The Japanese burrowing cricket is an East Asian cricket that has spread across much of the eastern United States since it was first recorded in the U.S. in 1959. It probably arrived as eggs in the soil of nursery shrubs, and it is still turning up farther north and west.
Appearance
- Appearance
- About 1/2–7/8 in (13–22 mm) long and yellowish brown to dark brown. Look for ragged pale stripes running forward on the head, a pale band between the simple eyes, pale spots on the shield behind the head, and white mouthparts.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- suburban areas
- Range
- Native to Japan, Korea, and China. In the U.S. it was established by 1977 in D.C. and at least 23 counties in six southeastern states, and it has since spread across much of the eastern half of the country. A 2018 study found it somewhat farther north and much farther west than previously known.
- Preferred conditions
- In the U.S. it is mostly suburban and patchy in where it turns up. So far it is considered a fairly passive, non-destructive newcomer.
Behavior
- Overwintering
- It spends the winter as eggs in the soil, which is likely how it spread: in root balls of ornamental shrubs shipped from nurseries near Mobile, Alabama.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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