introduced population in the United States. It was first reported in the US in 1959, likely as overwintering eggs in the soil of imported plants, and has since spread all throughout the eastern half of the country.

V. micado front

paralyzed by a wasp - dorsal Wildlife Prairie Park

paralyzed by a wasp - ventral Wildlife Prairie Park

V. micado song